6/2/2004 - Four Seasons, Four Worlds in Finland
The only thing I knew about Finland was that Santa lived there. Now I consider myself a half-Finnish person. I feel with all the right of saying that I have a family back there. I was hosted by a community that became my hometown, and I made a bunch of friends I still keep in touch with.
The most perfect land on earth: a developed country with a great system of life, and on the other hand with loving people with traditions, who love splendid weeks in their summer cottages with no electricity, who cut logs for getting the fire-wood…
Everything I lived in Finland was intense and fun: from tasting the Weirdest candies on earth salmiakki, not sweet at all! – to realizing that you’re not supposed to wear a bathing suit in sauna -you just wear nothing! Skiing on a Thursday night with -30°, swimming in a hole made in a frozen lake, throwing snowballs to my sister after sauna. Swimming in the beach at 11pm in the summer, partying on the Midsummer day -when the sun doesn’t set down to lay on the roof of my house getting a tan… can you believe I did all that in the same country?
What makes Finland unique is that throughout the year you live four different seasons which means you live in four different worlds. They celebrate all of their traditions which mean lots of GOOD food; and they practice every single sport which means you’ll always have something fun to do during afternoons and make lots of friends!
During my stay in Finland I spent so many great moments that I can’t even remember them all at once. I made forever-friends. I lived with the best host family ever and learned a lot, not only another language or customs: I also learned about myself.
Mirna Ramirez
Chile to Finland, 2001-2002
In the photo: AFSers Stephen from Belgium and Luiz from Brazil with Mirna at the going away party on the Beach of Joensuu
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