Few months in Europe. A quick stop in Indonesia, from there to Korea, Germany and the United States. Snowboarder Kristiina Nisula, 25, travelled through three continents in just a few months last fall.
”I was travelling like a maniac – no-one can keep up with such a pace for long. You have to be smart about your own resources. I have learned to be smarter and prioritize my travels,” Nisula describes the past year.
Travelling actively has been part of Nisula’s job since 2012. Most of the days on the road are spent competing or practicing, but occasionally Nisula gets to enjoy a prize trip – such as the surfing in Indonesia. She is on the road up to 150 days each year.
Feeling good also when traveling
Nisula is an experienced traveler, who only takes with her a small suitcase and backpack to accompany her snowboard bag.
”Everything runs smoothly always at the airport. I stress more about moving from the airplane to other means of transportation.”
Nisula tries to drink plenty of water and do some kind of a light physical exercise before hopping on board. She tries to keep herself active also during flight.
“I might do a couple of lunges on the plane isle – even though other passengers sometimes give me funny looks.”
Flying is also ”me time” for the snowboarder – she often spends her time reading a good book, watching a movie, or meditating.
“The best advice I can give is to always keep an open mind when traveling. There are so many things changing all the time, and on the other hand, great opportunities might pop up around the corner. There is no reason to plan everything strictly in advance.”
Travels might take you for instance, to the Great Wall of China, as happened to Nisula one time when she was prepared just to experience the Chinese slopes.
Great locations near and far
It it easy to Nisula to recall her first professional snowboarding trip abroad. It was to Breckenridge, Colorado – and Colorado has remained Nisula’s favourite destination ever since.
“There are several nice places to go and ski in Colorado. Breckenridge and Keystone are small and cozy, and they have several ski slopes right next to one another. They’ve also managed to maintain a Christmassy atmosphere there year-round!”
Nisula was also recently impressed by a place closer to home – Lofoten in Norway. There, she hopped on another kind of board, stand up paddle board.
”If I’m heading to a well-known destination like Lofoten, I always think how to experience the place from a new angle.”
Nisula’s calendar does not stay empty for long. The upcoming spring’s flights have already been booked.
“Next, we’ll conquer the slopes of Norway and Switzerland!”
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