Over the years I have worked and studied in a few different countries. At the moment I am going to work in southern Spain for the second time. Last year I spent 6 months working in the Alicante region, experiencing the hot and dry Spanish summer.
After the first few months in Alicante, I started missing some things from back home. What I missed the most were the big green spruce forests and all the nature trails around Helsinki. Back in Helsinki, it’s really easy to get into nature. You don’t need a car or a detailed plan, and you don’t need the whole day either. Trails and forests are everywhere, just a short walk or bus ride away
Where I was living in Alicante, everything felt far away. You could get to some trails by bus, but I realised quickly that the buses had a mind of their own and didn’t really stick to a schedule. Walking to these trails would have required walking for hours next to a motorway under the hot Spanish sun.
Before I returned to Finland last November, I promised myself I would take the family dogs out to the nearby forest on a small hike at least once a week. I found myself appreciating the greenery, the landscapes and the easiness to approach these areas in a completely different way. I also began to appreciate the clean air, the silence and the sense of calm that came with being surrounded by nature . I also appreciated the cold breezes of wind which took me by surprise.
That being said, Spain has its unique beauty and amazing nature which can not be compared to Finland. That is partly why this winter I found myself applying for a traineeship in Andalucia. A region I fell in love with while hiking in Granada last September. Andalucia is stunningly green, full of nature and surrounded by big mountain ranges.
I am really looking forward to my Erasmus+ traineeship, but I also know that at some point I will miss some things from home. Not in a dramatic homesick way, but just in those everyday things that suddenly feel really special when you don’t have them. I don’t really appreciate Finnish food while living at home, but once I’m abroad I find myself missing things like rye bread, Fazers Tutti Frutti candy and most importantly karelian pies. I think it is my version of homesickness where I start missing those small, familiar comforts that I never paid much attention to before.
In conclusion, I think for me Finnishness is a quiet and calm feeling. It is sometimes longing for silence, being surrounded by nature, having food that somehow makes you feel better, and feeling that cool breeze on your face even when you didn’t know you missed it.
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