One of the things I will miss the most from Finland is winter. I know that this one is in Slovenia too, but I don’t remember anything like it here. For 2 weeks now, we have been accompanied by snow, wind, and cold every day. The sun also shines almost every day, breaking the monotony for a few minutes and giving you hope and happiness. The locals are also surprised by the weather this year, as they do not remember so many clear and sunny days in the last 20 years. Professor Simo jokingly said that we could not have chosen a better time for the exchange and that we were really lucky. However, he invited us to visit Finland once in the summer, when everything is green because we can get to know and experience it in a completely different light than now.
We are staying in a student dormitory, which is only 15 meters away from the lake (currently frozen) and we, therefore, have a fantastic view from our rooms. This means a lot to me, because in Slovenia I also live in the countryside in a small village, without a lake but in the heart of nature. What I miss, however, are the hills and the rugged landscape. Several times on our train journey I observed the landscape through the window and what I saw was just a plain and a lot of forests. This is mostly made up of birch and pine, as these are tree species that need moisture and are quite resistant to prolonged cold.
Professor Tuomas, who is otherwise from the heart of Lapland, the far north of the country, also smiled at my slight homesickness. He said that only there can we know what a plane is and only there can we say that we are in the middle of nowhere. Of course except for some native moose and shrubs. Polar day and night also alternate there annually. For a person who is not used to this, such an environment can be uncomfortable, as our biorhythm is not accustomed to constant darkness or daylight. Once in the future, I want to get to know this phenomenon as well. Maybe this will be the reason for another trip to Finland in the future.
Two more days, which will pass as if with a snap of our fingers, separate us until our return to Slovenia. If I could, I would only stay here for another week, as this weekend they celebrate the so-called Little Christmas, their traditional holiday. This year it will be especially interesting, as it has not been celebrated for the last two years due to the covid restrictions. Tomorrow they will also have a meeting of all students and staff at the school after 2 years and they are very much looking forward to it. Unfortunately, we cannot experience everything, but I will say this; finally and sadly at the same time, we are returning home, to a world of masks and PCT conditions and friendly and talkative people.
