[Diary] I've moved to Finland ! First month in my new country.

Yeahhh ! That's it, I finally moved to Finland ! My dream comes true, I take my first steps here as a resident. I will talk here about my first month in Finland, the trip, administrative procedures....

The trip

As you know, the current conditions are not optimal for travel, especially for France and Finland. Indeed, until today (August 1, 2020), French tourists are still not accepted in Finland. To be able to cross the borders of Finland while being French, you must meet certain conditions and have a valid reason to travel to Finland. For example, French people who have their main residence in Finland, or students who start their studies here, or, like me, people who have an work contract in the country. In other words, I was a little stressed because I was hired a week before my departure! I will be a teacher assistant in a French kindergarten! In addition to the employment contract, Kim had drawn up a sworn declaration mentioning the address where we were going to reside, the fact that he came to pick me up at the airport and the fact that we have been in a relationship for some time.

The trip itself went very well, I was accompanied to Nantes by two of my ex-colleagues, well, I would say two friends, who prepared a nice surprise for me before taking the train to Paris. I cannot thank them enough for all they have been able to do for me. I also think of my adorable colleagues who have accompanied me very well for this new start.

At the airport I also got to know my future colleague who was taking the same plane as me! We chatted and the time went by much faster. For me the wait was already unbearable and I could not wait to arrive on Finnish ground and cross the border. This was the most difficult for me because that was when they could refuse me entry to Finland ... I had no reason to worry, but still, there was always this fear that invaded me "what if it was not enough ... and if they refused me entry ...".

On arrival at Helsinki-Vantaa airport, indeed, it was sorting: "Finnish passport on the right, another passport on the left". We had to go through a counter and justify our arrival on Finnish ground. It was very quick for me, the contract and the declaration were enough and I was even able to prove that I spoke a little Finnish with the border guard. It was after twenty endless minutes of waiting for my suitcase that I found my dear. We hugged each other and it was magical to be able to say that the waiting time to see each other again was finally over ... and that we would never be in this situation again (at least I hope so). We were together and we could just contemplate our success. We had to go through trials, sacrifices and a very long wait to finally find ourselves. Driving back to the house was more than joyful and at the same time quite solemn. I enjoyed watching the road, the forest, the very light traffic around the airport ... I was in my new country, ready to start a new life with my Kim. Upon arriving at Kim's apartment, we just took the time to put my bags inside as we had already gone outside to visit something that I was also looking forward to here : Our new home! Yes, two weeks before leaving, Kim managed to find us a house, of course larger than the apartment he lived in, with the added bonus of a terrace and a garden. Not to mention the fact that the house is in the same residence as his apartment! I am so happy to be able to stay in the same neighborhood, calm and super nice! So we visited our new house, which we would move into two days later.

The moving

On July 3, 2020, we moved into our new home. We originally planned to stay in Kim's apartment for a bit to allow me to take my bearings and start working before looking for something bigger. But in the end, we jumped at the opportunity we found. A larger house, in the same neighborhood and directly available. Finally, it's not so bad to have moved in just when I arrived, because I could quickly stop calling the place where we live "Kim's apartment", but rather "our house". I was able to take my marks directly on my arrival and customize the place as we desired. It also allowed me to be able to empty the boxes that I had sent with the objects I wanted and that I could not necessarily put in the apartment for lack of space. During our move, Kim's mom as well as her sister and brother-in-law came to help us. At the same time, I was able to meet her sister's baby, born at the beginning of June. A cute little princess who spent most of the time on the terrace taking a nap! Yes, here babies take a nap outside, even in winter!

The move was done quite quickly as we were about 100 meters from the old apartment. Everything was done in a good mood and everyone was happy to see me here. I felt accepted directly. And of course, after the move, we enjoyed a nice sauna at Kim's parents. Now it was no longer my new life, but our new life that was about to begin.

We still have a lot of things to buy or procure for our new home, I'm happy with the layout and I enjoy it so much. I can't wait to plan the Christmas decoration !! But before that, I will still take advantage of the end of summer and autumn, which is not very far away.

Administrative procedures

The most complicated (and boring, it must be said) when you change your country or even your city, are the papers ... Tons of papers ... Between the move, and my arrival, we spent a good part of our time to do papers. Kim had to make the address change, and I had to get my right of residence in Finland. For that, I had to wait to sign my work contract, the key to all other steps for me. I was also able to visit the kindergarten and see my new workplace, the surroundings, the train station, the shops ... My work contract signed, I could now go and register as a resident in Finland, which gave me the right to obtain my Finnish ID. With this I was able to make my tax card to give to my employer but also to open a bank account and have a Finnish telephone contract. This ID is the most important thing in Finland I think, even more than my ID card or my passport. All my most important information is recorded and allows all administrations to obtain this information: Police, bank, health insurance, taxes ... I only need this number to identify myself. Finally, I visited the immigration services to validate my identity to receive my European residence permit, which allows me to stay more than three months in Finland. At the moment I only have the right to a temporary permit, but after that I could apply for an extension of this residence permit or a permanent residence permit.

At the end of the first month, all of my papers are up to date. I am now only waiting for my SIM card to get my Finnish number. I must admit that I am really impressed by the speed of the Finnish administration. Each time I was given an estimate for taking charge of my files, and each time I received my papers before the estimate.

Return to the nature

You can say that I arrived at the right time. Summer is still here in Finland! It is certainly colder here than in France, but how nice is the summer here. Between the night that never really falls and the sky that takes just unimaginable colors, we can say that it is really a pleasure to be outside and to enjoy nature. When I am in the street, I always look at the sky. I love the contrast that there can be between the clouds and the very blue sky. The sunsets give a red glow to the sky and the clouds, it looks like the sky is on fire! You see...

On the other hand, when I am in the forest, it is more towards the ground that I concentrate. You can clearly see that summer is advanced and it is almost the beginning of fall. Blueberries and raspberries are everywhere on the roadsides and in the forest. When I was talking about my departure I mentioned a lot the fact that I could go pick berries by kilos and that it was completely free. That's what occupied my first few weeks here. I spent a lot of time in the forest picking blueberries. At first I used a lot of it to bake cakes, but now I'm starting to plan for winter and freeze them! It's a pleasure to spend hours exploring and finding blueberries, I don't see the time passing, and I admit it helps to clear your mind. I found myself there even at 11 pm but very quickly it was too dark in the forest to be able to distinguish the blueberries.

I even bought a book on mushrooms! In Finland, as in France, there are different varieties of mushrooms. Some are poisonous, others deadly poisonous. It is therefore important to be able to recognize the good from the bad mushrooms. The two best known are porcini mushrooms and chanterelles, we find them quite easily for the first, a little more difficult for chanterelles. They are easily spotted and there is no risk of making a mistake ... For other mushrooms, it is sometimes more difficult, so I will study all that, and in Finnish please !!

At the end of my walks in the forest, I often pick flowers for the house, it reminds me of the walk and it flowers the house! I love wild flowers, they are ephemeral but it reminds me to appreciate the beautiful moments in life directly in the moment. I know these flowers will fade quickly, which is why I appreciate their color and beauty every time I look at them.

We also went fishing several times. The first time was on a lake in Tuusula. It was for me my first real fishing experience. I don't have a fishing license so I can only use a classic fishing rod without a reel (yes there is surely a specific term for this kind of fishing rod but I don't know anything about it so don't hesitate not tell me what they are called!). Kim has his license and received his first fishing rod by his brother-in-law as a gift for our move in (I also suspect him to want a fishing buddy). This time I caught the only fish, a bream! We released it because it was too small to make a meal! I promised myself that I would come back to fish and that this time I will eat my first fish caught by myself!

The "mökki"

I also spent a few days with Kim's family at the mökki! Meeee-what ?! The Meuki? Yes the mökki, or more commonly the summer cottage that most Finns visit during the summer but also during other seasons for some of them! His parents' cottage is located near Kouvola, northeast of Helsinki. We took an hour and a half to reach it and we spent two days there. A large majority of Finnish families own a cottage. There is usually no running water and the toilets are at the back of the garden, but the scenery is often breathtaking! And of course, there is always the sauna to go with it! In the photos, the sauna is the red chalet. On the right of the same building, there is the barn where the wood is stored, both to heat the house when it is cold, but also to heat the sauna.

I would say it's a way to go back to basics and isolate yourself (even more) from the city to have a good time in nature. We take the time to play board games with the family, fish, chat, walk in the forest and of course swim in magnificent lakes. I let you discover the photos by scrolling them.

So, you still haven't booked your ticket to Finland? As a bonus during this mökki time, I kept my promise and ate my first fish caught by myself! A small pike! You should have seen my face when I realized I had caught a "big" fish! Kim's brother-in-law, Tommy, taught me the basics of fishing and how to prepare fish after catching! And as a bonus, I also received my first fishing rod from Tommy! As we say, now there is something to do with that !!!

I promise to give you the recipe the next time I do it again! It gives me a goal: To catch a pike again! In the end, I came home with a filleted pike, raspberries and redcurrants directly picked in the forest and on the chalet yard! The pike was eaten directly after we returned home, the raspberries frozen for the winter, and the currants in jam! Moreover, I am preparing the recipe for the redcurrant jam which will arrive in the coming days!

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We can say that this month has been very emotional and quite full! I haven't seen the time passing. It is time now to move on to another stage of my life here: my professional life! I can't wait to start working, I'm also excited that I'll be in Helsinki during the day, so I'll be able to start exploring more of the city after work. I admit that until now, I haven't set foot in the city that much, but I'm sure I'll find some nice places there! I hope once again that I made you travel through my life, and that you want to know a little bit more about my life here. I am already looking forward to be able to introduce you to a full year in my universe! I also hope to be able to post more often, but I admit that this first month has been for me like a long vacation that I deserve and which allowed me to slowly prepare for my new life here. It also allowed me to understand what I really wanted, and the lifestyle I want to adopt here. Being close to nature, living to the fullest of what nature gives us, and enjoying life. And I will say that this last point is for me the most important: to enjoy life. Enjoy life, it is short enough not to enjoy it. I know, it's pretty simplistic, but it is! I cannot tell you otherwise. If you love nature, get closer to it, and I assure you that it will give you back very well what you give to it. If you love the city, then get closer to it too. Do not wait ! This is where I leave you, hoping you will take care of yourself. Do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them. Kiss from Finland !