Moikka! This is Sandy, writing this blog post quite a while post deadline 🙂 It is currently midterm season, and I got a reminder from my buddy Elina to write this post – an opportunity for me to take my mind off the reviewing and remanence back to my summer in Finland (and many other places, majority of the time, actually).Â
The very first time I heard about the summer in Finland program by Hart House was in my PSY100 lecture. My friend wanted to go and asked me to apply with her. As it always is, the most unexpected result happens to the person least expecting it – I got to the interview and she didn’t (she is currently sitting next to me right now side-eyeing me LOL). Anyways, so the prepping process began: buddy-pairing, job-searching, and visa-applying. It was a long but fun process.
So I went there without a working visa.Â
Yup, you read that right! What happened was, I got a job, but my visa did not arrive on time (in fact, it never did). My buddy Elina was very worried and helped me arranged an appointment with the Finnish office during the road trip, which later Anna V. drove me to the appointment early morning. I think it is an understatement to say that I stressed out the Finns.
Anyways, about my job. It is an English-learning camp based in Finland, they run courses in England, Spain, U.S., and other places. The owner Petri, was extremely kind to me and pitied my visa problem. He let me joined the team as a volunteer, while still covering my expenses such as hotels and food. So throughout the entire June, I was actually in the U.K and Gibraltar! It was a very unique experience for me to work among Finnish colleagues (and our Canadian Thomas). But let me rewind and take you back to the road trip.
If you asked me what was so special about the exchange, I’d say it was the road trip organized by the lovely Finns. They took us to their cottages, where I got to experience authentic Finnish sauna and cottage life—things regular tourists would never get to see. We did sauna, went grocery shopping, had barbeques, went hiking, and so much more. For me, the road trip was the perfect opportunity to explore cities beyond Helsinki and truly bond with the group. Everyone was so kind, funny, and genuine. Through it all, I got to see a more authentic side of Finnish culture.
It is true that anyone could just book a ticket and fly to Finland themselves, but what the Hart House exchange offers is that you get a group of supportive alumni that want you to make the most out of your exchange. “Have fun! Say yes to everything,” I vividly remember one of them saying to us before we depart.
This exchange truly was my highlight of the year. It was my first time going to Europe- without my parents too. After coming back from the U.K, the first stop was to visit Santa Claus in Lapland, duh. Then I also went to Estonia, Latvia, Sweden, and Iceland (see, I just did not want to come home).
After the trip, my new dream is to move to Europe. Traveling without passport control is simply too addicting. Jokes aside, I feel like Northern Europe—especially Finland—has this nonchalant, don’t-give-a-fuck attitude toward life that captivates me. I don’t mean that people are rude or cold-hearted; it’s more that they’re incredibly laid-back. Everyone seems content with the present. It’s a sharp contrast to life in Toronto, where people around me—and myself included—are constantly hustling, bustling, and stressing about everything. I noticed the same thing when I spent time with Finnish teenagers back in the U.K. They’re not obsessed with what lies ahead or what they should be doing; they simply live in the moment and make the most of it.
All in all, I am very thankful for this opportunity to go to Finland. I made friends, created memories, and went to places I’ve never thought I would go. Thank you, our lovely Finns, Canadians, and Hart House.