If I think of Finland as a country, I would describe it as quite big and variable. Most people haven’t visited all the cities in Finland. I haven’t ever visited Lapland or the east side of Finland. I believe that it affects a lot of my picture of Finland. You discover different things depending where you live, where your relatives/friends live, what your hobbies are, and whether you are able to use a car or public transportation
It’s kinda funny what kind of expectations other people have about Finns. Maybe I’m not a typical Finn since I don’t like coffee, never visited Santa and I’ve never been passionate about skiing or ice hockey. I have always lived in countryside and two years ago moved to Tampere. I like that you don’t need to go very far from the city center to get a more peaceful environment. I have always loved the freedom of the countryside and I’m glad I can spend a lot of time in nature. Like many people in Finland, I have Karelian roots so traditional food and a spunky life attitude is a big part of my Finnishness.
Many Finns are shy and quiet and it’s considered very unnormal to casually talk with perfectly strange people. However, when Finns go to ice swimming and Sauna we can all gather together or if we win in ice hockey suddenly we are all one big team. And that’s what I love in Finnishness. Hopefully, I can keep deepening my view of Finnishness and experience new things.
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