Coffee Visits

Coffee Visits

Before I lived in Finland, I really did not drink coffee. I maybe would have some kind of sweet coffee drink now and then, but it wasn’t a regular occurance at all. When I lived in Oulu, that changed pretty quickly. I got a tiny yellow coffee maker (the tag said it was a coffee maker for a cabin) at a thrift store and bought some Finnish branded coffee from the grocery store. I figured I may need these not for me to make coffee every morning for myself, but rather for hosting guests. What I hadn’t neccissarily seen on the horizon were two years of coffee visits with friends and family of the friendship family (kummiperhe) I was connected with through the University of Oulu, as well as with some of the friends of my university friends.

Introducing Maggie, a Minnesotan in Finland with A Sweet Sock pattern

Introducing Maggie, a Minnesotan in Finland with A Sweet Sock pattern

After high school I decided to spend a year in Finland as a Rotary Youth Exchange Student. When I got to my host community of Iisalmi, I could not believe the variety of yarn available in the supermarket. I immediately bought some purple, variegated Novita Seitsemän Veljestä and started knitting a cowl. It was so nice to live in a place where my hobby was more common and such a part of the culture. The results were also just as practical as they had been in Minnesota, an endless supply of cold weather accessories.

What I Miss Most about Start of School Season in Finland

What I Miss Most about Start of School Season in Finland

I miss many things about the start of the school year in Finland. So many things. I have had the pleasure of experiencing three back-to-school seasons in Finland. One in Tampere and two in Oulu. As you may have gathered from previous blog posts, I have really enjoyed getting to live in Finland and study there. In this post, I share 5 of the things I miss the most about back-to-school season in Tampere and Oulu.