To Finn or not to Finn

Oh, Finland. 

Sometimes I miss familiar things. Like food I would eat on the run or on a bad day. Or the specific sparkling wine everyone would like. Or all the milk products I took for granted and can’t really find here. All the nice places I would go for a walk or a run if I was feeling down. Days we would just go out with one of my best friends and take pictures cause the snow just looks beautiful. Sometimes I even miss my stuff. I wish I had taken those sandals with me, oh and the eye shadow called flame. 

My friends and family I miss everyday. 

2 of my gorgeous sisters.  <3

I’ve been in Sydney a lot. I’ve seen all the most popular tourist attractions. Since I haven’t really lived in any backpacking places I haven’t met any Finnish people in my whole 9 months here. I’ve met Irish, English, German, American, Scottish and people from all over Asia, but not Finns.

My first 6 moths I lived in a town called Camden, 45 mins from Sydney. Nice and quiet suburb. My dad's cousin and her two sons who are my second cousins live there. It was an easy and a good option for me to go there. It's kind of like my safe harbor. If I'm confused about anything they are there to help. It's good to have someone in a foreign country, especially if you are traveling alone.

In my previous workplace we had 8 Irish girls working there at the same time. Lovely and friendly girls. But when they spoke to each other, they seemed so effortless and everybody seemed like they knew each other previously even though they didn’t. I got a bit jealous. I was thinking to myself If only there was another Finn. Would it be so easy and effortless? Or is it just Irish people? I never thought that I’d actually miss Finns.

Then I came to Melbourne. I had been here for 2 days and I randomly walked pass 2 Finns having a conversation in Finnish at the tram stop. So random. Do Finns like Melbourne or is it like this in every city? 4 days later I met this Finnish photographer and she was so lovely. Talking to her was so effortless and easy. I felt like I knew her before.

I’m in this Facebook group called Australian Finns. In the group, you can ask anything and get tips about Visas, trips, cheap flight’s and so much more. So, I saw a guy looking to meet up with other Finns in Melbourne. I messaged him, saw him on Wednesday and again yesterday with a bunch of some new people. So yesterday I met 2 new Finns. I’ve been wondering can I still talk Finnish normally. I speak with my siblings a lot via skype and face time, but it always feels a bit clumsy to switch languages. But when I was talking to these guys, so easy. Somehow liberating too. You can say so much more with just few words. It’s hard to explain but you know exactly what to say.

I also met a British guy and a German girl yesterday and they were both really nice too. Maybe in general it’s easier to get to know to people who are in same situation as you.

It’s silly now when I think about it. The biggest cultural difference between Australia and Finland is the fact that Finns don’t talk to people they don’t know. They barely look at them. If you look at someone and that person looks back you look away! If a random person you don’t know says hi, you walk away cause that person must be crazy. Lol. I’m not even kidding. Finns like to keep their personal space and distance. You don’t stand too close to anyone else unless you have to. You most certainly do not step on someone’s blanket or a towel at the beach. No way.

And here I am, feeling a bond between me and Finns I’ve never met before. Who, in Finland, I would probably never even talk to.