Why Finland

This is a subject that has been on my mind for a little while...and for some reason I feel like I just want to make a post about it.

Whenever I meet a new person, usually the FIRST question they always ask me is, "WHAT are you doing in Finland!?" or, "WHY Finland!?"

I have actually lost count how many times I have been asked this question. I have been asked this SO many times, that I decided to make a post answering everyone's question: WHY Finland. :)

I think that I actually need to be completely honest in this post, and really say how I think and feel to answer this question correctly, and hopefully you can understand what I mean when I write this post.

Whenever I have this conversation with people in real life, they always always say things like, "Finnish people never smile" or, "Finnish people are so cold...I feel bad for exchange students who come here." or, "There's nothing in Finland...Why did you come here?"

Of course this is not ALL Finns, but quite the majority of who I meet always ask me this question.

It actually bothers me a little bit sometimes, because I don't understand why so many Finns think this. I don't understand how they can possibly think this way, because its not true at all!

To tell you the absolute truth...I don't actually have an immediate answer for people when they ask me this. WHY did I come here?! WHY did I come to Finland? (Even the Finns are mystified at the fact that I came from the USA to Study in Finland for a year!)

 

Ill tell you a little backstory:

I actually came to Finland on a total whim. When it came down to choosing countries for my Exchange, I actually CHANGED my mind at the last moment, and I even completely confused myself when I put Finland as my First choice.

I didn't know why. I didn't know how. It just felt RIGHT.

My first choice was originally Czech Republic, and in my Rotary District, we had a huge Ski Trip with all of the Inbounds (Exchange Students) and Outbounds (Students going on Exchange.). During this trip we would pick our Countries and be Assigned to them with all of us all together.

And you guessed it...during this trip, my mind had TOTALLY changed, and I fell in love with the idea of going to Finland...

I actually embarrassed myself A LOT with always talking to the Rotary District Country Officer for Finland, and always wanting to hang around the Finnish Exchange Students during the whole trip, before we got Assigned to our Countries!

We had to show that we were serious about which countries we wanted to go to; and since my mind had totally changed, I thought that I had to SHOW them JUST how BADLY I wanted to come to Finland! ...I probably spent the WHOLE week trying to be around them and talking about Finland. :P

Long story short, in the end I was assigned to my First Choice Country: Finland. :)



And now here I am, answering this question that I seem to be asked everyday.

It IS true...I  don't have an immediate or sure answer about WHY. I don't know why I decided to live in Northern Finland for a year...but it has BY FAR been one of the BEST decisions I have ever made; and this is why I am making this post. To SHOW you all of the reasons why I LOVE Finland, and WHY I chose Finland.

Finland is Forgotten:

I feel as though Finland is a total secret to the rest of the world. Its a country that is hidden in the Northern-Corner of Europe; and I feel like its just tucked away from the rest of the world, in a secret little wonderland.

Before I had come here, the only Finnish people I had ever met were two Rotary Foreign Exchange Students in my Rotary District...I had NEVER heard Finnish spoken prior to being in Finland, and sometimes this makes it hard for me to relate to things back home now.

The Finnish language is so abstract from any other language, and it really isn't like any other languages. The grammar is complex, and it sounds like nothing I have ever heard before. I was SO confused when I first came here, and I REALLY didn't know what was going on, or WHAT people were talking about.

The food in Finland isn't known Internationally, and it is very simple. I have heard jokes that the spices of Finland are Salt and Pepper; and you eat potatoes almost every single day.

Finnish people are so unique. There is no small talk, and they are very shy and calm.

Finland's nature is one of my FAVORITE things about Finland. Its hard to describe it. Its pure. Its quiet. Its real. It is literally impossible to feel anything BUT peaceful. It is just pure silence and glistening water. Its so simple. But its so real. It sticks in your mind like a post card, and it stays there. You don't hear any other sounds around you, and when you don't hear anything around you; everything else just takes over you. I cant describe it.

 

 

 

And even pictures cant show you how beautiful it is in person.

There are forests everywhere in Finland, and lakes that stretch endlessly...Its different than the rest of Europe, and its like your own little wonderland. I cant even describe it correctly to make you understand.

The People:

Finland's nature is very much all about being quiet...and it is very much mirrored and reflected in the people. They are known for being very quiet people, and words are not spoken unless something needs to be said.

Small talk doesn't really exist, but you HAVE to learn that their silence is just a part of conversation.

A lot of Finns that I have met have actually criticized this trait a lot; but sadly I don't understand...I have learned that there is NOTHING wrong with silence.

This was actually hard for me at first, because this is something that is TOTALLY different from the USA. I had to LEARN to not take this the wrong way, and now it is hard for me to imagine that at first I didn't understand it.

Finns are also very easily embarrassed, and sometimes even scared of being embarrassed. There are some Finns who are afraid to speak English with me, because they are afraid that their English wont be understood, or that it isn't good enough. (In reality, this is not the case, because they all speak really good English.) ;)

Finns are VERY kind people, and even though they are shy, they make the best of friends, and when they say something they REALLY mean it. They are always willing to explain things to me, and help me with things, and they are known for always being honest.

They are VERY warm people. You just have to break the ice and get to know them, and understand them. This took me a very long time actually, and it takes awhile to win the trust of a Finn. But it is SO worth it, because once you are friends with a Finn, they are your friend for life.

Finns like you for YOU. It takes awhile to get to know a Finn, but their friendship is something that is VERY special to me; because they are honest and true friends. I have found in Finland that my appearance is NOT measured here, and that people really DO like you for YOU.

Space to Breathe:

You just have SO much space to breathe, and just be yourself. You can just walk to a forest, or simply just go outside and talk a long walk- and just have space to think about everything or anything. Its quiet, and its easy to find a place to just be alone.

You can smell the forest, and everything is just so organic and pure.

And from someone who comes from Oregon, that is saying a lot! :)

Its always peaceful and quiet, and you can just think about anything and everything all the time.

Its easy to just slow down and loose yourself in everything around you, instead of being caught up in what everyone else in the world is doing and everything that is going on.

Things to do:

The things that make Finland so different and unique are endless...but some of the different things in Finland to try are Finnish Sauna (the REAL way), Ice Hockey, salmiakki, reindeer, tar candy (YES. Some Finns eat tar.), Fazer chocolate, Finnish Summer cottage...and the list goes on.

The list goes on and on, but I want to save that list of things for my check list. ;)

Finland takes you off the track of the rest of Europe. Its so different from other European countries, and it takes you to a place where you can hide and just be yourself and takes you into a story book full of wonderlands and unique people.

Why Finland?

This leads me to answer your question...WHY Finland?

Finland may seem like just a Northern Country when you visit it...but that is because to REALLY know its like, and to appreciate it, you  have to dig in deep to it. You cant just visit it. You have to experience it to REALLY understand what Finland really means. What Finland is really like.

It has been SO rewarding for me to come to Finland. I have met people SO different from those in the United States, and I am learning a language SO abstract and exotic from any that I have ever heard. I get to be around such raw and organic nature and beauty, and experience everything around me. Its been SO rewarding to get to know this culture that is so subtly and yet so totally different from my own.

It has only been 3 months, and yet Finland has already found its way into a special place into my heart.

This sounds SO cheesy...but its so true.

To put it honestly, I don't know WHY Finland... but im sure glad that I chose it and I really cant see myself anywhere else in the world but where I am RIGHT now.  <3