Finland and Finishness mean many things to me. It means; silence without feeling akward in elevators, swimming in a lake in the middle of winter and going to the sauna afterwards, the whole nation coming together to celebrate when the Lions wint the World Championship in icehockey, and a sense of pride when Finland is mentioned in the world’s media.
I grew up in the countryside, so I’ve always seen clean nature as something normal and easy to access. Hiking in Lapland feels magical, but it’s easy to me to forget that beautiful mountain landscapes and drinking water straight from a stream are not the norm for everyone. A year ago, while hiking in Lapland, I met a Dutch mother and son during my hike. The 12-year-old boy told me that his biggest dream had been to hike in Finnish Lapland. During our conversation, I said “Well there must be some nature in the Netherlands too.” the boy quietly replied “There isn’t – everything is man-made”. That moment made me realize just how much I had taken Finland’s untouched, beutiful and clean nature for granted.
To me Finns are people who take time to warm up. Outwardly, they may seem reserved, but beneath the surface they are kind, helpful and caring toward one another. Even though they sometimes find it a bit difficult to show emotions. Finns are also stubbornd and have sisu, both needed when you live in a place where it’s dark, wet and cold for more than half the year.
In one sentence: to me finisshness means safety, belonging and happiness.
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