While every country has it´s flaws I think its fair to say that Finland and it´s citizens have it pretty good. Apart from the cold of course. I´m writing this post from the Netherlands where it´s currently 28° celcius and I wish every once in a while that it would be cold again. Funny how living abroad makes you miss things you used to hate.
I´ve only been living in the Netherlands for a few weeks but I´ve had to answer the question “Where are you from” likely over a 100 times already. I´m glad I can say I´m Finnish and feel proud of my country, all the good and bad included. The basics, sauna, sisu, ice hockey and cold winter are often the topic of conversations after the slight shock that anyone actually lives in Finland. While I feel that our nation is not the most well known one, I also think that there aren´t many Finnish people who don´t like to explain our country to foreign people. While a lot countries are proud of what they are, I think Finland takes the pride a step further.
Our traditions, habits and overall way of living is envied by many and that should both humble and empower the Finnish people. Vappu, the Independence day and Juhannus are all examples of days that mean something to every Finnish person. Whether it is joy, grief or wanting to drink beer for no reason, Finland comes together as nation. Finnishness is not only about the things most people already know about Finland, it is also about the past and the present, how our country has become what it is today. For closing words: Eteenpäin, sano mummo lumessa!
Comments