Nightwish Days in Kitee

Hey guys! It's been so long since I've updated, but I have an abundance of time now, and I'm here to tell you about something I did last summer and am doing this summer, which I think is a great leeway back into the blogging world. In the summer of 2014, I was invited to Kitee, Finland for Nightwish Days in Kitee. For those of you who know (so.. whoever reading this blog, really) I'm a Nightwish fan and Nightwish Days in Kitee takes an active stance against bullying, sexual assault and racism. Instead it implements a lot of activities that are based on working together. I didn't know what to expect, honestly! When I got on the plane, and then the train to take me to Kitee, I never expected the warm welcome that I would receive. Plamen and the other students, they did everything to accommodate my wheelchair and disability. After spending a week in the Finnish countryside at a lake lot with one of my best friends who travelled with me, we were brought to Kansiopisto which was an amazing place to house us all for a week! I made friends really easily, and we sang together all the time. The camaraderie is really something I'll never ever forget, there were so many people just happy to be there, and to let their guards drop and have some fun!

A few of us enjoying some time off!

There was work to do, too of course. We had a media group, a music group and an art group. I was in the music group, and it seemed like we practised for at least a full day every day. It was exhausting, but the reward of that was we all got to perform well and have some time to ourselves to hang out, and create bonds that will never be broken.  We had multiple things to do! First was a church concert, and then we went to go have "coffee" with some really cool people. Let's see if you recognise any of the people. ;)

This was who was waiting for us after the concert in the Kitee Church, on July 10th.

The band with us (except for Troy) and Plamen and Myself.

After that day (which seemed so surreal, by the way), we performed at a theatre group just outside of Tuomas's parents house, where we also got to have some snacks and beverages; chatting with them for a couple of hours. When we returned to the school to sleep, some of us went to the lake or sauna/pool instead. We performed at the baseball game too, on national television. :) The beauty of being in Kitee means that there is a certain amount of freedom and beauty all around you. When you aren't singing, doing art or taking pictures and handling the media, the other side of it is that you can explore nature, enjoy some good music, and have fun with friends, or alone. If I had a wheelchair that could handle it, I would definitely go hiking, and enjoy the magic that surrounds Kitee. It's such a beautiful, and magical sight to see. With it's birch trees high as the sky, the pretty purple flowers that were everywhere, or the song the wind sings to you while you are there. It's definitely somewhere I will seek to get some solitude every summer. Don't be fooled though, not everyone needs copious amounts of alone time like I do. ;)

That brings me to my next point, before the Nightwish tribute concert (the big concert, that we had all really been preparing for, for weeks) we left the confines of the school and ended up in a camp. I could not stay due to the rocks that seemed to really damage my wheels on my chair, but they had a lot of fun, and my heart ached to join my new friends.

The main concert was astounding. I had never sang in front of anyone before, and singing in front of so many people was breathtaking, but also very scary. I also read a small speech I had prepared, and it seemed that many people were touched by my speech. :)

The last bow on the final concert!

As I left Kitee to fly back to Canada, full of tears and knowing I would miss my new family, and having never laughed so hard in my entire life as with them, I came away with a sort of kinship, one that could never, ever be replaced. It's an experience unlike every other. In Reino, when we went to see Nightwish, Plamen asked me to give a speech and I didn't know what to say at first, but... Here is what I said, "This isn't about meeting Nightwish, this isn't about the band itself.. It's about the understanding of other cultures, people and  friendships. It's about the bonds we made that will never cease, and the understanding that we could change the world, if only for a few weeks."

I stand by those words, but I didn't really understand the gravity of the situation at the time. Now I do. I'm going to leave you with a poem I wrote about my Nightwish family, but first, I want to tell you. It was over, and the only thing that I'm looking forward to now Is Nightwish Days in July! Between going to the camp where Nightwish recorded Imaginaerum and Endless Forms Most Beautiful, recording and singing, The media alone that will be there covering this event is astounding, and it's definitely a chance to stretch your wings and fly in a safe and non-judgemental group.  I am most excited to see my family, my brothers and sisters from other parts of the world. This experience, if nothing else, will make you understand what it's like to long for worlds unseen, and people you've never met. I hope that I will meet all of you soon, if this has piqued your interest.


Bailey Dawn <3
Remember, we are all made of stardust...