One Year Anniversary: Living in Finland

Sunset on the lake--a 10 minute walk from home.

One year ago we schlepped our seven bags across the big pond to Helsinki and headed North to our new home. We had no idea what to expect; we were going to live in a city with a name we could not even pronounce. A lot of amazing things happened this past year, both personally and professionally. Charlie and I lived together under one roof for the first time. We did not kill each other, so obviously cohabiting was a good next step in our relationship. In fact, it was so GOOD that we got engaged (in a Finnish sauna)--unforgettable. April 20 was the magical wedding day when my dude became "superhubby". Professionally, Charlie received two promotions (expert to special expert to senior expert). We decided to stay another year in Finland and take Charlie's extended contract that includes 36 vacation days. I finished up the data collection phase and moved into writing the mega PhD. We enjoyed many travel adventures: Brussels, Oslo, London-Riga-Tallin, Arctic Circle, and Greece.

Life is good in Finland and we love our simple life: riding bikes everywhere (despite a few accidents), cooking amazing vegan meals, hanging out with our international and Finnish friends, and experiencing the extremes of weather, seasons, and produce. Everyday we are blessed by the simplicity and the nature we are surrounded by...often times we reflect on the beauty of where life has taken us.