My first experience of “Finishness” began quite spontaneously back in 2016. After spending summer in Greece working on yachts, I needed to find my next destination to work and explore. I was searching the Internet for different destinations and job offers when I saw that Kakslauttanen resort in the far Finnish Lapland is looking for waiters for the winter season. And I thought – well, what the heck, let’s give it a try. After I got the job, I packed my winter clothes and went to spend 5 months in Kakslauttanen.
Once I arrived, my first thoughts were: “Wow, this truly is a winter wonderland!” and “Those Finns must truly have grown a thick skin living here in this cold.” Then I started meeting Finnish workers who do their jobs out in cold the whole day long with a very laid-off attitude towards it. So my first thoughts on Finnish people were that they are tough and hard-working people. And the love for the beauty of nature around that radiates from them is something magical and you notice that it sticks with on quite quickly as well! I also started noticing how simplistic these people are. They would accept different mindsets and personalities with a degree of understanding and acceptance, which I have found very true until this day.
After having spent the winter season in Lapland, I left for Denmark for two years for my studies. Once I graduated there, I decided to go back to Finland and start studying again in TAMK – Interactive Media. Now I have been in Finland for three years and have experienced a certain degree of “Finishness” in a different way than back in 2016, but many things are still in common across the whole of Finland. Here are my top experiences on this subject:
- Nature
It’s what I love about Finland – that raw beauty exists everywhere you go. Finland is a place for nature lovers. The country and the people are placing the natural surroundings very high and that makes me proud of Finland and proud to live here. I like the outdoors too and have enjoyed a fair amount of what Finland has to offer both winter and summertime.
- Non-judgement and simplicity
I never noticed how important these aspects are for living in society until I came to Finland. Something is liberating about the way you can express yourself in Finland without being judged. It’s fine to be whoever you want and be respected for it. This is especially apparent with having established friendships with Finnish people. Finland has also thought me the beauty of minimalism and simplicity. I still want to work on myself to achieve that, but there isn’t a better country to learn from on this subject.
- Coffee and gambling machines everywhere
Nobody can beat Finland on this. I do love coffee and I am extremely grateful that it is available everywhere I go. Basic filter coffee is my association with Finland. Also, the gambling machines are literally everywhere, which was hard for me to understand (and still is to some extent) and I have noticed that it is something mostly an older generation adheres to.
All in all, I appreciate what Finland has to offer and I am ready for experiencing more of that “Finishness” to come. I believe that living here is changing me for a better person.
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