Today, we are making ourselves at home in Finland. We've ditched the itineraries we found online, and are simply winging it as we head north towards the Arctic Circle. Feeling as free as we did on our bicycles, we poke along, likely to the annoyance of drivers who speed past us, doing the kind of traveling we love best.

We break frequently to take lots of photos of our surroundings:

We stop to check out this shed, and take a peek inside only to find that it is empty.

We pass more sheds and wonder what in the world they are for?

I admire the thousands of birch trees that populate the countryside. I love how their bark peels like paper, and gather some to send home to Tyler's brothers and sisters.

At a grocery store, I pick up the quintessential refreshing summer snack: watermelon. Then, we decide to find a lake at which to eat it. This is not difficult. Within a few minutes, we are stopped at a rest-area, eating our fill.

Like a pair of six year olds covered in watermelon juice, we run to the lake, strip down, and jump in to rinse the stickiness away.

Tyler leaps in, of course!

Thus begins a new habit: lake hopping. From now on, we'll make a point to camp by lakes and go swimming as much as possible.

Back on the road, we crank up the radio and roll the windows down. I love having the fresh air blow my hair around. When the radio announcer says something about "Windy", I am shocked to hear the American oldie sung in Finnish!

When we're tired of driving, we go in search of a good lakeshore free-camp. Most side roads have little houses at the end of them, but after several failed attempts, we discover a secluded boat-slip. There, we park the car and make our home for the night.