I am from Hungary, but as a foreigner, I did not know what to expect when I moved to Finland. All I knew about the local culture was the snow, Santa Claus, and saunas, which is a basic view of someone who never really looked into the great place that Finland is. However, the first moment I stepped into this country full of natural beauty, my perspective started to change.
Now after having spent two years living and studying in Finland, I can say that Finnishness is much more than what meets the eye. The high level of trust and respect people have for each other is hard to find nowadays. You can leave something unattended for however long, and instead of taking or stealing it, people keep an eye out for it, even if you don’t ask them to (except if the item is a bike 😉 ). If you lose something, they put it in a place that makes it more visible, and less likely to break, just so the next time you are looking for it, you will find it easily.
In many other countries, age creates a hierarchy where no matter what, the older the person, the cockier they become, and they feel like younger people should serve and respect them just because of their age. However, in Finland, this is not the case. Instead of there being a hierarchy, everyone is on the same level, because we as people are equal.
Coming from a country that is known for its pessimism, living in Finland felt like a breath of fresh air, and not just because of the good air quality. The overall positive attitude and determination to make a better future really motivated me to change my thought process.
Being surrounded by darkness and snow for half the year is not for the weak, but by practicing local traditions like regular sauna use, enjoying every bit of sunlight you can get, participating in events, surrounding yourself with your loved ones, or even “kalsarikännit,” the winter blues can pass very briefly.
I can say these last two years I’ve spent living and studying in Finland have been a huge privilege, especially because of all the love and number of opportunities I was presented, and if I could redo the whole thing, I wouldn’t want to change anything. This has been my experience, however,
Finnishness can come across differently for everyone.
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