Finnish Life 

It has been a few days since my sister and I arrived to Turku where our family lives and already I am in love. We are so fortunate to have relatives that live in such a beautiful area of Finland. It has been great spending time with family and getting to experience a bit of Finnish life. Here are some of my favorite things about life in Turku. 

1. Midnight sun: Even though the sun goes down technically around 10:45 pm, it doesn’t really ever become fully dark in summertime here in Turku. It’s great! Days become much longer without it feeling like you are staying up late, leaving more time for talking with family and exploring the area. 

   

2. Green Spaces: There are lots and lots of green spaces in Turku and throughout Finland. There are parks to sit in, green riverbanks to stroll along, and tons of forested areas to take walks through. On the first day we arrived we took a walk in the local woods with Juha and Marjo (our relatives). They pointed out local plants and berries and answered some of our nature questions. My favorite moment was finding wild blueberries and eating them right from the bushes. Yum! 

   

   

   
3. Earth Friendly Living: I have found that in Turku and Helsinki people are very Earth conscious. They take the phrase reduce, reuse and recycling to a whole other level. ?♻️
4. Markets: The open air market is my favorite place in the world. Not only can you get a cheap cup of coffee, you can also find fresh baked goods, veggies, fruits, flowers or even clothes. There is a little bit of everything. The market place is also the perfect place for people watching. 
5. Coffee! Coffee! Coffee! My favorite drink is consumed all day here ? 

   

6. Public Transportstion: The public transportation here is excellent. It is clean, fast and very efficient. Whether it is taking the bus into the city center, he train from Turku to Helsinki or ferry to cross the river, the public transit system is top notch. I have also noticed that lots of people ride bikes or walk (Nordic walkers too) everywhere they can. 
7. Family! More than anything the best part of Turku is having our family here. In just a few short days we have learned so much from them about Finnish life and our family history. How lucky are we to have such a welcoming family?! 

   

   

Katy