My story

Kayaking photo: Jukka Kuusisto

Hi, EräKatri here!

I am a nature-loving, nature-based sole proprietor from Jyväskylä. I was born in Keuruu. The wonderful nature, clean waters and great living opportunities have rooted me here in Jyväskylä area Lakeland Finland.

My mental landscape is a beautiful lake landscape. I feel that presence, peace and encounter are meaningful. I am eager to learn new things, reflect on things, develop my skills and broaden my worldview. I love life.

Thank you for reading my story and look out these websites I made myself.

Childhood summers

My childhood and youth in Keuruu were active and safe. The most important things were family, relatives and friends. The best part of my childhood summers was swimming and a sauna by the lake. Luckily, it was a quick bike ride to the Kylmälahti shore. And our cottage in Pirttilahti was only a short way from Kurkiniemi by motorboat. When I got older, I remember how great it was when I was given the responsibility of heating up the sauna.

I still greatly enjoy every opportunity to steam in a sauna by the lake and fres swim. I have taken to nature swimming, it is the best all year round. I also enjoy being on the water, paddling, boating and fishing.

"Thank you for encouraging me to take up a new sport!"

Life is now

I am the youngest in our family, born in summer. The most important thing for my birthdays was a strawberry cake made by my mother. I lost my parents too early, when I was 20 and 21 years old. The cancer progressed and took the mother in less than a year. She died at the age of only 55. Less than a year later, my siblings and I organized my father's funeral. Grief had its own time.

Already at that time, in my twenties, I learned the limitations of life. I learned that life is here and now. That much-talked-about "then when" time may not come. How we live, each of us have to choose. Hopely not in past or in future.

How lucky I was that in my youth, from the improvisation course held by Satu Olkkonen, I took with me the important lesson "I am afraid but I dare, I dare to fear". It still keeps me going.

Together we can

How lucky I am to have had good people in my life. Close ones, family, friends, colleagues and one love. How lucky I am to have been able to do meaningful, different and inspiring work.

I am very happy with my activity. Competitive swimming changed to scuba diving in my youth. At the age of 18, I joined a theatre group in Keuruu and that is how my meaningful journey with theatre began.

I am so grateful for the courage that has grown, inspired by theatre, the Youth Chamber of Commerce and Play Back theatre, all my beloved hobbies, to go towards something new together and through cooperation.

I am especially grateful for the wonderful people in these hobbies. Doing things together and being friends with a big heart. The importance of walking side by side has proven to be particularly important. The power of sharing carries us through good times and when we face adversity.

"Wonderful light, fun and good guidance, thank you, I would go again."

Towards dreams

I am the youngest daughter of a carpenter and a housewife. A large wooded hillside plot with berry bushes, huge boulders at the back of the yard, my own playhouse built by my father, mittens dried in a pot oven, fresh fish on the dinner table and guests every now and then. There was no shortage, but nothing extra either. There was no car, but fortunately you could get around on bicycles and with a ride from relatives. And of course by bus and train.

I remember how as a child I dreamed of foreign cultures and traveling while playing. Later, as a teenager, my older brother went in the army, in that time I decided that if women could join the army, I would join. In our family album there was a picture of my cousin Mauri wearing a blue beret as a peacekeeper. I dreamed also that peacekeeping would be possible someday for me as a woman.

It is good to have dreams and you are allowed to go towards your dreams. When the opportunity arises, you should be brave and say yes.

Years passed. At the age of 26, on a frosty January day, I entered the service. I was one of the first women to complete voluntary national defense service in Karelia Brigade. I returned home as the first female sergeant in the Karelian Brigade to receive military police training.

Later, I applied to the Finnish Defence Forces, International military crisis management. After completing the rigorous training, I served as a peacekeeper in the NATO operation in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The reserve reviews and the voluntary national defense work I did in various ways are still an important part of my life today.

Six months

How lucky I am that I have always been hard working and frugal. My way of saying is that I save for a good days. I have liked to invest in myself by gathering experiences and traveling the world.

I have made memorable trips alone and together with friends. Encounters with locals, nature, and guided trips, experiences and activities have been the best gifts of my trips.

How lucky I am that the books I read about traveling around the world finally encouraged me to live my biggest dream come true. I saved money for 10 years for a trip around the world and attended the English discussion group at the community college for many winters.

When the bank granted me the job-alternating leave, I set off on my trip alone as planned. On an October morning, I put on my backpack at home, walked along the familiar streets of the center of Jyväskylä to the railway station, and jumped on the train at 6:22. I flew from Helsinki Airport to New York with one stopover. The beautiful and friendly Iceland gave the best possible start to my adventure. I was on a trip around the world for half a year. How lucky I was to live my dream for exactly half a year, every day.

I love experiencing the world, but what I love most is Finland. I especially love Finland's pure nature and four seasons. The most valuable thing is a safe homeland and freedom.

"You took everyone into account, a wonderful package!"

Moving north

I am an adult changer.

Let's go back for a moment to the Karelian Brigade and December 1997. It was freezing cold and the ground was white wth snow. I returned home 3 days after Independence Day. The Finnish Defence Forces had trained and camped me commendably for 11 months.

I remember saying out loud to myself at the moment of returning home, "one day I will go to wilderness guide school". The years passed quickly with interesting jobs, travel and hobbies. I enjoyed life. Work and hobbyes filled my everyday life. The big dream remained in the background.

I have been able to do inspiring office work and be involved in developing processes, it's amazing. I started as an employee after graduating in a permanent job in 1989 as an accountant and finished in 2023 in the banking sector. There are a few twists and turns in between.

Good work and great colleagues in the bank was dream come true job for me.

In March 2020, I was in Tikkakoski for a week of army refresher training. There, in the evening, in a half-team tent, they started talking about Covid for the first time. When I returned home, it wasn't long before total isolation and mandatory remote work began in Finland. Fear and feeling unwell crept into my life. Being alone, coping and doing everythin alone didn't feel comfortable.

Continuous isolation and remote work weren't good for me. I endured it for a long time. Fortunately, I finally realized to ask for help. I got the chance to rest for a while and gain strength with permission.

Fortunately, I remembered my dream from my army days of wilderness guide school. I sorted things out, applied to school and got in. Taking a leave of absence from working in the bank and moving north was a big step into the unknown.

A different stage of life, freedom and multi-modal learning motivated me especially much. The natural sciences studies emphasized personal skills, group skills, and guide skills. Starting in November 2021, Kuusamo offered its best. At the end, 4 months in Levi also taught me a lot.

Flexible will do

After completing my professional degree, I gathered all my courage, founded a company and applied for start-up money. It was a huge scare when I jumped from familiar work patterns in a large bank's communications department to a solo entrepreneur in the nature sector in Lakeland Finland in May 2023.

I can say that although I have been a very entrepreneurial employee all my life and have been closely involved with companies and entrepreneurs. But I can tell, that being a solo entrepreneur has surprised me many times.

Alongside the enormous enthusiasm and successes, there have also been surprises, challenges and setbacks. There has been enough to do. I have survived everything.

How lucky I am that I am open, eager to come up with ideas, learn new things and want to do things. There is a lot of room for development in asking for help and also in living with the feeling of inadequacy. Fortunately, I have life experience in my backpack. I don't get discouraged by the smallest things.

I am happy about new patterns, forward-looking people and different opportunities. I have bravely set out to open doors with various trainings and courses in different parts of Finland.

From experience, I know that I bend to many things and always find a solution.

"Calm, wonderful style to inspire the crowd."

From an ambulance to a campervan

I have a home in the heart of Jyväskylä. In the summer of 2020, I unexpectedly got my first enthusiasm for a campervan. In the spring of 2022, I remembered my dream and this time things progressed quickly. In May 2022, I bought myself a campervan made from an ambulance. The biggest thanks from my campervan named RetkiLanssi goes to its builder, Jari Rautakoski from Äänekoski.

Oh, the feeling of freedom when the journey unfolds with my RetkiLanssi and the scenery changes. Summer 2025 will be our fourth summer of freedom together. The folding bed and standing height in the back bring comfort to trips.

The RetkiLanssi, registered for four, offers me a good feeling and many opportunities.

The joy of dreams come true

Backpacking trips in 39 countries

Diving courses and diving in the many oceans

Parachuting course and jumps at Tikkakoski

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Women's voluntary national defense, 1997

Peacekeeper, SFOR, 1999-2000

JCI senator #69513, 2010

Alone around the world trip for 6 months, 2013-2014

Team Rynkeby Jyväskylä -team cyclist, 2016

RetkiLanssi, a campervan made from an ambulance 2022

Wilderness guide, vocational qualification 2023

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Dream jobs in a bank +20 years and in an accounting firm +7 years

Sole entrepreneur since 2023

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Lifesaver, blood donor x 67

Katri, remember to live

I have been encouraged to live my own life by the teachings of my childhood home. I am glad that the doors of our home were always open. I am glad that life was active and safe. I am glad that I have Karelian roots on my father's side.

Life has not let me go easily. The loss of loved ones at a young age was a great challenge. Making dreams come true has required courage, perseverance, saving, big choices, strong faith in the future, taking action and doing.

Nature is important to me. How lucky I am to have been able to experience nature in my homeland and around the world. National parks, hiking trips, nature swimming, activities and experiences in nature always fascinate and inspire me. The most impressive moments and experiences on my travels are strongly connected to nature.

The most important moment is here and now. The place of choice is every day. Better thinking creates a better life. Good. You never know about this life. And we all know that the last coat doesn't have pockets.

Sometimes I say to myself out loud; Katri remember to live.

As a solo entrepreneur in this business, I'm still at the beginning, only at the second checkpoint and the journey is long. Even though it's scary, I dare. My passion is to enable unforgettable nature experiences to my customers.

To be a sidekick on a journey of yours towards nature, freedom and well-being. I feel that I have a lot to give to you in that.

Choose nature.
Experience freedom.
Feel good.

"You're in the right business, so keep up the friendly style!"