Finnish lifestyle for me was the one and only that I was used to have, before I went abroad to volunteer. Finnish culture for me seems to be easy, because that is what I am used to. For sure many people who are arriving to Finland, they do not find it that easy to cope with. I could imagine that making friends here is really different compared to many other cultures. Most of the Finnish people need their time to feel comfortable around someone new and so it takes time before people can call you their friend. I find making friends lot easier when staying abroad, especially when you meet lots of new people from different places who also need new friends. But as they say when you make friends with Finnish people you will have friend for a lifetime. Finns also seem to respect their time spent alone, so it is not that uncommon to hear that people need to have their own time. This normally means spending some time alone and doing the things you enjoy. Or it can simply be relaxing.
The thing I really appreciate in Finland is the nature: All the great lakes, swamps and beautiful forests. It is great that we have so many conservation areas in Finland so you can truly enjoy the nature there. Also we have an organisation called Metsähallitus which is taking great care of many outdoor areas. I think many Finns still respect the nature, even though nowadays most of the people live in the cities. But it is still easy to go out to the nature, since Finland offers such a good opportunity for that.
picture: http://www.luontoon.fi/koli
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