These days are like the easy days, after some rest, the road flows. In the start the morning strong after going to the supermarket. I stop in this lovely camping, the german biker is here, he laughs when he sees me. I then walk 20 min to the supermarket, I really did not want to bike again.
On my return from the supermarket, a van arrived with a whole team of children. I don’t really pay attention because I have to take a shower and finish setting up my camp. Then time for 2nd dinner, and when entering the kitchen, there are 6 children on the couch watching some cartoon on TV. I am kind of jealous, so I start setting up the cooking, all while listening and occasionally watching the show. Then Emma and some older children come in with a bunch of food, ready to cook in this small kitchen. I then start talking with Emma, from the UK, who is the mom of 9 children, and they are doing a road trip across Scandinavia. They have a big white van with 12 seats, filled with clothes, sleeping bags, a huge tent, 1 kayak, and paddle boarding. There is a surprisingly organized mess, total chaos but without really anything bad happening. Actually quite the contrary, there is definitely harmony in the whole family, each with their own qualities and still living relatively peacefully. We are three, I only have two sisters, and we have created more mess than this team of 9 children and teenagers many times. While I am sure it is not always easy, I really envy them, altogether against the wilderness, friends for life by blood, they seem to have a lot of fun altogether.
We first talk about camping and give each other tips, but the conversation quickly shifts to more deep and interesting topics. We talk about life, how to choose which path to take, work/life balance, destiny, love, god, religion… We also talk about silly and unimportant things. All while children are cooking, screaming, laughing, eating, running, playing, watching, and listening around us. I feel happy, in a way, I feel like I am at a distant cousin’s wedding, surrounded by familiar, but unknown people. It makes me feel at home in this camping in the middle of nowhere in Finland. Before we know, it is 2am outside, the sun barely sets anymore, it is daylight outside but still time to sleep. Thank you so much, Emma and the whole family for tonight.
When I think about why I am biking, I actually don’t really know the answer. But I think childhood has something to do with it, I always wanted to be close to nature, and create a new adventure. And when I think about my heroes, they were courageous people, ready to face the unknown. The way I was socialized, from my parents, society, and even places I have seen and interacted with, all influenced me to create the person I am today. I remember meeting this French biker that had crossed the Amazonian forest when we went to Peru, I was 10 at the time. I can’t remember much, a bit of some of the places, or the vibe, small details scattered around the country, but the people, impossible. But I remember this French biker, with a Lapierre bicycle, and I remembered him tonight while interacting with this family.
Now I am a biker, I am not 10 anymore but 24. Life moves and many adventures are yet to come.
