Stories About NESU: Aino Juurikkala

Hello guys,

My name is Aino Juurikkala, but a lot of nesuits know me as Juuris or as “the other Aino” (cheers to you Laine). I am a fifth-year nesuit from Lappeenranta, and I have been part of the board of NESU-Enklaavi as well as part of the organizing team for one of the Autumn Conferences we’ve had. In conclusion, NESU has given me a lot of memories I cannot remember. 

 

When I got asked to write my own blog post for this series, I knew I wanted to do something different. I am not going to tell you how amazed I was at my first sitz-parties (I can’t remember), or how welcome I felt from the get-go (very welcome). Instead, I am going to tell you my story in NESU via random yet so meaningful numbers.

48 – the number of sitz-parties I have attended all together.

4 – the times I’ve attended a sitz-party in Mikkeli. In fact, my first ulkkarisitz happened to also be in Mikkeli, where I passed out on Maija Saari’s bed forcing her to sleep on the couch. She was also just selected to be the chair of the board of NESU-Probba that night. Congrats, I guess? 

1.5 – how much time in years I have left to get not only 50 sitz-parties, but also to graduate. With the coronavirus, I have no idea which one comes first. 

12 – weird hats I have either bought for a sitz-party or stolen from a sitz-party and still own. This collection includes a unicorn hat, a fish-shaped headband, and heart-shaped ear flops. 

1 – times I traveled all the way to Tampere for a sitz-party with Aino Laine, only to end up sitting across from her at the sitz-party. It is truly fantastic how easily you can meet new people in NESU! 

6 – the number of conferences I have attended: Vaasa, Lappeenranta/Tallinn, Helsinki, Reykjavik, Tampere and Jyväskylä. 

3 – forgotten special diets in the Cabin in Lappeenranta/Tallinn conference. Mistakes happen even to the best of us. 

1060 – the euros I have spent solely on conference attendance fees. 

2047 – the euros I spent at the Reykjavik conference week. Not sure if the flights were included or not, but the credit card bill was scary as hell.

0 – the number of regrets I have regarding the two numbers above. I am telling you – conferences are the best time of your life.

25 – the number of business cases I have done at conferences. As of today, I have won exactly none of those. 

2 – how many City Runs I have won. As one can see, I do focus on the important aspects of said conference weeks.

43 – minutes of good sleep after the gala night in the Jyväskylä conference according to my watch. Let’s not talk about readiness levels at all shall we? 

2018 – the year I was part of the infamous board of NESU-Enklaavi as the communications coordinator. Never have I ever accommodated so many random people in my own home during one year.

124 – my pulse at noon on a Saturday when eating pasta carbonara with Kosti Hokkanen in Kesämöksä 2019.

1.84 – how many per mils (‰) my designated driver had on Sunday morning after Kesämöksä. She did not drive.

1.83 – the weight of my overalls in kilograms. Approximately half of the weight comes from NESU-overall badges.

5 – how many trains it took one-way to get to NESU-Dagen in Pori in 2020 from Lappeenranta. Worth it. And also the last time Aino Laine is allowed to make any kind of travel plans. 

98 – the decibels describing how loud I can yell when it is time to roast a friend in the Testamentti -song. 

13 – WhatsApp -groups with the word NESU in it. My personal favorite is from last autumn called “NESU-Enklaavi goes Lappeenranta”. It certainly was time to go home. 

– number of awesome people and great moments I’ve had. I know I know, I had to add the cheesy part to this blog too. 

Let’s hope coronavirus leaves us soon so that I can add some more mysterious numbers to my list before my graduation!

Aino Juurikkala, NESU-Enklaavi