2020 Rewind: a year in Finland

January

Exactly one year ago, you could see in the streets of central Helsinki a weird figure, visibly tired and sleepy, carrying four big suitcases to the bus station. He was so happy he finally made it to Finland, he kept repeating to himself “oh my God, I’m here, for real now”. When he arrived to his new apartment in Porvoo, around 3PM, it was dark already, and he realized he did not have electricity at home – and he asked himself why the hell he ended up there, and cried a little bit. Soon school started, and surprisingly he made friends very quickly. After all, it wasn’t that bad.

February

February wnet just fine for him, he was starting to stand the freezing cold, too! However, he had two major struggles to get through: bureaucracy (damn, how many hours he spent in offices and banks!) and, most of all, food. All these macaroni casseroles and meatballs couldn’t even be compared to the tasty pizza and fresh pasta he was used to back in his home country 😊

March

Friday 13th of March: he finally got his residence permit in Finland, what a glorious milestone! But it was a Friday 13th, and of course bad news came: starting next week, all schools are closed. “What should I do?”, he kept repeating to himself, “should I go back home or stay here?”. He eventually stayed in Porvoo, while all his friends were going back to their families. So sad to see them leave.

April

While the first weeks of remote learning have been hard, with the spring blossoming and the sun shining a bit more, he finally got up from his bed and decided to live the life at his fullest, whenever possible. He realized soon that long walks in the forests around Porvoo were giving such a beautiful peace of mind which he never found before. That’s where his adventurous side started coming out.

May

May flew away pretty quickly, between final exams and more (a lot more) walks around Porvoo. By this time, I think he knew every single corner of Porvoo.

June

With school finally over, and Covid restrictions lifted, he had more and more time to enjoy outside (he worn out two pairs of shoes, ooops). If you didn’t know where he was, most likely he was on a terrace drinking his favourite drink, an iced Lonkero, and eating salmiakki ice cream, because he really liked to feel like a Finn (or maybe, a fake Finn).

July

Ummmm, not that much to say. He was missing his family and pizza so much, he had to go back to Italy for a while. But he was missing Finland sooooo much! He couldn’t wait to go back ☹

August

And eventually he came back. And while flying to Finland he truly realized he was simply coming back home – wow, what a lovely feeling! Earlier this year, he also applied to become a tutor for new students in his university – another great choice in his life! He met so many new people, and he had the time of his life with them. Also, a German girl one day asked him to start a blog together! 😊

September

School started, and with it all the amount of stress and worries it brings. But he always knew that a beer with his new friends was the best way to escape from reality! What’s more, he realized his Finnish skills were getting more and more real: he was trying to speak all the time, and he was learning by heart the latest Finnish pop hits, one day he even managed to order a coffee, all by himself, without asking for translation! That’s what I call a milestone!

October

October hit him pretty hard: school was not going that well, new Covid restrictions… not the best time. He asked himself, after almost 10 months, if moving to Finland was actually a good idea. He knew it was not Finland’s fault, he was feeling such a strong bond with that country.

November

November brought more darkness, more freezing cold, and a tempting apartment offer in Helsinki. Should I move? Should I stay here? Is my family okay with it? What about my friends? Am I ready to live in a big city? [Spoiler: he moved]

December

Along with the basic end of semester stress, which he already knew, for the first time he spent the holidays alone, far from his family. And while it was so weird and sometimes a little sad, he had to admit that spending the day on the bed, with Netflix on and tea and cookies with him, well it was not that bad.

He had a very good year, after all. So much changed in his life, and the choice of moving to Finland was for sure the best one for him and his spirit of discovery and adventure. What will 2021 bring? Good question… we’ll see. Stay tuned 😉

"kiskot minua kutsuu siis hyvästellään vaan, ovet ovat meitä varten että tullaan ja poistutaan, koska junat ja naiset ovat luotuja kulkemaan"

"The rails call for me so let's say goodbye, Doors are for us, to enter and exit, Because trains and women are made to travel" - Mike