Sweet lessons from Finland

I went on an 8 day trip to Finland and learned some sweet lessons of staying abroad.

• Living in India, we are so used to finding domestic help to carry our luggage, clean our rooms etc. We practically have designated individuals to carry out all of the humdrum tasks. But when I stayed in Finland, I had to laboriously haul my luggage up and down the hotel stairs. I even had to make a 1.5 km walk while dragging my suitcases on a sled in the midst of the snowstorm.
• Speaking of snowstorms — there were countless small ones in the duration of my trip. Beautiful as they looked, revealing my hand from my glove to take a picture would chill my fingers to the bone. My toes were in a perpetual state of numbness.
• Getting out in Finland is a task. You have to properly layer yourself with warm clothes, still be sure for your teeth to start rattling within 15 minutes of stepping out.
• Yes, you do get out on the street in the bitter winter, only to realize that you’re probably the only one on the roads. The lack of hustle bustle could make your solo journey seem haunted.
• There are a number of transport available in the country but at very specific timings and limited intervals. If you literally “miss the bus”, you’ll have to make an excruciatingly expensive taxi journey.
• If you’re lost, you’re lost. You will not find people to ask for directions, inquire for bus/train schedules at kiosks because people — there are none.
• And if you’re a vegetarian — you may be up for a shock when your entrée is made of Salmon fish.

All that said, Finland is a magnificent destination and its mystic beauty will lure you back albeit the hardship :)