April 8, 2024
Navitas trip to Finland!!!
Hi everybody,
I am back and this week I will be writing about a trip that was very close to my heart so I hope you enjoy it!
As you may or may not know, I am part of the Travel Committee of Navitas. Navitas is a lovely student association that is all about sustainable development (this fits perfectly for me as I am a first-years Master of Science for Sustainable Development student). I have written some other blogs on Navitas and also on the day trip we organized last semester if you want to check those out :).
Last week, after planning for more than 4 months, we finally embarked on our BIG TRIP! The planning process took us quite a while and required a lot of meetings and decision-making. Luckily, our team of 4 works super well together, and we quickly decided that we wanted to go to Finland. So, we organized everything, sold 28 tickets, and even had a kick-off event at VilleValla (a very well-known student pub here in Linköping) before the trip. Finally, last Thursday, we gathered our group and took the train to Stockholm where we then got on the overnight boat to Turku, Finland.
We went with the Viking line on a big ferry ship called “The Glory” which we specifically chose because it is very new (built in 2021) and is said to be one of the most climate-smart passenger ships in the world. The ship did not disappoint! It was quite luxurious and we all got a 4 person cabin to get some rest. Early the next morning, we arrived in Turku. Our hotel was just a short drive away and after we went for Brunch at Fabbes café, which is a very cute small family-owned cafe with a focus on sustainability as well. The owners were super lovely (as were all the other Finnish people we met) and it was really good to have some food and coffee after the nightboat. It may already be spring where you are, but in Turku, it was definitely still winter. We had snow every day but that didn’t keep us from doing a city tour! We walked along the most important historical spots in town and ended in the Market hall, which is a huge hall filled with different food stalls, very lovely. The rest of the day, people could do what they wanted, and in the evening we organized a pub crawl! We divided the group into 3 teams and everybody had an hour in 3 different bars. In these bars, the groups had to complete 3 challenges and provide photo proof. It was a LOT of fun. After, we all met up and went to a club together to finish the night off dancing.
The next day, we had a slow breakfast at the hotel, and after we hopped onto a bus and drove to the botanical gardens which are located on one of the islands at the coast. The botanical gardens were beautiful and it was really nice spending some time in the greenhouses as it was still snowing outside. After the gardens, we went on a little hike and enjoyed the views and each other’s company. The afternoon was free time and everybody just went off second-hand shopping, drinking coffee, and doing sauna.
On Sunday, we got up really early to catch the boat back to Sweden. This time, we took the boat during the day which was actually really cool as we could enjoy the views of the archipelago of Turku and Stockholm! The boat has huge windows which make you feel like you are right outside. Most of us took a nap, played games and some even went to the wellness center on the boat! When we got back to Stockholm, we were greeted with one of the most beautiful sunsets and a slightly warmer temperature.
All in all, the trip was definitely a highlight of this year and everybody enjoyed themselves a lot! It was so nice spending time with like-minded people and making deeper connections. I want to thank everybody who came for making this trip so incredible and I am super thankful for the opportunities Navitas has given me.
If you are a current student, or if you will study at LiU in the future, I highly recommend becoming a member of Navitas and joining one of the committees. It honestly has been one of the best decisions I’ve made while studying in Linköping.
I hope you enjoyed reading about our little Finland adventure and talk to you soon!
/ Fleur, Master of Science for Sustainable Development
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