The first visitors – Day 7 of WSJ

My alarm was set for 5:45, and I snoozed it twice. It was cold, and I was bummed I had not thought to put my clothes in my sleeping bag with me. I did eventually get out of my bag and get dressed, then I grabbed my bag, and headed to breakfast. After eating I picked up my lunch, and made way to the parking lot. We got a ride on a 15 passenger bus, which meant we got to our destination much faster. In order to keep traffic flowing smoothly, the buses take routes that are more circuitous, but a car can take the shortest route.

When we arrived, there were already a few people waiting. We got everyone in place, and started processing them through security and check in. I did some ticket scanning and wristbanding first.

After a while we did a bit of rotation. My team lead asked me to go down to the parking lot with a few others and direct people to walk on the side of the road. I did so, and spent several hours down there. At some point I sent a message asking how long he wanted me to stay. He told me I could come back, and as I did I realized the others were all gone. Seems I had been overlooked. Oops. Oh well, it was relaxing out there. Plus this put me in the group workout the whole day, so I would be able to get a half day the next day.

Once we were dismissed for the day, I went to sit at the Chat-and-Chew for a bit, before going to my tent and changing into my swimsuit (under my clothes). I met with my friend for dinner, and then we went to enjoy the Finnish sauna. As I walked up I realized I had forgotten something critical: my towel. So I ran into the trading post and bought one, rather than walking all the way back to my tent.

The Finnish Contingent has four saunas set up. Three of them are tents, and one has plywood sides. This last one also has higher benches. The löyly was fantastic. My friend also enjoyed it, and said it was very relaxing. After sauna we went into the cinema, and watched Mamma Mia. We were encouraged to sing along. The only downside was that someone had decided to schedule an open mic event on the stage right next to the cinema tent. The dialogue was hard to hear at times, but our singing drowned them out. The best part was that someone played bagpipes on stage at the exact same time as the bagpipes appeared in the movie.

After the movie I headed straight back to my tent, as the next day would be another early alarm.