Hei! I am back in Canada after an amazing time in Finland!
The Finns were lovely hosts and planned a wonderful road trip to kick off the summer! We had the best strawberries in Turku, spent hours designing Moomin houses in Tampere, and enjoyed cozy cottage boardgames and saunas.
During the summer, I volunteered with the Espoon Latu ja Polku Avovesiuintitiimi as an open water instructor. ELP runs a variety of recreational activities, and it was exciting to be a part of their first year of running an open water program. I would take the bus out to Kaitalampi, a beautiful lake in Espoo, and help guide beginner open water swimmers. I met many wonderful people with a shared interest in open water swimming.
I also joined Open Water Experience Finland, and I participated in swims around Helsinki that were organized by the group. I was able to meet many amazing swimmers and enjoyed adventures to many different islands and lakes. It was an incredible experience, and the people were wonderful and very welcoming. It was such a great way to meet new people and see some of the Finnish landscape from the water.
I would often spend my free days cycling around Helsinki on the city bikes or hanging out at Oodi with a good book (I adored the robots working there!). I also enjoyed wandering through the forest. There were many great trails to explore around where I lived in Koskela. The nature in Finland is beautiful!
I thoroughly enjoyed my summer in Finland! Thank you to all the Finns for hosting us, as well as the alumni who met with us, for an amazing experience!
