First Day in Jyväskylä

This was written September 2nd.

I do not yet have wifi so I am not sure when this will be posted. As I am writing this, it is my second day in Finland. I am still very jet lagged (it’s a ten-hour time difference!) and a little overwhelmed by being here.

Yesterday was exhausting. I had a four-hour flight from Seattle to Chicago, then an eight-hour flight from Chicago to Helsinki. Once I landed in Helsinki, I went through customs and got my suitcase. This all happened much quicker than I was expecting, and I had bought my train tickets to Jyvӓskylӓ beforehand, so I ended up having to wait at the airport for five hours only to sit in the train for another four hours. Combining all this, my entire voyage ended up being a whole 24 hours!

The train ride was smooth with nice views of the Finnish countryside, but I was waaay too tired to appreciate it. What I did see—evergreen trees, water; overcast skies—reminded me a lot of Washington.

The first thing that stood out to me culture-wise was on the train. Compared to the trains I’ve taken back home, this train was dead silent. Nobody was talking to each other: everyone was either on their devices or reading a book. I found it both a bit odd and quite peaceful.

When I got to Jyvӓskylӓ, my tutor Pauliina picked me up and took me to my apartment. It’s pretty bare and in an older building, but still an upgrade from the dorms I previously lived in. I have my own room for the first time as well as a tiny kitchen and a bathroom which I share with a suitemate. I’m a little annoyed that there wasn’t much information about my housing. I had no idea I was going to have a suitemate or a fully equipped-kitchen when I got here. I haven’t met my suitemate yet, but I’m really hoping I get along with her.

Today I woke up at 5:30am, ate breakfast, showered, and watched Netflix for a while. I fell asleep again for a couple hours, then took the bus with Pauliina to the city center. We were meeting Pauliina’s other tutees (is that a word?) for coffee. They were two French exchange students who both seemed nice enough. They guy I met was taken off guard when I spoke to him in French. He said my accent was very good!

The four of us discussed general things about Finnish culture and what really stood out to me was making friends. Pauliina and the French woman we were with were talking about how difficult it is to befriend the Finns. The French woman said it took her two years, and she seemed like a fairly social person! I’m only here for four months and I’m super introverted! Maybe Finland wasn’t the best place to go for my exchange… Well, too late now! I’ll have to make the most of it. Maybe I’ll befriend some fellow exchange students.

During our discussion, I also brought up how the people here are more diverse than I was expecting. Walking around the city center, I saw many Middle Easterners as well as East Asians and a few Africans. I really thought Finland was going to an extremely white country. I was honestly a bit worried that I was going to stand out and feel awkward about being the only brown kid on campus. I know it’s silly, but I’m actually a little relieved.

Another somewhat related cultural note, I like how whenever strangers speak to me they address me in Finnish. They don’t automatically assume by looking at me that I’m a foreigner and I found that very respectful. And just for context, the majority of Finns speak fluent English so it’s not like they address me in Finnish out of pure laziness either. It could be out of habit to address everyone in Finnish, but I like to think it’s because people here don’t make assumptions.

Well that’s enough rambling for one day. I’m hoping that my orientation week goes well and that I make friends. Being alone in a foreign country is giving me some anxiety. Having wi-fi would also really help.