For me, Finnish is not something abstract or distant, it is tied to my own experiences growing up in West Finland, spending summers on our family’s island, and later serving in the Finnish Defence Forces as a second lieutenant. These experiences have shaped how I see our culture, our values, and our place in the world.
Most of my summers I spend in our little cabin on an island. Our island was never just a small cabin hidden away in the forest. In fact, it had three cottages, two for our family and one for my grandparents. We had a boat and it was great. Cruising through the archipelago, fishing, or simply watching the sun set on the open water made me feel the beauty and independence that are central to Finnish identity.
On the island, the sauna, that was an old woodheated sauna, modern enough for comfort but traditional enough to carry the same meaning it has held for generations. Every evening ended the same, heating the sauna, stepping into the steam, and then plunging straight into the sea. That moment of contrast between the heat of the sauna and the cool of the water, was refereshing but simple. My grandparents also shaped how I see Finnishness. My grandfather could spend hours splitting firewood, carefully stacking it for the sauna and for long summer nights by the fire. My grandmother filled the table with food and showed us the importance of sharing meals together. These ordinary acts, like splitting wood, preparing food, maintaining the cottages, were small lessons in nerve, perseverance, and quiet strength. To me, they represent the way Finnish values are passed down not through grand speeches but through everyday actions.
But Finnishness is also about responsibility and defense of what we have. Serving in the Finnish Defence Forces gave me another perspective on what it means to be Finnish. As a second lieutenant, I learned that national pride is not loud or boastful. It is quiet dedication, readiness, and unity.
-Miko
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