UMICON 2018
Travelling to Turku to attend Umicon was one of those kinds of trips where I basically spend the whole day on a train. Waking up before 5 am, getting to the train before 6 am, sleeping the few first hours of the way, then killing time and changing the train until finally, late in the afternoon, I arrive to my destination.
Usually the train is too shaky for me to want to create proper sketches, but these four where quite simple and easy to draw despite the shaking. Besides, the time always flies faster when there's something to do.
My spot before and after preparations.
From Turku railway station, I drag myself and all my products to Logomo, where the event takes place, prepare my table, walk across the city to my airbnb accommodation and get lost because I have accidentally misspelled the address on google maps. Luckily, my host comes to the rescue, finds me and drives me to the right address. Then, I find the closest grocery store, get food supplies for the upcoming days, get back to the apartment, cook something simple, fast and delicious, make some tea and finally sit on a couch to enjoy my hot drink and food.
In moments like that, when there are no tasks to fulfill anymore after such a long day, the simplicity of just sitting and eating becomes a bliss.
The apartment I stayed in was super nice! Thanks to the trips to all these events I've learned to appreciate even the most modest places for sleeping. Then, in cases like this, I just feel like a queen.
On my way to Logomo in the chilly morning of February. If possible, I prefer walking the distances instead of using the public transportation. I greatly enjoy taking in the view of different cities this way.
The attendance of Umicon was lower than I had expected. The event was held for the first time and was more expensive for the visitors to participate than most of this kind of conventions in Finland. Still, I had good sales and a great general experience of the event. Because it was less crowded, I had a change to get into proper conversations with the people stopping by my table. There was not a moment of hurry, as several people were not trying to buy something from me at once.
Being done with Umicon, I treated myself with some delicious pizza, which was filling enough to keep me going till the next morning. The time between the early-evening pizza and my breakfast I spent dozing off the first two trains of my way back home and then properly sleeping the third train, which took me all the way back to Rovaniemi. I must have been very exhausted to be able to sleep so well on a train seat!
Pictures above: 1. A sketch of Sebastian I made during the first day of Umicon. 2. A coloring book illustration I sketched while waiting for my train at Turku railway station. 3. "Train-seat-sleeper's emergency kit" Wouldn't have slept so well without these!
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