3 Incredible Aspects of Finland that I Love and Always Make Me Smile

Five years ago if I would have been told that I would live in the happiest country in the world and asked what would be the three things I would love the most about living there I would have thought of Germany and said: efficiency, great quality of living, and Doner Kebabs. After living in Finland, the current happiest place on earth, I can now say my three favourite things are not the aforementioned but something much more silly. Don’t get me wrong, Finland is a beautiful country that is clean, simple and efficient much like Germany but possesses some small hidden gems that make me laugh and feel at home.

Escalators

I am sure that you’re looking at the title and thinking, “what the hell is so funny about an escalator?” The answer, nothing. I just find the escalators in Finland extremely cool and I love when I get a chance to “turn it on.” No, I don’t mean that I try to seduce or caress the escalator. I mean literally turn it on. Unlike in America where escalators continually run and we just hop on whenever we are there, in Finland, they actually turn off.

See, Finland is one of the most eco-friendly cities that I’ve been to and ranked number one in a Yale University Study for Environmental Performance Index. The country is able to achieve this green status thanks to a highly eco-friendly culture and a green lifestyle. The Finn’s love of the outdoors encourages them to keep their lakes, oceans, and countryside clean.

Hence, unlike in America, things just don’t stay on for convenience instead, escalators will stop or at minimum slow down to almost a halt if no one is riding or in the vicinity. Once I step my foot past a certain point, a sensor will notify the escalator to speed up to a walking pace and onward I go. No matter where I am, I always smile and marvel at how simplistic but, efficient and environmentally conscious Finland is compared to my home country. I can guarantee you would feel the same if you ever get a chance to use one in Finland.

Koti pizza

If I were to ask you to tell me something that you think would be great about or from Finland, you most likely couldn’t tell me anything outside of Nokia. Did you know that Nokia was from Finland? Anyhow, I had no idea about Finnish food and kind of still don’t know much about their food. Although, I do know about one little gem of Finland that is absolutely brilliant…KOTI pizza.

PIZZA… I know, but it is actually really good. The first day I arrived in Finland, my friend and I went to Koti pizza and it became something special. Kotipizza was founded in 1987 by Rabbe Grönblom in Vaasa, Finland. From what I was told, the pizza took off after Koti Pizza entered an international pizza making competition and won! They smoked the boots off of everyone including the Italians. In my opinion, what makes Koti Pizza so unique is the KOTZONET (check out the menu link here). The pizza is made the same as any other pizza but they fold their pizza’s in half like a PB&J and add salad to it as if it were a gyro or my favourite a doner kebab (which is much better). They have some of the best combinations that are outside of what we as Americans would consider normal. My favourite was the Kebab Kotzone which had kebab, jalapenos and salad with one of their 9 different sauces. I often got their kebab sauce which tastes like spicy tartar sauce with a little more cream and spice. Check out their menu…it’s awesome!

Onesie’s

When I got to Finland in early September, the temperature was slightly colder than Lancaster, Pa, but not much worse. The following week it slightly became colder as I noticed more hats, scarves, gloves, among one other noticeable garment…onesies. At first, I noticed them here and there and eventually it was as if the entire country decided it was National Onesie month. Every child I saw from a newborn to 6 yrs. old was wearing them. The first time I saw it was a Finnish thing was when I went to Porvoo.

I was walking down the street when I heard several small voices with a louder voice guiding the small rumble. When I looked over, I saw an entire preschool class, ALL wearing a variety of onesies. bright pink, blue, lime green…you name it and someone was wearing that colour. In addition, everyone including the teachers was wearing an orange work vest. One by one like the mice to the Pide Piper, the children followed the teacher down to the crosswalk. They stopped and waited patiently until the teacher ushered them across the road and onward to their destination. But, not only have I seen small students in onesies, I saw big students too. In Finland, university students often wear full work suit onesies to go to parties. It’s something that started in the 1970s, but often debated whether it started in Sweden or Finland. Overalls are usually worn by university students and students of universities of applied sciences. The overalls are an attire worn mainly at student parties and they are an easy outfit choice for various student events because they protect whatever clothes you have underneath them. This also means that you don’t have to spend time choosing what to wear

They’re many other things that make me smile when I think about Finland including how quiet and peaceful it is, the efficiency of their trains, how friendly people are when you need help, and the interesting way that people express themselves through fashion. But, I know for a fact that the aforementioned topics always keep a smile along my wonderful journey of life. Hence, I hope you find your joy somewhere today in the world. If not, don’t fret, just tell it to kick rocks and continue to enjoy yourself and focus on the here and now because the journey is always worth more than the destination.

Bon voyage

#Smile #world #moments #love #favourites #finaland #europe