Hello, friend. My name is Bjorn. What is yours? Funny that I call you friend when I don’t even know your name, isn’t it? Well, who’s to decide we aren’t fiends? That’s no one’s choice but ours. So I will go ahead and make it. I say we’re friends. Now, isn’t that nice? Dear me, one paragraph into my introductory blog post for the world-renown travel website, Sauntyr, and I’ve already gone off on a tangent. I’ve got a bit of a reputation as a rambler, so you’ll have to bear with me. Maybe it’s because I live in rural Finland where the nearest town has a population of 6 and human interaction is a rare and meaningful experience for me. Alas, I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me properly introduce myself…

My full name is Bjorn Bjornson—only child of Brynof and Bärbel Bjornson. I was born in 1946 in an ice-fishing shack and was immediately baptized in the open lake hole. I agree with my loving parents that the four week battle with hypothermia that ensued is what made me the strong man that I am today. I currently spend my days in my cabin in the woods, whittling and fishing with my loyal companion, the vivacious and ever-fascinated Finnish Laphund, Mielikki (named after the legendary goddess of the forest). Her giant personality helps her live up to such a name, but, of course, I’ve yet to see her transform into a unicorn, haha. Fans of my writing may have heard me tell that joke before, but it’s just too good not to share again :).

So, how did I end up on here? By some stroke of luck, the founders of Sauntyr discovered a previous journal of mine that I kept on the professional website, MySpace. In this “blog,” I described life events worthy of note and did my best to explain some of the endless idiosyncrasies of Finnish rural life to my incurably curious audience. And, I must say, I had quite a supportive and loyal following! Unfortunately, my Compaq Presario, the hardworking, electronic communicator I’d purchased in 2001, could not be resuscitated after my roof collapsed during the thaw of 2009 and I was left voiceless. I have only now come into possession of a new computing device, which I was able to afford after selling several years worth of my wood carvings. My refurbished Gateway PC looks like it should last me for years to come and I am now ecstatic to be addressing you atop the powerful soapbox that is Sauntyr. And, I know I shouldn’t discuss money, but let’s just say my new associates are very accommodating. $50 a blog post is something that I’m happy to pay to reach such a vast, intellectual audience.

So, here I am, your new Finnish correspondent. I will describe my daily life, the people I meet and help you learn a little more about my corner of the world. While I don’t have the income to travel myself, I have been informed that I may research and write about other places around the world to help educate my audience. I look forward to such an opportunity!

So, let’s travel and learn about this wonderful planet together. What do you say, friend?

Suomesta, rakkaudella
-Bjorn