1997: My First Week in Helsinki

From the archives: It turns out that I was blogging long before anyone had ever heard the term “blog.” Twenty years ago I worked in Helsinki, Finland for a summer with the Finnish National Agency for Education to fund my studies as an exchange student in Estonia. While living overseas I created an online travelogue to keep my family and friends apprised of my experiences. My life has changed a lot the two decades since. This reprise is providing me with a glimpse at who I was back then and the excuse to learn more about more recent developments in my temporary home, even if some of the opinions that I expressed back then may make me a little bit uncomfortable today. It is interesting to see how people grow and change.

May 27-June 1, 1997

I have been here for a week and a half, but I’m not sure that it has really sunk in what I am doing and where I am. Is this all a dream from which I will awake soon and then go back to my old, normal life? I hope not, because this is a fantasy come true. Every time I look out the window and see Finland, I just have this ever nagging feeling that I am just looking at a photograph or watching a television. There is no possible way that I am lucky enough to be experiencing it for myself. The sensations are incredible. And people still ask me why I do this…

It has been an eventful first week. I have slowly been getting the lay of the land and getting my bearings. I measure my progress partially in the fact that I no longer get lost as often when I go out walking or bicycling in the city. Finnish street names are still horribly foreign, though. I have yet to see one name that I can pronounce without first sounding it out. I am getting better, however, I can now usually get them on the second or third try. I will probably get this all figured out just about the time that I have to head for Estonia, and then the whole thing starts all over again. Just part of the fun.

Here’s a little play by play of my first week in Finland, a few highlights from my journal:

27 May 1997
Tuesday

Helsinki, day one.

I had a wonderful time today. I have been cycling through downtown, saw some hockey, explored and basically gotten a feeling for the city. I know I am going to love this place. This is not the same Europe that I visited last time. What an experience.

28 May 1997
Wednesday

Today was Jet Lag Day. After seeing the kids off to school I turned in for a long nap until they got home. I played some street hockey with one of the children I am watching and then saw them off to their father’s for the night. A little supper, and then time for bed again…I am having a great time!

29 May 1997
Thursday

I had a bit of a reunion today, getting to see Netta and Marina from Warrensburg. We had a couple of drinks and then toured around downtown, It was nice to see them again. Its only been two weeks, but a very long and eventful two weeks.

Its amazing to me how much more living I get out of each day when I am studying abroad. Time seems to last forever sometimes as I make the most out of every moment and every day. I think that not having a routine helps lengthen time, and there is nothing routine about living abroad. I still can’t believe this actually happening. Oh, what a lucky life I’ve been given.

30 May 1997
Friday

A much better day. I am slowly getting adjusted to this place. Today I had sole responsibility for the kids for an extended period for the first time. Things went fairly well.

31 May 1997
Saturday

This was Graduation Day here in Finland. I attended the graduation reception for a family friend who was graduating from high school here in Helsinki.

Graduation went well. Emma was very nice. It was very interesting. Take away the champagne, change the hats and of course the language and it was basically identical to an American graduation reception. Feelings and emotions are the same the world over, no matter where you go.

I enjoyed/endured my first sauna of the trip today. After a night of fishing we fired it up and had a good time. Now I know why Scandinavians have such a long life expectancy. All the sick and weak ones are killed off by the the sauna in their first five years.

1 June 1997
Sunday

I attended church today at St. Henry’s Catholic Cathedral in southern Helsinki. It was a nice service, in Finnish. Probably the biggest surprise was the fact that about one fourth of the congregation was Phillippino. It should not surprise, I guess, but the American media rarely mentions the immigrant population in supposedly blond haired, blue eyed Scandinavia. Its amazing how much we don’t know about each other. Amazing, pitiful and quite scary.