Finland, here we come

It was almost three years ago. The whole experience we had when we moved away from Finland and arrived here where we are. Every summer, when it gets closer to July, I find myself thinking back to those days when it all started. A new start, that was it, truly. An adventure, waiting for us. And something we had dreamed of, as well.

Summer means Finland to me. To be exact, July means Finland to me. This is the third time we'll fly to our home country in July. By now, it feels like a tradition - it is the way how we spend July. There would be other ways to spend July, I'm sure. But I can't think of anything else, not for now.

As soon as the plane reaches the ground, I feel like home. Not that I wouldn't feel it here because I do. I really, really do. I really love Vermont, this is a wonderful place. But in Finland, you just get the feeling - because it is the country where you come from. And, to be honest, going there in July, is the best time of the year. At that time it's warm, usually. There is also something else in July that is very typical to Finland - it's like the whole country is closed because most Finns are on holiday (the weather factor, you see). If you need to run errands, it's complicated because many offices are closed. You shouldn't get sick in July - many of the medical care units can be closed. If you want to see a certain doctor - don't even try it in July. Even libraries might have shorter schedules in the summer (even though I think people would have more time to read...). And so on. And so on.

There is one funny thing that belongs very closely to every visit of ours and it is the Finnish food. The Finnish cuisine is not well-known as it doesn't include anything very special (I dare to say), it is more like simple food with simple ideas. It's fresh and it's good but it's not something I would desperately miss on the other side of the globe. True, I'll eat a lot of Finnish rye bread in July. I'll have the German-style quark with fresh berries, taste the delicious Finnish tomatoes, have Finnish-style sausages grilled at the barbecue. I'm sure I'll buy a huge cinnamon bun with an over-priced cup of coffee at a cafe. And yes, I'll drink too much coffee, like the most Finns do. All that I do like a lot but I can surely live without, as well.

I'll meet my Finnish family and many friends of mine who I've missed during the long winter. I'll tell all over again how the year has gone. I'll answer a hundred times to the same questions: How do you like it there? Will you come back to Finland some day? Do you miss Finland? Can your kids still speak Finnish? I'll laugh and tell how everything is good, I'll talk about this weird feeling that I have - not knowing where I'm going next but enjoying every minute of it.

But like the most of the Finns do, we'll also hide in a summer cottage for a while. Just enjoying the nature and wondering the light of the sun in the middle of the night. The land of thousands of lakes really shows its best in those nights. 

My son, a year ago in Finland.

P.S. Please, Mother Nature, give some warm weather to Finland as well. It hasn't looked very good lately. Though, I'm positive: last year the warm weather arrived in Finland with us. 

So, it's time.