When I live in Finland, many things is blurring in my eyes and I take them more for granted. I feel like I am not able to value everything in the same way than when I am abroad. Clean tap water, fresh air quality, a sense of security, the Finnish healthcare system, to name just a few. When traveling, you open your eyes in a different way and gain more perspective. At least that’s what happened to me.
On this midsummer, I sit on the edge of the pier and dangle my legs in the lake water. A few meters away, I hear the hissing of water in the wood sauna heater and my friends are laughing load while having a conversation. I slap a few mosquitoes off my arms as I take a sip from my soda can. It’s midnight and I’m staring at the surface of the water where the bright sky is reflected. In that moment, I can feel Finland in my soul and what it is to be Finnish at its best.
I think Finnish culture is very interesting. Sometimes it is difficult to adapt the finnish culture because of my own nature and personality. Your own space and peace are the things that come to mind first. Unnecessary conversations are carefully left out and we focus on our own business. Sometimes I like to confuse the situation a bit in public places. I might burst into loud laughter on purpose, and watch how people around me react. Sometimes it’s funny to see a five-meter safety distance between Finns, for example at a bus stop when waiting for a bus.
When it comes to Finland itself, nature cannot be left out. After all, it is one of our greatest riches. Finnish nature is such amazing and all the beautiful places you can visit. Even though I have traveled a lot abroad, I have also traveled a lot in Finland with my parents through my childhood. In my opinion, Finland is a very beautiful country with its small villages and landscapes.
In my opinion Finnish food causes a lot of wonder, especially among foreigners. And sometimes even in myself. Every Easter when I am having a bowl of ”mämmi” in front of me I wonder why we have this kind of food here.
Finally, I want to bring up the Finnish language. I often wonder how someone can learn to speak Finnish, when sometimes speaking it creates challenges even for myself. A friend of mine moved to Finland, and after two years spoke Finnish perfectly. Still wondering how he was able to do that. I take my hat off to everyone who learns the Finnish language. It’s not the easiest thing to learn.
There are many things in Finland and Finnishness that you I could write about and especially wonder about. However, here are my own thoughts in a nutshell.
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