I’ve been living in Finland for 2 years now, and I’m genuinely in love with this country. There is a bridge over a highway near my house, from which I can see a sign saying “Lahti, Helsinki, Jyväskylä”. I see that sign almost everyday but it still brings me excitement each time, though I have only been to Helsinki out of those places. Then why does such a mundane thing bring a smile to my face even after 2 years?
I feel like Finnish nature & climate strongly resonate with who I am as a person. I’m generally shy and not very outspoken, I really enjoy my peace, and it’s very easy to do it near the lakes. Whenever I feel like it, I go there and enjoy the sunset, maybe a quick dip, or simple read a book on a bench. I can only do that in summer of course, but the lakes in winter bring another atmosphere. You can safely walk on the ice and get surrounded by a unique landscape: vast near-emptiness of the lake, dark forests in the distance and the white sky. You feel like you’re the only person in the world, but it’s not a lonely feeling, but rather peaceful and comforting.
Maybe that’s why the road sign still makes me smile. It reminds me daily that I’m in a place where I can feel at ease with distance and silence, which is so comforting for me.
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