Like so many others, I feel very special with the Finnish nature, too. Since a small child I have spent a lot of time there and really enjoyed it. Spending time in the forest, picking up berries, listening to the bloodthirsty mosquitoes when the sun warms your cheeks, sitting in silence around a campfire in the darkening evening, walking between the straight pine trees and through a quaking bog without seeing anyone… I feel very privileged for being able to experience it. Could there be any better place than a Finnish forest?
Yep, there is. Keeping on walking in the forest, you will before long end up to the shore of one of those thousands beautiful lakes in Finland. Swimming and “saunominen” (take a sauna), is probably one of the loveliest pastimes in my home country. Fishing with a small rowing boat is not a bad choice either.
If you are a lucky one and you have a summer cottage, it is a very Finnish way to spend some time there. Enjoying a peaceful surrounding, wearing cottage-clothes, doing some cottage-work (like woodwork and outdoor games) is the best way of relaxing, at least if you ask me.
What it comes to my experience about Finnish people, it’s often said that Finnish are quite quiet and reticent people. That’s true mostly part, but we still like to spend time with others and if someone talks to us, we usually join the conversation with pleasure. Family is often important and most of the traditional festive days like Christmas and Easter are spent with family.
For me, liking things of this kind (like our barren nature, family and cottage-life), reflects about Finnish respect of simple ways to feel happy. We are often seemed as an honest, tenacious and hard-working people and I do agree with that.
I am happy and proud of my Finnishness!
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