My American Idols

For several years I have followed few female roles models, who happen to be all American.

I remember when I moved back to Finland in 2007, after living 12 years abroad, Ellen DeGeneres shows started airing on channel, which was called that time Liv (Swedish for life and living)
After weekend morning runs I did my recharging while watching several episodes of Ellen. Obviously there was some serious catching up to do :) thus they showed 3-4 episodes non-stop.

Ellen has this positive view on things, which I find familiar. I would like to think positive energy being one of my strengths. She has pushed her way through in life and keeps amazing people and sharing the joy.
I love the fact that she dances in each of her show ;)

She has been also amazingly open about her personal life and she picks the most interesting people to her shows. Not to mention the self irony or cunning sense of humor.
I wish when I am 56 I am equipped with the same level of energy and sense of humor as Ellen is.

...and I also like her short hair cuts. My mother was hair dresser and very artistic one. She always said that cutting people's hair is like making a sculpture. She had the eye to envision the person with the cut. She also took time before the clients appointment was at the door to plan. She was in it with her whole heart.
From her I learned the habit to browse in internet always before going to a hair dresser. I often ended up suggesting a cut, which Ellen had or alternatively Pink.

Which brings me to my next American idol....Pink.
She has balls and she is kind of a boy-girl, which is what I am. I am more into exercise than fashion. I rather spend money on super food than make up. Her music speaks to one and is not just some purkkapoppia / "chewing gum pop" , as one would say in Finnish.
Pink dares to raise her sincere thoughts through her songs. I like when woman has balls enough to step up and challenge. I did not give myself the credit of doing so....until after my Kenyan assignment and nearly 2 years project in Russia. Latest there and then I had to give myself the credit of standing up and defending my team, when needed but also challenging the team, peers and management. But not challenging in the sense of bullying or rebelling, but finding the suitable way using the diplomatic skills combined with the Finnish SISU
(I will write separately about that in near future).
Pink has stylish boldness in her ways to express her strong views. She is also top fit, which has been the motivator on some days when going to the gym did not feel like it was really what I wanted to do :)






The biggest butt kicker of them all, to me personally, has been Jillian Michaels. Oh those dark and cold winter mornings in the midst of Finnish winter.... 6 am Jillian was on the screen making me to do squats, push ups and all possible moves, which made my muscles scream.
She continues being the person with whom I spent during weekdays my morning moment and she tortures every last bit out of me.....and (wo)man, that feels great!

Years ago I thought...wow, these women do not just have character but they get to live in US (fluffy clouds wooshing by as the sentence hovered in my mind). I never dared to dream even to live in US, as I thought somehow that life in US and me....we are sooooooo out of each other's leagues.
Little did I know that I end up moving to US because of my wonderful husband....also had anyone told me that I get to see Jillian Michaels live and even chat with her, hug her. I would have laughed and thought...yeah, right. Not gonna happen in this life, I already won the lottery when meeting my husband!

Yet that became real. Something again, I had not dared to even think it could be possible one day. I got to meet the woman, who has been my motivator to make me push myself beyond limits. Jillian had tour about nutrition and healthy life style, which are my hobby passions since teenager years. If I could choose my profession again I would become personal coach or nutritional engineer (if such exists). But since I am "just" a project manager I do all that for fun...and driving my husband sometimes crazy with it ;))))))

Anyway, back to the topic....Jillian....me....chatting...awesome and here is the proof and my reminder not to let work rule too much but take the time to exercise and stay fit :)
The best was to notice that she is very much a human, an awesome one but a human....and even my height :)

Tomorrow morning, when rest of our household is sleeping, I have my morning "date" with Jillian and maybe some running afterwards :)


And while exercising dreaming of the magical one day, when I might get to meet Pink and Ellen DeGeneres.

Hello Jet Lag!

....Finally managed to take again time to write my thoughts & experiences, which I have been listing the past months. Happily married now and with some of the free time will try to make sure to empty my thinking tank to my blog :)

Sharing some of the my most vital lessons learned for the flights between continents. If you have additional tips and tricks, please feel to share them. Would be fun to hear what other aids have been figured out.

Moving outside your birth-country is exciting but the name of the game is of course to try to keep all the relationship up and alive also back home. In best case one has also some work commitments there. Which means that there are times that Jet lag is all you know for a while, everything else is covered in a fairy tale like fog :) 

I remember when living in Singapore, I was on a local salary and flying home for Christmas was something I did not dare even dream about. Now I know how good I had it. One year I flew only once to Finland. Well....moving preparations to US brought the cross continent flying to a whole new level:
Before moving to US I had 1 week visit to the client site in Alabama. As I was lucky enough to be able to transfer within the company ....and on top of that take my projects with me.

After that trip I had 2 weeks time to pack the house in Finland and take care of the remaining most crucial wedding preparation tasks, which needed on-site presence.

Then 2 weeks in Texas for Christmas....and after New Year back to Finland for a week to hand over my manager responsibilities and then chirpy-chirp directly to Washington to get the 4 day on-boarding to the US workplace.

Flying across the Atlantic weekly or every 2nd week for 6 weeks in a row meant
"Hello jet lag!".
It gets easier though each time as one learns the tricks which fit the flight duration and circumstances.

I learned that if flying to US with a flight, which leaves Finland in the morning and arrives in US during day time ....stay awake as much as you can. Make sure to have all the magazines and books you wanted to read for months...but never had time. Stay away from heavy food and red wine, as it will make you sleepy.

When flying to Finland with over night flight my tricks are following: I wake up extra early on the day of the flight. This to be extra tired for the flight.

Turku Airport with Moomins to greet you

I stay away from pasta or beef meals, prefer chicken or vegetarian to get something to eat but not eat too heavy. I drink whole lot of water but I also allow myself glass of red wine, when it is time to dose off. Luckily the melatonin tablets have become now easy to get in any store. I have those with me or allergy medication.
My husband, being the chemical engineer of the family, educated me that several allergy medication has ingredients, which make one sleepy . But they do not leave you as badly drowsy as sleeping tablets do.

Thus our favorite has become Benadryl, take two of those and you will be nicely asleep most of the flight (http://www.benadryl.com).
At both ends for the first nights we keep taking melatonin or Benadryl to speed up adjusting to the local time zone. So far it has worked rather well.
Waiting for the time when one can just push a button on the wrist watch and say "Beam me up Scotty!" :)