Why I find freedom in Helsinki

During the last yr being on pause, I’ve been considering so much in regards to the locations I’ve been, the cities I’ve lived in and the folks I’ve encountered. That’s, in spite of everything, the great thing about journey. For me it has by no means been in regards to the act of journey in a doing sense – boarding a flight, packing a suitcase or making ready an inventory of locations I need to see. For me, it has all the time been about connection. About chasing a sense of discovery – by way of locations, folks, and difficult my very own prejudices. So when I was requested to affix the Helsinki Freedom marketing campaign to share why I find freedom in Helsinki, I began to grasp simply how a lot this metropolis has impacted me.

My first go to to Helsinki

I first found Helsinki round my seventeenth birthday when I travelled to Europe for the primary time. I was visiting my cousin in Kiev, Ukraine, and we determined to make a little bit of an journey out of it. We met in Poland and made our means by practice round Japanese Europe earlier than ending the journey at his house simply outdoors town of Kiev. And whereas I flew in and out of Helsinki as my gateway to Europe, I didn’t get to expertise it.

Quick ahead a couple of years later and I correctly visited Helsinki for the primary time. I spent two nights right here earlier than venturing north to Lapland, Finland‘s famed winter vacation spot for viewing the Northern lights. I figured I would simply be in Helsinki for a few nights to recover from my jet lag, however I ended up having fun with town a lot that I pledged to return if I ever obtained the prospect later in life.

Discovering Freedom in Helsinki

You’ve most likely already heard Finland has been named the happiest nation in the world to reside in. However do you know it has gained the title three years in a row? And whereas I’m certain everybody can agree happiness is a subjective time period all of us determine with in a different way, for me happiness has all the time been freedom.

On my subsequent go to to Finland, I spent 4 days in town. There was one thing so alluring that introduced me again that I couldn’t clarify. The air was crisp and the skies had been a delicate shade of blue, however it was deeper than that. Everybody I met gave the impression to be on their very own frequency, co-existing in a metropolis that by no means felt too busy or too pressured. Every thing simply felt prefer it was in a continuing state of circulation.

Why I fell in love with Helsinki

Since being requested to jot down about why I find freedom in Helsinki, I’ve come to some conclusions. Firstly, I actually love this metropolis. Not solely as a gateway to Europe however I might even think about myself residing right here. And it took me writing about why I find freedom in Helsinki to find why precisely.

The work life steadiness is in verify

It’s type of loopy to suppose {that a} world exists the place workers can select their very own working hours (and sure, you guessed it, in Finland you may!) It was solely not too long ago Finland handed a brand new Working Hours Act, which permits workers the freedom to decide on their very own working hours.

There’s no working over time

You already know that job you like but additionally like to hate? In Finland, that simply doesn’t appear to be the case. Working additional time is remarkable in Finland as working hours are capped on the time you’re contracted to work for.

End work on time permits you the freedom to reside

Too typically folks inform me they dislike their job or want they did one thing they get pleasure from. As somebody who has travelled nearly continuous for eight years, I can see why there’s little enchantment to solely taking a couple of weeks off every year! However the freedom of Helsinki permits employees the flexibleness to work hours that swimsuit them, clock off on time and pursue different actions outdoors of labor. I not solely suppose that is necessary however integral to the “sport of life” and having fun with day-after-day of yearly, slightly than wanting ahead to time without work work.

There may be help for innovation and invention

As somebody in their twenties, I’m all the time searching for new cities to reside in or go to. And the cities I go for most are people who make me really feel impressed. In Helsinki, one of many fundamental issues I observed was the help for younger folks in small companies. These are sometimes cafes, bespoke eating places and one-off boutiques. And that’s the final freedom for me. With the ability to pursue no matter dream you’ve got and really feel the help in doing so.

An enormous because of #helsinkifreedom along with #finlandworks and #myhelsinki. You’ll be able to learn extra in regards to the freedom tales of locals in Helsinki right here. I am so grateful for being invited to jot down about my relationship with town of Helsinki. I am so wanting ahead to being again in Finland when journey resumes!