Yup, I’m back in Finland with the snow, reindeers, and polar bears.Yup, I’m back in Finland with the snow, reindeers, and polar bears.Okay, we don’t actually have reindeers or polar bears roaming the streets, but everyone seems to think otherwise, so I’m happy to play along.
是的，我现在回芬兰了，回到了有雪，驯鹿和北极熊的芬兰。好吧，其实芬兰也并不是满大街都是驯鹿和北极熊的。但人们好像都这么想，我也乐得奉陪。

Time seems to be going faster and faster. I hardly noticed the 11 months spent in Spain. I experienced, learned, and grew a lot during this time, but it all seems like a dream.
总觉得时间越过越快。在西班牙的11个月也眨眼间就结束了。我经历了很多，学到了很多也成长了很多，却亦觉那段岁月，宛若一场梦。

Our dog almost died, I learned a new language, I made new friends, I solved new problems, and I got an earplug stuck in my ear. You know, the usual stuff when you travel.
我们的狗都快死了，我学会了一种新的语言，认识了新的朋友，解决了各种新问题，塞上了耳塞——一些旅行时就会有的事。

Why I Left
离开之时

I left because I felt like returning to Finland. I also realized that traveling from Spain would be harder because I had rent to pay, and a dog to take care of.
离开是因为我想要回到芬兰。我也知道，异国旅行不那么容易，因为我还有房租要付，有一条狗要照顾。

Moving back to Finland not only gives me more flexibility, but also cuts my expenses in half, which is always a nice thing when you’re fond of minimalism.
搬回芬兰，生活很自在，开销也少了一半。对喜好简约生活的人说不失为一种好方法。

As the years have passed, I’ve learned to trust my intuition more and more. I do what feels good, and above all, I listen to my heart. That doesn’t mean I run away from fear and eat candy, it means facing my fears and giving my heart space to communicate.
岁月经年，我深信要相信自己的感觉。我只做我想做的事情，所以我听从了自己的心声。我并不是逃避恐惧，也不是贪图享乐，我只是直面它们，给自己的心留出了一些空间。

It’s something you learn with time. The more you trust your intuition, even if you misinterpret it, the more you realize that you can put faith in yourself, and you can listen to your own self for guidance.
渐渐你会明白，只要你相信自己的感觉，即使有时候可能有那么一点出入，你就能更相信自己，跟着心走。

The 11 Things
11件事

1. Openness. It seems Spanish people smile, talk, and say hi more than Scandinavians do. Don’t get me wrong though, the Finnish (and Swedish) people are pretty damn nice, too. I tend to be reserved myself when I meet people for the first time, because I never know if they are ready to meet the monster that is me, and I suspect many Scandinavians are the same way.
开朗。比起斯堪的纳维亚人，西班牙人好像笑得更多，说得更多，打招呼也更多。别误会，芬兰人（还有瑞典人）当然也足够好。只是我的话，见到生人时多少有点保守，因为我不确信他们是否做好心理准备认识我这个“怪兽”。我想很多斯堪的纳维亚人也都差不多吧。

2. Breakdown. When I arrived in Spain, I wasn’t comfortable with the budget I had in the bank. On top of that, opening up bank accounts and getting the paper work done took longer than I expected, but through all this I learned a thing or two about myself, and collected vital experience points along the way.
冷静。刚到西班牙时，我很不满意银行的预算。最火大的是，开个银行帐户，做个预算，要花很长的时间。但经历完这些，我学到了一两点东西，一路下来也积累了很重要的经验。

3. Traveling? Easy! The more I travel, the easier it gets. I always propose massive action, because when you do stuff, you get an accurate view of reality, and you know what to expect. You can read all you want about travel, but it still won’t matter, because your experience will be different than everyone else’s.
旅行？简单！旅行越多会越容易。我主张“大张旗鼓”地去旅行，因为当做一件事情的时候，你会对全局有一个精确的把握，也会知道将有什么发生。关于旅游，你可以读很多相关东西，但那些仍旧无济于事，因为你的经历将是独一无二的。

4. Making Friends. I enjoy being alone, reading books, thinking, writing, and creating, but I don’t mind making a few friends here and there. I attended CouchSurfing language exchange meetings, where I met tons of new people. I took trips with a few of them, ate dinners, and had a lot of fun. Making friends is easy. How easy it is depends on you. Just look at Benny, he travels the world, learns new languages, and has no trouble making friends without drinking.
交朋友。我喜欢独处，看书，想问题，写东西，创作之类，但我也喜欢到处交朋友。我参加了“四海为家的国际互助旅游”项目，交到了成群的朋友。我和他们一起旅行，一起吃饭，过得很快乐。交朋友很容易。有多容易也在你。比如贝妮，他周游世界，学新语言，不用喝酒也很容易可以交到朋友。

5. Breaking Patterns. Whenever I travel, my mind changes as much as the landscape around me. I get new ideas. I meet new people, and I learn new things. It forges new pathways in my brain, which in turn spark new, innovative, and brilliant thoughts. If you’re stuck working the same job, doing the same stuff, and eating the same food, chances are you will stay stuck ;) .
打破常规。每次旅行，仿佛地形一变，我的想法也准会变化一样，我会产生很多新念头。我会认识不同的人，学到新的东西。它们会在我脑中搭成新的思路，反过来会和以前的想法碰撞出新的创意的灿烂的火花。如果你总做一样的工作，做一样的事，吃一样的食物，你很有可能就这么一成不变了。


6. New Language. While in Spain, I picked up a nice level in Spanish. I spent three months obsessively listening, writing, reading, and speaking Spanish, then I woke up one morning and decided I had learned enough. That’s just how I roll. I like to focus on as few things as possible, or in other words, I like to eliminate and discriminate.
新的语言。在西班牙，我西班牙语还学得不错。我用了三个月的时间，狂吃狂写狂读狂讲西班语，然后有天早上醒来的时候，我觉得我已经学得够多了。这就是我。我喜欢挑战新东西，或者说，我喜欢淘汰一些，再选择一些。

7. Overcoming Fear. Moving to a new country, doing new things, and facing the unknown is scary. During the past 11 months, I ran into obstacles I hadn’t run into before, and I had to solve problems in new ways. Luckily, I quickly adapted everything was back on track in no time.
战胜恐惧。在一个陌生的国家，做没做过的事情，未知只是很可怕的。在过去的11个月里，我遇到了前所未有过的困难，也只能以新的方式来解决它们。所幸，我很快适应了，不久一切都走上了正轨。

8. Minimalism. I lived for almost a year with very little. In my post radical minimalism, I wrote that I had 43 possessions, but I threw and gave a lot of stuff away, so I was probably close to 30 items for several months, and towards the end, I realized that I could’ve lived with even less clothes, as many of my shirts were only used a few times during the whole year. Now that I’m home, I have a lot of uncluttering to do.
简约。我“轻装”起居，过了近一年。在我的“简约生活卡”上，我写道我有43件所有物。但我丢弃了很多，所以有几个月接近只有30件起居用品。到最后，我才意识到，其实衣服再少一点，我一样可以活得很好，因为我有很多T恤一年也就穿那么几次。现在在家，有一大堆的清理工作等着我。

9. We Are All the Same. When you meet people that are open, happy, and most of all, sane, you notice that there really are no differences between us. We may have different shells, come from different parts of the world, and have different beliefs, but deep down we’re all the same. Everyone is curious about you, and everyone wants to get to know new people, just like you do.
我们都一样。当遇上一个阳光，快乐，最主要的是一个正常人的时候，你会发现，其实我们之间都没差。可能我们有不同的外壳，我们来自不同的地方，有不同的信仰，但内心深处我们都是一样。每个人对你都很好奇，每个人都想认识新朋友，都和你一样。

10. The Heart. Getting through more obstacles, fears, and puzzles will spark new growth on many levels, but above all in the hart area. I learned to trust my heart even more during this time in Spain, and I learned to follow my intuition just a tad more. It’s a slow, highly fascinating process.
内心。历经过更多困难，恐惧和困惑后，我们会成长很多，在内心里。这次西班牙之旅，让我更相信自己内心的力量，跟着心走。这是一段缓慢而美妙的旅程。


11. Appreciate Home. Spain is cool and all, but when I got back home, it was awesome. The mundane things suddenly seemed special. I’ll get used to this soon, but right now it’s magical, especially with snow on the ground. Traveling not only teaches you stuff, but it also helps you appreciate what you already have.
感恩之心。西班牙很棒，棒到不能再棒，但我到家的那一刻，却让我大吃一惊。很普通的事物瞬间变得很特别。我知道，很快我会对这一切习以为常，但，至少目前为止，它是神奇的，尤其踩在有雪的地上。旅行会教给你很多东西，同时也让你对所拥有的一切学会感恩。

What Happens Now?
现在如何？
I’ve been asked this questions so many times, and to be honest, I have no idea. I’m as curious to find out what I’ll come up with as you are.
我已经被这样问过很多遍了。说实话，我不知道。我和你一样好奇，一样想知道。

But one thing is for sure, traveling will be much easier from now on, as I can leave whenever I want without having to juggle rent, the dog, and, well, stuff.
但有一点我确信的是，以后的旅行将会变得更加容易。因为只要我想，我可以随时启程，我不会再让房租，狗，这种琐事填满我的脑子。

I may decide to leave for Thailand next year and spend a few months there, I may come to the U.S and explore, or I may stay put and enjoy the north. I have no idea.
我可能明年去趟泰国，呆上个把月，也可能去美国探探险，也或者就留这儿了，感受感受北方。我不知道。

As far as I know, this is the only way life should be lived.
但我知道，生活就应该是这样的。