Making new friends as an adult can often times be even more difficult than finding a partner (provided you’re looking for one). For “romantic” purposes there’s Tinder, online dating sites, bars and whatnot, but how about a database for likeminded people? Where is it that you meet potential friends (when not rock climbing…)? 

Last July me and another Finnish woman and fellow blogger, Laura from Urbaaniviidakkoseikkailijatar, were on a blind date. Not on a romantic one, but rather on a blind date for friendship (a great term coined by Laura). A couple of our common acquaintances were convinced that we should meet, and about a year later from our first introduction on Facebook, we finally did. It was one of the last days I spent in Helsinki before my trip to Latin America, and I sure spent it well (the date was a way bigger success than any other blind date I’ve been on so far!).

The main reason I’m writing this is that if you’ve ever felt like wanting new friends at an adult age, I can tell by my own experience that it’s a great idea to ask your friends to hook you up with someone they think you’d hit it off with. Maybe you can get a friend for a lifetime, and even if not, you’ll for sure discover something new. What I personally gained from meeting Laura, was meeting one of the most likeminded, funky women Finnish travel history has ever seen. Not only do I fully comprehend and assimilate with her way of life (being a hairdresser, Laura also has a job that follows her wherever she goes), but moreover, I absolutely love the way she tells about her adventures in her blog. Urbaaniviidakkoseikkailijatar is no ordinary travel blog, but rather a deep and vivid collection of personal reflections which inspire you to venture.

And the reason I write this now is that only a week ago Laura and her Spanish boyfriend got back to Finland from a caravan road trip through Southern France and Spain. I’ve been following the trip on Facebook and on Laura’s blog and through the way Laura describes the journey, I feel like I had been on the journey with them. The thing is, it’s not common too see someone write so authentically about feelings and experiences that you can easily identify them, even at a distance of thousands of kilometers. And even though I’m on the road myself, Laura still manages to get me hooked on her stories like no one else does (this is not just a random add for a fellow blogger. I truly mean every single word I say and write this solely, because I feel utterly inspired by Laura’s last trip!). So, even if you can’t meet this lady personally, don’t miss out on her blog. It’s definitely worth it.

Here’s Laura’s recollection of our blind date (in Finnish).

Who is Laura aka Urbaaniviidakkoseikkailijatar?

Laura @urbaaniviidakkoseikkailijatar is a Finnish travel and lifestyle blogger who has toured the world vastly for years and years. First alone as a backpacker and more recently with her Spanish boyfriend on a caravan. To me, her blog is THE most inspiring Finnish travel blog there is. She writes in Finnish, yet even if you don’t speak the language, her pictures surely excel in exceeding linguistic borders. (Btw. her blog’s name is also brilliantly descriptive: urbanjungleadventuress.). Laura is also the co-founder of the Facebook group @seikkailijattaret (adventuresses), a platform of information and inspiration for Finnish female travellers.