I am committing Finland to memory for future reference.
I pay attention to the way the ice crunches under my boots as I walk to work in the morning sun. The way my neighbours say hello as we pass in the hallway. How my mother smiles when I walk into her flat. How the Finnish language flows into intriguing verb forms. How regular customers in the shop always greet me in the same way. How my best friend texts to ask me if I'm also watching NCIS right now. How the view outside my window is always stunningly beautiful, no matter the weather. How my internet connection is never down (how could it, when I have four different ones?). How I can experience Arctic temperatures when I go out and still walk barefoot in my flat.
How I feel safe - in walking through dark streets in the middle of the night. In placing orders at work and knowing I won't get it wrong. In trusting that my stove won't break down as I cook dinner, or if it does, that I can make a call and someone will fix it before I die of starvation. In knowing that if I get sick someone will take care of me and it won't break my bank. In being able to predict how people think and act. In always having someone nearby to talk to.
In essence, Finland is Home and Safety. So how much is Freedom worth?
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