I already know what to expect from my visit to Finland. My friend Daniel who participated in thisisFINLAND Foreign Correspondents’ Programme a couple of years ago summed it up in one sentence: “The best month of my life”.
But my expectations are high both for the trip and for myself! I want to work hard on getting to know all there is to know. I want to find perspectives on Finland that would be interesting to read for the people back in Poland.
So why is Finland special to me? I think it found its way to my heart through its culture. The first thing I can distinctly remember enjoying is Hel Looks – a wonderful street fashion blog that captures the most original dressers from Helsinki, and one of the first popular street style blogs.
Then came the music, the design and the architecture… The list goes on. Over the years I got interested in the economy and politics, and noticed how Finland keeps popping up at high places in various rankings.
All this time, just like the other Scandinavian countries, Finland seemed to fit my personality and tastes better than other regions of the world. I’m excited to see for myself the unique character of Finland, the only Nordic country where knowing some Swedish will be of absolutely no help in understanding the native language…
My main goal is to write excellent articles on some interesting aspects of Finnish politics and society and bring back at least two great interviews. I have been thinking about it for months and actually started planning and gathering ideas while sending my application. But now as the trip get closer and closer I feel more like thinking about the Finnish things I might do just to enjoy myself!
I’m excited to see Regina live at Flow Festival. I’m planning on eating all the liquorice I can put my hands on and washing it down with black coffee that Finns supposedly enjoy as much as I do. I want to spend some time enjoying the lovely landscapes, and then immersing myself in Finnish architecture. I get chills just thinking about seeing the Alvar Aalto Museum locations in Helsinki. I want to get to know the people, who I feel might be more similar to Poles than it seems.
Will three weeks be enough for it all? I’ll do my best!