I am Finnish and lived most of my life in Finland, so I am very familiar with all the pros and cons of living up in the North. I have also visited many other countries and even lived abroad, so it is easy to see what is different here in Finland.
Below I have listed some of the favourite things about Finland and Finnish culture.
1. Appreciation of nature
I love the fact that we Finns appreciate our pure and clean nature. We have all grown close to forests and lakes and have childhood memories of swimming, rowing and fishing in the summer cottage. Most Finns are not afraid of walking in the forest alone. We recognise many birds, animals and plants by name and know which ones are poisonous. Every summer Finns love to go pick some wild berries and mushrooms.
I hope that we Finns realise that we need to work hard to make sure that we keep our nature as clean and fresh as it is now. I am happy that there are many new eco-friendly start up companies which aim to invest and create new sustainable innovations for better future.
2. Friendliness
Even though everyone knows that we Finns are very quiet and shy at first, I still think that we are very friendly folks. Once you break the ice, Finns become your friends very easily. This might be a stereotype, but if you find it hard to have a proper conversation with a Finn, take him/her out for few beers. After you get a Finn to open up we easily become your new best friend.
Young people know English very well, so it is easy to form international friendships at school/work. The picture above is taken from my place, where I held a party for my international school friends. There are people from many countries in my class, but we all get along very well!
3. Nordic / Scandinavian Design
I study graphic design, so this topic is very dear to me. I love Finnish and Scandinavian design! I even think that it might be the best in the world. Nordic design is known to be very fresh and modern. Everytime I travel abroad I miss the cleanliness of Finnish design. I like the way we build our houses and design everyday objects to work well but still look beautiful.
4. Finnish Summer
Summer is my favourite time of year. It usually comes as a surprise that we actually have a really nice and warm Summer in Finland. I love laying in the beach and swimming. I am very lucky to live by a lake. But my favourite thing about Summer is the light. The Sun doesn’t go down at all and we get to enjoy sunshine even during the nights.
The only downside is that the Summer in Finland is way too short!
5. And other seasons of the year
Even though the Summer is short, I still enjoy having all four seasons of the year. Autumn, Winter and Spring are all beautiful in their own way. Early Autumn can be really nice and warm, but it gets colder soon. It can feel quite harsh after the light and warm Summer.
November is my least favourite month, since it is so dark all the time. It is the absolute opposite of our light Summer days. That is a perfect time to go traveling somewhere else in the world. There is really nothing to see in Finland (literally!). But luckily after December it starts getting lighter again. And the sunny days in Winter are so fresh and beautiful!
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