Six years of tough love:

My Finnish journey began in May 2017, when I arrived, suitcase packed with summer clothes, a few layers for cooler evenings, my winter coat (a necessity for the trip to the airport in the Southern Hemisphere’s winter), and a heart full of anticipation. Little did I know, Finnish summers were a different beast. Despite the cold and rain, I was captivated by the Finns’ love for their outdoor spaces, seeking out every ray of sunshine and enjoying the late-night twilight. From the moment I stepped off the train in Tampere, I felt a strange sense of belonging. Walking along Hämeenkatu, I experienced a calming sense of peace, and by the lakeside, I felt truly at home.

Summer 2017 was cold and rainy, and even during mid-July, the sun had no saying on the temperatures. Still, I could not but notice how Finnish people loved to be around parks despite the weather, trying to take that bit of sun light, and enjoy the late-night sunsets, that marveled every single day. Since the moment I stepped out of Rautatieasema in Tampere, I was taken by a crushing but soothing feeling of belonging. Walking down Hämeenkatu, I felt soothed like I never had before. Walking by the lakes, I felt at home.

In May 2018, I returned to Finland, this time to stay. Armed with warmer clothes, I was ready for the cold year ahead. Soon enough, I began to understand the Finnish sense of humor, a dry and often sarcastic wit that mirrors the country’s rugged landscape. Their humor highly reflects the country’s, as the summer of 2018 was a record-breaking heatwave, a surprising turn of events for a country I had imagined as perpetually cold. Prepared with my warmest clothes, I was welcomed with the hottest summer in Finland since 1937, as stated by the Finnish Meteorological Institute. A delightful joke, on which I intensely enjoyed myself on the land of a thousand lakes.

The winter that succeeded was not harsh. The snow only fell heavily in December and gave us time to prepare and recover from the summer heat. And then I realized one of my oldest dreams: seeing the northern lights with my bare eyes. Or trying to see it between the tears that would run coldly down my face. A truly unforgettable experience.