Christmas.

Santa came, and Aada (my 4 year old goddaughter) had been extra nice this year. She got LOTS of presents. 

Elsa decided to take care of little Vilho. She did not leave him out of her sight, I guess she figured he was her baby. Whenever he cried Elsa got really sad too and tried to kiss him and make him feel better. Such a great dog!

Hyvää Joulua!

Tomorrow we are traveling to my home town in Finland. My girls are happy, because they know grandpa is gonna feed them all sorts of unhealthy things. No wonder my dad is their favorite person. 

When you are a kid, Christmas is all about Santa and presents and magic. Unfortunately you lose that at  some point as you grow up. Now it is just about the presents. I'm joking of course, everyone knows it's also about food. Oh yes, the food..

This Christmas I will spend with some of my favorite persons: My family, my best friend and her family and Peter and my girls. Because that is what Christmas is really about: your loved ones. 

Nuha, kuume, flunssatauti.

This past week has been crazy. I have so much to do.. But soon it's Christmas, and that makes me happy. I'm feeling a bit sick, but I do not have time for that.

We went to Finland this past weekend, to celebrate the baptism of baby Vilho. Pictures of that cute little thing will come soon, I promise. I cannot wait to spend Christmas with my family and Vilho and Aada. Oh I guess it will be fun with Katri and Risto too. We are also gonna throw a party for my little brother who turns 18! It is gonna be so much fun :)

You are the most important person in your life.

There are so many things I need to do before christmas: schoolwork, work, gifts, meetings.. You name it. But the funny thing is that I don't even fee stressed. I'm 100% sure that this is due to the fact that I work out 3-4 times a week. It gives me balance in my life and during that hour or 75 mins that I am at the gym, it is not possible to think about school or anything else but my wellbeing.  It feels like the first time ever I have prioritized myself, and it feels good. I'm not saying that this is the way for everyone, not at all. For some it might be a different hobby - something you do for fun, for you and nobody else.

I believe that this is one of the problems today. We work all the time and do very little for ourselves (even though we have become more individualistic). We go home after a long day at work, but we don't leave our work at the office. We are defined by what we do... for living. What I would like to see is a city or town that creates their brand around people feeling good. Wouldn't that be great? Everyone working together to create a sustainable future, where people feel good. I'm pretty sure that would lead to improved growth, creativity and yeah - feeling good!

Thesis writing

As you all know branding is my passion in life. I will be writing my masters thesis during spring and my topic is employer branding. I am so excited. I seriously cannot wait. I know, I'm a bit strange in that way..

It might be easier to pick a topic that is a bit older, just so you know you'll find good articles. Josse and I wrote our bachelors thesis on city branding towards inhabitants, and had a hard time finding proper articles, so we had to get creative at times. With creative I mean finding something different but similar, that could bring new ideas for the work. Good times.

I was asked by LTU Karriär to talk to students about how to write a thesis about 2 weeks ago. There are several things one should think about, but the most important thing is to find a topic you really like. We were sick of the word branding by the time we handed in our thesis, and we chose something we loved. So even if you end up with a topic that is new (which is a challenge), you at least look at something you really like. That is why I chose employer branding.

This is what it looks like when I'm studying

Is it a parrot? Is it a monkey (on my back, haha)? No, just my doxie. 

Christmas is less than a month away..

Time truly flies. It feels like it was yesterday I joked about it being only 6 months left 'til Christmas, and now it's less than an month left. I guess the time has come for the yearly panic. I know most of you panic about finding the perfect gifts, but my panic is not about that. What I'm thinking is more like: Which list am I on, naughty or nice? What if Santa's little helpers have told Santa I've been naughty? What if they told him about all those times I've bossed Peter around? WHY DID I MAKE HIM REORGANIZE THE APARTMENT AGAIN?! Oh man, I'm so screwed..

We all need someone to count on.

This is a picture of me and my best friend Katri. She is also my cousin, from both sides (my mom's brother is married to my dad's sister). Now you are trying to add things up to see if it is somehow sick or wrong. Just give it a sec... So now you should have figured it out. Yeah, it is completely "normal". Well, not a word I would use when talking about us..

Anyway, since we are cousins we have known each other forever. The thing about family is that there is no way out. You might as well like them, coz you ain't getting rid of them. Haha, just kidding?

I feel happy that I have a friend I can depend on. Even though she lives in Finland and I live here, she feels closer to me than many of my friends here. We've had some crazy times together. I mean really, truly crazy. We've been thrown out of a bar (TWICE, quite the achievement but we are that good), misbehaved at a festival (a couple years in a row, and we are not done yet) and caused embarrassing moments at family gatherings. 

So I guess it is pretty obvious why she is my best friend. 

Getting in shape. Round is also a shape!

The past 6 months I have been extremely aware of everything I put in my mouth, how I work out and really tried to make good decisions when it comes to living healthy. It has paid off too, I've lost about 11 cm around my tummy and I have been feeling so much better. Working out is a good way to fight stress (had my fair share of that) too. Personally I do not "believe" in diets of any kind. I am not saying I don't think they work, because I'm sure they do. However, they do not work for me. Living healthy is an ongoing process, a chain of decisions (which is not gonna break just because you had that one cupcake or chocolate bar. Or two). 

Even though my work out has been quite successful, I feel like I need some help. That is why I have booked 2 work out sessions with a personal trainer at STIL. She promised me she would create extra hard (!) programs that will take my injuries into consideration. Really excited to see what she has come up with! 

Job searching, future planning.. These are a few of my favorite things

The past days I've been visiting platsbanken and other job websites, like reaaally often. It is so hard sometimes: companies are looking for people that do not exist (I mean how can you be young, smart, have 10 years of relevant work experience and at the same time be a "clean" individual so that the company can form you?). I am excited and terrified about the things that are about to happen. Or hopefully about to happen. 

When I was 5 years old I told my mom I wanted to be a pony when I grew up. Well, that didn't go as planned. Nor I am in law school, which was my dream when I was around 15. But I'm happy I found international business. The greatest thing in the world is branding. It is the sexiest word in know (not sexy sexy, but sexy). I bet we all feel this way about something, and if you haven't found that specific thing - yet - I wish you good luck. 

And let me tell you, I would have rocked as a pony. 

What a day

Welcome, little Vilho. We have been waiting for you <3

I'm very proud of my best friend Katri! 

Comfort zone.

Today I started my third course in scientific methods/research methodology, this one focusing on the advanced level aspects. Many people find the course boring, some actually wish they didn't have to take it. I think it's kind of strange that everything in life should be fun. Should it really? Could you really enjoy all the fun things if everything was great, and you only did stuff that you wanted to?

There are lots of things I don't want to, but I might learn something from them. E-business was not my favorite, nor would I have chosen it if I had a choice. But I don't regret taking the course, because I learned a bunch of new things I believe I will find useful. I think it's useful for everyone to step out of their comfort zone, even if we are uncomfortable with it. We all like feeling in control, but losing control will teach you something new. Isn't that so much better?

Halloweenie

Hope you all have had a great weekend - scary outfits and lots of partying :) My weekend was a bit calmer but wonderful nonetheless. We spent the entire saturday with our friends: Elsa's boyfriend Alf and his "parents". Lots of amazing food, horror movies and laughter. Oh and chewing bones of course.

Here is a picture of the love birds

Next week is going to be gooood, I hope. New (and final) courses, hair cut, working out and other nice things. :)

Nuori ja kaunis

Nuori ja kaunis means young and beautiful. Such a great song, which you can find here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scBcbh8I9e4

That song makes me think about my life right after IB. Summer of -07. No idea of what I was gonna do with my life (not sure I still do, haha), but I was so excited. All this university stuff was something to look forward to and now it's almost gone. What happened? I wonder what I'd tell myself if I could go back in time. Could I stop myself from making mistakes or would I encourage myself to make even more?

Okay, now I feel old. I mean, c'mon I turned 18 just a few months ago. So what if it was my 7th time turning 18?

Oh, and Happy Halloweenie! ;)

End of the road

Here we are, now lay the burden down

We're coming to the end of our road

Sorrowful yet glorious somehow

To be humming this one last ode

So calm and still... it wasn't all that bad, or was it now?

Fulfilled... it doesn't only hurt to end it now

Sentenced - End of the Road

So, today we had our presentation for Treehotel. It was the last thing we had left for our courses this "läsperiod". Next week we start the last remaining courses for our education (well, I have some extra courses during spring but still), and then all we have left is writing a thesis. Pretty scary. Exciting but scary. 

If I look back at the past 4,5 years, I can say that it has been both good and bad: lots of hellos and goodbyes, as well as ups and downs. But one thing is for sure: I'm so glad I chose LTU and Luleå! 

Is it thursday already?

This week we have been working hard on our Treehotel project, as well as our project for e-commerce. If you want, you can check out the link below, to see what it is we are doing for Treehotel:

http://www.ltu.se/edu/program/FMIAA/Studenter-samarbetar-med-Treehotel-1.97923

They even wanted to include some comments from yours truly in the web article :)

Jergus and I have been working on our e-commerce project for the past weeks. We were looking at LTU and how they use social medias and we tried to come up with a few improvements and new ideas. Well, quite many to be honest. Social media usage for business purposes is not as easy as one might think, but it is a great tool if you know how to use it right. There are so many channels to choose from, but I am a firm believer in IMC, so coordinating the channels is extremely important.  We can also use social medias to create and communicate your own brand. Oh and by the way, if you are studying at LTU you have to take the course Branding You. Seriously, do that. You can probably still apply (late) for the course. Otherwise I recommend you take it at some point during your education. Trust me, you will not regret it. 

A relaxing weekend.

It's has been a really, really nice weekend I have to say. I have not been doing too much school work, because my parents have been here for a visit. We've spent most of the weekend talking and eating (thank god Peter is a great cook), and we even took a short trip to Gammelstad Church Town. That is something I can recommend to anyone who visits Luleå! It only took me 4,5 years...

Yes, it has been a nice weekend. But I also heard that my grandpa was admitted to hospital and he is waiting for a surgery. They apparently found a tumor, but they are not sure if it's cancer or not. It makes me sad, because I don't even know when (or if) I am going to see him again. Fingers crossed he will be better.. 

Well behaving dogs.

Look at these cute little faces. Well, looks can be deceiving. Actually in this case, looks are not only deceiving, but a big fat lie. Let's just say I'm never ever gonna forget to take the trash out after yesterday's shenanigans. 

The girls, Peter and I went for a walk the other day and we walked by a bunch of kids. Elsa is not a fan of these small little creatures, shouting and jumping and being all weird. Because Alma and Elsa are small and all, we usually get a lot of attention especially from kids. So, this is what happened (and this is a free but very accurate translation)

Little girl: AWWWW, your doggies are so tiny and cuuuuute

Elsa: Shut your ugly face! You call me cute again and I'll kill you. I dare you, call me cute. Make my day!! I'll EAT YOUR FACE!!

Needless to say, mommy was embarrassed. Elsa was proud of herself. People often think they are puppies because they are so small. We never correct them: "Yeaaah, these puppies have not been trained yet". 

Blaablaablaa.. Internet?

So, I just finished my e-com test. I am rather surprised that I managed to finish it, not just considering my experiences with the subject, but mostly due to the fact that I had not taken with me any pens or pencils. Well done, Anna I really do like a challenge, don't I?

The past month has been a struggle for me anyway. Not because I've had so much to do, but because I just feel like I don't have any motivation left to study. Don't get me wrong, I quite enjoy my courses and classes but I just want to be done with them already. I guess that is what (nearly) 5 years of studying does to you. Hmmm, actually it's closer to 20 in total.

I don't know.. Sometimes I get this feeling, which you can only describe as panic. Pure panic. Here I am, 5 years of university studies behind me and I'm supposed to get into the "real" life. The life of loans, interest rates and all that. All that I'm fine with, but it's the idea of actually having to know something. I mean what is it that I actually know? What can I actually offer to my future employers? I bet we all experience this right before the "jump". Or am I wrong? It's probably gonna be okay. After all, I already have a job and it feels really good to have that as your safety net. And I do like my job at Forex: I work with the greatest people in a rather challenging environment - just how I like it.

Oh happy day

Yesterday was a busy day for me - and I barely left my apartment! I have an e-com test coming up tomorrow, and I have been studying the past days. Even though all I see is "blaablaablaa internet" and every time I see the word "cookies" I must read it in a Cookie-monster voice, I feel like I've learned something at least. For example that these are the only kinds of cookies that survive in this household..

Anyway, like many of you know I have lots of different "projects" going on in my life. Right now I'm the student member of our recruitment board at LTU, for our faculty. Yesterday we had a meeting (usually we meet twice or so /month) and I feel so excited every time we have a meeting. As a student I feel that it is important our voices are heard, and we feel like we can make a difference. There are so many ways you can become active at your university, and I wish more students would do just that. After all, you can't really complain unless you've tried to fix the situation.

Besides for studying and meetings I've been doing some working out and... wait for it.. BAKING. Yes, I made bread yesterday. I even took some pictures, for those of you who don't believe me.

Mmmm, mmmm, mmm

Dog shaming, workout, redoing the apartment and studying

If you don't know what dog shaming is, I suggest you google it. I actually think I could upload a picture or two on the site myself..

Anyway, my weekend has been quite nice. My saturday ended up work-free, so I decided to use that time to something extremely productive: redoing the bedroom. Last week we moved stuff around in the living room. Peter was not too happy about that, don't know why he is complaining so much. It turned out great. Well, needless to say when he heard my plans about the bedroom I was sure he was gonna cry.. What's up with that, I'm the one doing all the hard work: planning.

Pictures coming up soon. Looving my "new" place.

Yesterday I felt like a Swede

Nationality is a strange thing. It is something that is clearly stated in your passport and all the official documents. It is a way to put you into a specific category, a way to label you. "Finnish". Based on that label I only drink vodka, carry a knife in my pocket and I should be depressed basically all year round. As you can imagine this is very far from the truth. I mean, I am definitely not depressed ALL year round..  

At times I think about who I am, and how I'd like to label myself. At times I don't fit in here, but when I go back home to visit my family I get the exact same feeling. It doesn't have to be something negative. I believe that you become aware of the "social programming". We all have something to learn from each other, and I try to find the good things from the Swedish culture and adopt my way of thinking to make a better, improved version of me. Anna 2.0. No matter what your passport says, it is how you feel like that matters. You cannot fit me in one tiny box. 

However, yesterday I felt like a Swede. I heard a song by Melissa Horn and I really liked it. 

What's happening to me?! 

I completely forgot..

Here is the third wiener (no pun intended?). I know, Peter does not look normal in this picture, but that's just because he is completely bonkers. I guess he has to be, considering he is living with me.

My partners in crime

Like the name of my blog says, this is also about my doxies. Dachshunds or doxies, wiener dogs, hot dogs, sausage dogs, are well.. Demanding.  They think  know they own you. They have extremely strong personalities and they rarely listen to what you say. If they could speak, their first words would be: "f-u, you go fetch the ball, you're the one who threw it".  They are manipulative, and they might fake a heart attack just so they don't have to go out in the rain (no, it's not a joke, they really can fake heart attacks and other conditions). And they REALLY hate the rain. Doxies are also very, very smart - unfortunately for us owners. Whenever doxie-owners meet, we share a look of pity, desperation and mutual understanding.

So, let's meet the wieners.

This is Elsa. She is 2,5 years old and my baby. She is extremely energetic and loving but not the sharpest tool in the shed. I'm not sure if animals can have AD/HD, but I'm pretty sure this one does. Elsa's favorite words are "karkki" (candy) and "nukkumaan" (let's go to bed). This girl weighs less than 4 kilos, but when she sees herself in the mirror she sees a great dane. Or perhaps a bear.





This one on the right is Alma, 3 years old. She is the sensible big sister, who likes to sit and think about things and take her time. She is really smart and learns tricks quickly. But she might also be the laziest dog I have ever met. She HATES waking up early, and I have even found her sleeping and hiding in a pillow so we would not find her. Alma likes to whine whenever things don't go her way, which is often. She is also just like her mom, and looooooves food. We were/ are both on a diet, so I get the whining ;)

"Studying" for my exam/ test

... Here on my blog. It's just one of those days: I know I should study (not that the last minute hard core studying ever works), but I just can't. If you plan on visiting your friends who study, do it during the exam weeks. Why? Because their homes are spotless. You would rather spend several hours cleaning your flat than studying for that "really important exam you really need to pass". I wonder what is going to push me to clean after I'm done with uni? Oh right, that's why I got myself a boyfriend.

Me and Peter went to rent a couple of movies the other day. Unfortunately we didn't have time to watch one of them, Avengers, so we decided to watch it later this week. I have A LOT going on in my life right now and my schedule is reeeaaally busy. Well, Peter asked me when we would watch the movie and what do I answer? "Just wait a minute, I have to check my schedule". Pathetic, isn't it? And the funny thing is that I actually had to write it down.

Winter is coming..

I really like all the seasons, they are all my favorite. However, after this summer (not really sure if you can even call it summer), I would really like some more sun and nice weather before the winter comes. 

We went to Rhodes at the end of August and had a really good time. We stayed at a luxury hotel with our own, private pool. I'll have to admit, it was not too bad. Oh the life of a poor student, haha. Well okay, we had to save money for quuuuite a long time.

Nice view, huh. 

Now I'll start planning our next trip. I'm thinking Paris in mid April. I've actually started to study french again, and I'm really hoping I can at least order a cup of coffee and a croissant by that time.

What a day!

Most of my days are quite hectic and full of different activities, and today was no different. Despite the bad weather, I've had a nice day filled with exciting things like a field trip to the Treehotel and working out. For those of you who don't know what Treehotel is, it's a hotel - or actually rooms that have been built up in trees, some being as high as 7 meters above the ground (You can check out their homepage at www.treehotel.se). We are doing a group project about the company for our Service Marketing course, and I'm really excited - I mean just think about it! What a business idea! For my other course (E-commerce) me and my class mate Jergus are doing our case study about a wine company which I'm also liking, but for other reasons :P.

Besides for loads of school stuff, I've also taken some time for some nice workout at the gym. STIL is such a great gym, but I think it's weird that I've been working out like for several months now and I still don't look like Jillian Michaels. What's up with that?

Monday, again.

Time flies when you're having fun. Actually, you don't even have to have fun, a mile long to-do-list will have the same effect. In a way I am really happy this is my final year, because when I'm done I will only have a job to worry about. Who am I kidding - I'm probably always going to have a project or two to keep me busy.

Whenever I have too much to do, I try to think about the things I do for myself. Actually, since I am a self-development junkie, everything I do is for me. Every single day I feel like I learn something, and that is one of the reasons I want to keep living this hectic life of mine. And yeah, I know I'm crazy. You don't have to keep reminding me every day. Every other is fine.

Not another blog..

So, I have created yet another blog. Why? Well, since I have been blogging (is blogging even a word?) in finnish, many of my non-finnish friends have complained that they cannot understand a word I'm writing. Apparently they don't love me enough to learn the language...

But anyway, welcome to my blog! I will be writing about school, doxies and rock'n'roll. Or at least the first two, since it seems I really don't have time for rock'n'roll. It is possible that my doxies will be writing from time to time, like this:

To be honest, sometimes it feels like their life is more interesting than mine anyway.