Jonna, Ledro, Italy
Bubbly, kind, funny Jonna is an excellent example of her own motto: “don’t plan to much, life surprises you anyway!”.
This chatty girl is easy to be with and life doesn’t always have to be taken too seriously – relax and enjoy every moment! After graduating she was supposed to be a Swedish teacher, but tour leader-life chose her: from Finland through Thailand to Italy. “Of course, it will be max three years and then back to Finland, to normal life.” How many tour leaders have said the same?
Read about Jonna’s Taormina-memories and you will figure out the very best of tour leader-life!
PS. She used to consider chocolate bar Bounty as perfect dinner !
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Jonna tells: ”After high school in Pori I moved to Turku to study Swedish language at the university. After finishing the studies, instead of applying for a job as Swedish teacher (which I would have liked a lot), I felt like I wanted something else and somewhere else. Aurinkomatkat was looking for tour leaders just at the right time. Got selected and sent to Thailand. WOW. It was just amazing. Nice colleagues, liked the job a lot, loved the destination.
After Thailand next destination Italy. Another WOW. Then back to Thailand, Bangkok this time. And that was it: “Max three years abroad and then back to Finland”, that I had in my mind when I started as a tour guide, vanished quickly from my mind as I really liked the job and so I travelled mainly between Asia and Italy for 7 years.
Then unexpectedly, a new destination, where I kind of felt that this was it, I wanted something else. And then out of the blue I got another work opportunity in Italy. Took a chance and it paid off. Changed the travelling life into regular office hours. At first it was so hard to stay in one place, not changing from destination to another every 6 months, but got settled down. Met my boyfriend. Changed the workplace, got settled down even more. Had my daughter and couldn’t be more settled down and happier.”
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Meet Jonna, originally from Finland, now living in Ledro, North Italy. Her family consists of her partner Francesco and their 4 years old daughter Bianca.
Jonna works for a DMC, B-Italian, which provides services in Italy mainly for Scandinavian and Finnish clients, mostly groups and different events.
Jonna and Mirka are both from Pori and Jonna’s grandma lived in same building with Mirka’s parents, but as Jonna says: “ I think we properly met with Mirka as we have many many good friends in common.”
Jonna and Tiina have first met in Chiang Mai, Thailand, when both worked as tour leaders. Some years later they worked together in Rome, Italy.
Tiina tells: “We met for the first time in Chiang Mai when Jonna came from Hua Hin to visit me and the city’s famous night market! There is even a photo taken that evening! Next time I heard about Jonna when I was working in Rome and for the summer season, for increasing number of clients, I needed some help – and happy surprise was that Jonna was the one who was sent to Rome!
She is just lovely, funny, kind and bubbly as colleague and as a friend – we had a blast. And it was almost symbiotic: even when one of us was having a day off, the only difference to the normal day was that the person having a day off got to sleep late and then come to the office to wait for the other to be ready for lunch! And one of the many things that we had in common, was the almost absurd amount of sleep that we could have!
There are so funny memories from time in Rome! Jonna: do you remember when on your way to meet the clients, the heel of your boots broke in the Via Condotti and you had to limp through the one of the most expensive fashion streets in the whole world? Or that you really did not cook? Meaning that if you were not doing an evening excursion (which included a dinner), you had Bounty as dinner, as “Kinder is only suitable for lunch and snack”. Years later I heard that Francesco makes sure you have a lunch box every day to take with you to the office so thank god this is taken care of. And every now and the he slips in also a small bar of Kinder. <3”
EVERYDAY LIFE
In ordinary Tuesday Jonna wakes up a little bit too late so that she is in a bit of a hurry right away! She drives to the office, work – lunch- more work, and then back to home to get Bianca from the school and maybe a stop at the playground, then dinner, bedtime story for Bianca and after that some Netflix and again, going to bed a bit too late. “Exciting, right?”, she laughs.
It is being in hurry that she finds stressful in everyday life and so is the feeling that things are not get done for whatever reason or time just flies and there is no time to anything!
But then, the very best in everyday life are breakfasts and dinners together at home, the best colleagues at work and some kind of overall easiness. Unforced easiness, which has nothing to do with being indifferent or careless in negative way, is one of the characteristics that could be copied by many of us. Something else to learn from Jonna is the way she would talk to her in the front of the mirror: “I speak nicely to myself, I’m not hard on myself.”
When in need for a treat she may buy something nice for home or some new piece of clothing. No time for hobbies at the moment, but as for the all of her life, the very best way to take care of herself, is simple: getting as much sleep as possible.
DREAMS & FEARS, PAST & FUTURE
What are your dreams?
“Basic stuff: living a happy and healthy life with my family. Sunny and lazy days by the sea. More frequent trips to Finland as they’ve become much more important and meaningful after Bianca was born.”
What is your worst fear?
“That something bad would happen to my dearest ones or to myself.”
What is the most important advice you have received?
“Treat others the way you want to be treated.”
What has been the greatest global invention of your time?
“Internet. “
Where would you donate your time/money to?
“Children.”
Has the position of girls/women changed during your lifetime?
“Yes. I think that the girls today will be grown up thinking that they have a chance to do and be whatever they want. Having been raised and grown up in Finland makes it easier for me think this way.”
If you could, what advice would you give to your 20-year-old self?
“Don’t plan too much, life surprises you anyway.”
Where will you be in 10 years?
“Living the same everyday life but with a teenager. Hopefully having a hobby by then!”
What would you say to a woman of your age who lives across the world?
“We are still going strong, cin cin!”.
What about Christmas traditions? Normally Jonna and her family spend the Christmas week in Finland, so to be able to enjoy the Christmas period also at home in Italy, they start with the decorations and bring in the Christmas tree already in the beginning of the month, as Italians usually do. Jonna loves Christmas period so it’s a must to bake gingerbreads, have a few glasses of glögi (mulled wine) and an advent calendar.
Christmas Eve in Finland is celebrated at her mother’s or brother’s home where also Santa Claus visits them. Jonna adds: “It is so delightful every time! Spending the Christmas Eve together with my family in Finland is something that we all cherish a lot! This year, you know why, we are forced to stay in Italy. But I will do my best to create here our own winter wonderland”.
STORY
Autumn 2009, when working as a tour leader, I was sent to Taormina, Italy for a short 3 weeks period before returning to Asia for the winter season. I arrived in Taormina in the evening when it was already dark. On the way from the airport I was explained that Etna was on my left side and the sea on the right. I was warmly welcomed by two colleagues that I did not know before.
Next morning, I was amazed by this breathtaking, beautiful, small town up in the hill by the sea. In the same afternoon, my new colleague who lives in Taormina with her family took me and the other two colleagues to the beach with her and her two, small, adorable sons.
The beach was perfect for the lazy afternoon, the sea was bright and the late afternoon sun turning into that blue moment of the early evening, small stones and sand moving back and forward with the waves.
And these new people – I felt that I had known them forever! I felt that I was meant to be there.
One of the greatest things working as a tour leader are the colleagues that became your dear friends, some of them even feel like they are family: you work together, often also live together.
I had great 3 weeks in Taormina: workwise and finding a new friend. I was lucky to be sent back to Taormina for 3 years in row and I felt like home every time. Spent so many happy days, laughing tears in my eyes for no particular reason! Not only I found one of my favorite destination and a super-colleague but also a friend that I still can call one of my best ones.
During the lockdown we started to have video calls and my 3,5 years old daughter was welcomed super-warmly into this very special Taormina family. After the first video call the whole Taormina family had literally conquered her heart and she wanted to call them every single day. And if we were not talking to them, we talked about them! It was heartwarming: my daughter has met my friend once, but never her husband or now teenage sons, but still really feels that they are all her friends too. <3
QUICK ONES
Drink: Coca cola Zero
Favorite food: Pizza
Delicacy: Finnish chocolate, Fazer
Spice: Chili pepper
Feeling: Happy
Music: Lounge
Scent: Fresh laundry
Travel destination: Thailand
Book: A real one
Movie: With original language, please
Favorite public holiday: Christmas
Artist/Band: John Legend
Plant: Orchid
Evening routine: Bedtime talks
Favorite piece of clothing: White T-shirt
Animal: Elephant
Scenery: Sea
Sport: Healthy
Motto: Everything will work out