About
The protagonist
I’m Riikka Puustinen – escapee from an office.
Not so long ago I used to live in London, where I mainly spent days crouching over my computer working as a freelance user experience designer. I designed various online and mobile services, whilst withering away under fluorescent lights.
The Sailor
In April 2011 I started my great escape and RYA’s Yachtmaster Offshore fastrack course, which culminates to an 11-month long Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. I received RYA Yachtmaster Offshore skipper license in July 2011.
I have grown up and and always lived in vicinity of large bodies of water apart from a 5-year stint in London (Thames river hardly counts). Despite ubiquitous water, I have started sailing relatively late, in my mid-thirties while living in London.
I am a member of the London Corinthian Sailing Club, which has given great opportunities to sail dinghies and participate in offshore/round the cans race campaigns as a bowman e.g. in Garmin Hamble Winter Series 2010. Since having been let loose on the foredeck, I have managed to gain a pet name Angry Pixie for energetic manners of wrangling sails, spinnaker poles or dealing with anything that may jeopardize a successful maneuver.
The Yacht Race
Since summer 2008 and stepping into a Clipper yacht, I have known with absolute certainty that I will race around the world in a Clipper Round the World Yacht Race 11-12. It has taken a lot of work and effort to secure a round the world berth. Luck has not been involved in the process, just hard work!
I am a member of Visit Finland team.
The official Clipper Round the World yacht race website
Mirigli
This website follows my preparations to sail around the world in 2011-2012, and eventually the journey itself.
Mirigli is a girl’s name, possibly of romany or slavic origin. It is also a name of a Finnish runaway girl who left for an adventure, and thankfully later returned home safe and sound. Reading an article about her disappearance struck a chord with my ordinary life full of chores and commute.
I am convinced that for the general well-being one has to feel alive, independent and excited about the vast world and opportunities out there, to be challenged and challenge the status quo. It seems that life -as we know it in west European societies- is simply too easy. We are spoilt and privileged without realising it. We have comforts that are taken for granted and our main purpose in life is to consume goods that we don’t need.
My outdoors adventure is well underway now, and I cherish every moment that I don’t have to spend in the office.
Find me online
Photos on Flickr
Tweets on Twitter
Music on Last.fm
Work on LinkedIn
