The Worst Things About Living in Finland

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I know that I have been going on and on about how great Finland is, and it really is. But there are a few things that aren't so great about Finland. Actually, some things really suck. It gets dark too soon, I keep falling on the ice, and I miss food with flavor. Yeah, not everything is as glamorous as you would hope it would be, but it is still pretty darn good. But that still won't stop me from complaining about Finland, so here are the things that I really don't like about living in Finland. 

Find out the best reasons to live in Finland here

Yeah, there's no way to say that nicely. Finland isn't known for its culinary abilities. I'm not gonna lie, I've seen Finns put ketchup on pasta instead of actual sauce. In general, Finnish food isn't that bad. But coming from America where I am used to spicy food, and France where I am used to good food, I have not enjoyed Finnish food that much. It is too bland, there are no spices, and the sausages suck. That's right, you heard me Finland, the sausages suck. But luckily Finland imports a lot of food and they've begun experimenting with other food, so there is plenty to eat in Finland, just at a price. 

I've talked about how wonderful Finnish summers are with the constant light, but that is the complete opposite in the winter time. It is too dark. The sun gets up at about nine or ten in the morning then sets by three in the afternoon. And what sucks is that you are usually in class or at work during the only hours of daylight. This really starts to eat away at you and a lot of people get seasonal depression. While I haven't had seasonal depression, I went into this weird hibernation mode where I didn't do much in the winter months. With all this lack of sunlight, it is no wonder why people go crazy in the summer months. 

Find out more about Finnish summers here

I'm tired of walking like a penguin. In the winter, the snow gets so compacted on the streets that it because ice, kinda like an ice skating rink. And that's not fun when you have to walk to class or work. Of course they throw rocks down and try to grit it as best as possible, but after a while it gets too compacted and they begin to fuse together. And thats how you fall. Everyone has fallen. Most have had bruises, or in my case, contusions due to the ice. So while I was very excited to live in the snow, I quickly learned that with snow comes ice and that's not fun.

With all the lakes come plenty of mosquitos. Too many mosquitos. In Helsinki, mosquitos are not that much of a problem since there's less nature. But once you leave the city center, be prepared to be eaten alive. I have always been a magnet for mosquitos and that's no different in Finland. I really will not miss summer nights full of mosquitos in Finland. 

In Finland you mostly see Finns, and it seems a bit strange to me. Everyone is blonde, blue-eyed, and fairly tall here. So there isn't much visible diversity. The problem is that there are people from different cultures here, they just live in their own neighborhoods and are rarely seen. I guess this doesn't sit well with me because I believe in integrationist approaches to immigration rather than segregation. But Finland is trying to remain liberal in a world where more and more countries are closing their doors. But that hasn't stopped the True Finns Party from spewing hate and trying to block immigration. So even though they're trying, I hope they can try a little harder. 

Because Finland is so far north and right next to Russia, it is a bit hard to get around and have an affordable weekend trip. To go to Russia, you need a visa. And even though the boats to Stockholm and Tallinn are affordable, there are only so many times you can go. Usually it costs quite a lot to go and visit Western or Southern European countries. I miss that about living in France where all the flights were relatively affordable. But part of this is understandable about Finland's geographic location, but it still sucks.