United Nations

Finland, Finland, Finland,

The country where I want to be,

Pony trekking or camping,

Or just watching TV.

Finland, Finland, Finland.

It's the country for me.

You're so near to Russia,

So far from Japan,

Quite a long way from Cairo,

Lots of miles from Vietnam.

Finland, Finland, Finland,

The country where I want to be,

Eating breakfast or dinner,

Or snack lunch in the hall.

Finland, Finland, Finland.

Finland has it all.

The words of mighty Monty Python got me thinking about what it is that I am seeking and hoping to find in Finland. During our latest visit I was looking for signs to confirm I was making the right decision moving and signs galore I got. The yellow carpet of kanttarelli mushrooms all over the forest floor relatively early in the season. The abundance of sweet wild strawberries and home smoked muikku. The refreshing taste of Gin Long Drink. Being able to wash the sweaty, long journey from London off in a clean, cool lake. Life seemed so much simpler - good local home cooked food, clean air and water and a rested soul. They say grass is always greener on the other side but in this case it really is, several shades. 

Don't get me wrong, I am aware I view Finland through my sentimental rose tinted glasses most of the time. Every day life is every day life wherever you are and I am sure writing this blog in six months' time when it's -30c outside and I need to make the life threatening trip to the corner store to get provisions, you may find my glasses in the bottom of the bin. But still, as long as the shop doesn't run out of Heinz baked beans, I am sure we'll be just fine. 

I am sure to hold on to some of the British traits I have assumed and adopted - the art of small talk (which is non existent in Finland...), complaining about service when there is a need but also praising service when it's deserved, saying sorry when bumping in to people (take note Finns!). But I am also looking forward to being around people not feeling like you have to make small talk - being comfortable with silence, not getting wound up about little things and remembering that perhaps sometimes it's just not worth it and living with 'only' five million other people in a country the same size as the UK and most likely not bumping in to many of them. 

I surely won't miss the long working hours I have endured during my career in London. The long commutes and the haggard faces of London's workforce. I am happy to step away from the every day drinking culture - I have already received a bunch of flowers and a card from my liver for that one. I hear my internal organs are planning a party to celebrate the lack of pollution and "I'm too tired/lazy to cook, let's get a take away" meals. All in all, I am hoping for a cleaner, healthier body and mind. And plenty of Gin Long Drink. 

During our recent visit to Helsinki I was pleasantly surprised by how friendly people were, stopping to chat to Emma and myself, recommending places to visit, things to do. Granted, they thought they were talking to tourists from London and I didn't have the heart to correct them. And one of them was drunk. At 8am. And it wasn't Andy McCoy. It was reassuring to receive good service in a restaurant despite the fact that I subjected the other diners to a presence of a child. I heard the collective gasp when Emma and I walked in at 7pm on a Friday to a pretty posh restaurant but by the time we'd devoured our delicious meal, I'd received plenty of agreeing nods and smiles to confirm that we were in fact ok and accepted. And that they would not report me to social services for having a glass of wine with my meal in front of my kid. At least I hope they didn't. 

I guess what I am hoping for is to have the best of both worlds and nations - they say there is no such thing as a free lunch but I disagree. Pick mushrooms and berries, catch a fish, milk a cow and there you have it. A free lunch. May need to pay for the Gin Long Drink though.