Moikka!! Oh oops – I meant Hello! Haha sorry, I did an exchange program in Finland (as you can see, I am already incredibly prepared to make this exchange my personality for the next 50 years). This summer, I had the incredible opportunity of working and living in Kimito Island with Amy, Kasper, their three amazing kids – Forth, Lucy, and Lea, and their dog Yalla! Amy and Kasper run a quaint bed and breakfast during the summer months (shoutout Vestlax Mellangård, it’s a LOVELY place to stay for a relaxing getaway in the Finnish countryside) and have a large farm that they operate year-round.
My days typically started at 7:30 in the morning where I would make and serve breakfast for the guests. I can proudly say that I have become quite the porridge connoisseur and have a new found appreciation for rye bread. Naturally, I would take a little strawberry and home-made bun tax (the freshly picked strawberries and freshly baked buns are on another level!), and clean up the bed and breakfast rooms for the rest of the morning. Then, I would switch to farm tasks which ranged from anything from trimming the grass along the electric fences of the pastures, to sorting the plastic removed from hay bales. After my workday, I would have my obligatory ice cream cone and sit on the hay bales beside the barn while playing jazz music for the cows. Hay bales make for surprisingly comfortable cushions, would strongly recommend! I really loved spending time with the cows, and they were all incredibly friendly and sweet (except Prince, the massive huffy-puffy bull who gives you not an inch of personal space. Prince, you terrify me.)
The beginning of the summer was a bit colder than expected so the sauna in my cottage was certainly put to good use. I have now been spoiled with authentic Finnish saunas, I don’t think I could ever be satisfied with Canadian saunas again. As the summer got warmer, I’d make little trips to the beach, or to their massive sports hall where my roommate and I would have some serious badminton games. As much I wanted to share in the family’s tennis obsession, I just could not find myself getting any better. I think I have watched more tennis this summer, than my entire life combined. I have finally started to understand the rules though, and I finally know some big names so I don’t look completely lost in the tennis world (Shout out Sinner and Alcaraz)! My roommate – Elin, a lovely Finnish girl (and new friend!) who was working at an exhibition nearby, and I would also frequent the forests to pluck blueberries straight out of the bushes and absolutely devour them.
It was definitely a huge shift moving from the busy and loud streets of Toronto to the quiet farm life in Kemionsaari, but definitely a much needed shift. It was such a privilege having green spaces so easily accessible, to be woken up to the sounds of cows and birds, and to be able to plunge into basically any water body you come across. I had plenty of opportunities to head to Helsinki to meet up with the other Canadians, and even made a trip to Stockholm! Amy and Kasper were such lovely hosts, and their family is so sweet and welcoming. I have had such an idyllic and peaceful summer filled with laughs, fresh fruits, and nature, I could not have asked for a better experience. Thank you so much to the Finns for hosting us, and to Amy and Kasper for this summer! I look forward to coming back and absolutely raiding your forests of their blueberries once again 🙂
