Catia's experience in Finland

Here I am, back from Finland! I spent two weeks in a small village in northern Finland called Lampissari. As soon as I arrived, I went out with the other volunteers to explore the area around our accommodation.

It was cloudy, gray, and the first impression wasn’t great. I thought to myself: how am I going to stay here for two weeks?

But the next day, the sun came out, and we discovered a magical lake where we could swim. The colors of nature highlighted by the sunlight gave me a lot of courage.

We stayed in a huge former school building, which still had all the rooms filled with objects for activities. There was a library, a gym, lots of musical instruments, and several pianos. Plus, there was a sauna, which unfortunately I didn’t have time to try.

I was part of a group of eleven European volunteers from many parts of Europe. I was much older than most of them, and sometimes the age gap was noticeable. Still, I really enjoyed doing activities with them. We divided into three groups according to the tasks, and my first mission was to go into the forest to cut small trees and clear the trail. I really enjoyed challenging myself with tasks I had never done before, and I discovered I was very capable of facing problems and supporting the group.

On the third day of activities, I went with the school owner and two other girls to do grocery shopping for the group and to see the Finnish sea. I was a little disappointed—it looked like a lake, and everything was very gray.

The next day was the best day of the whole experience: it was my birthday, my 30th! It was very special because the village ladies threw me a surprise party with a cake and some gifts, including a book in Finnish about the village’s history, a pot holder with a blood-filled mosquito drawn on it, and a greeting card with Finnish poems written inside. It was wonderful because people I had met just a few days before made me feel so much warmth and affection, even though we barely knew each other. Humanity is truly precious, no matter how many kilometers separate us!

My fellow volunteers also gave me a birthday card, which was just lovely.

In the following days, activities continued. The whole group was busy renovating the Pavillon, the lakeside building that hosts activities. We repainted it, scraped off old layers, and treated it for mold. Here again, I was surprised by my practical skills and problem-solving abilities. Communication with the locals was almost impossible—they were elderly, didn’t speak English, and we didn’t speak Finnish. But I had the chance to learn some Finnish words, including a beautiful one: kiitos (thank you).

The third activity I was involved in was joining a group to organize English lessons for the village children. It was a challenge to work in a group with unclear roles, but it was interesting to observe group dynamics. We had a day to organize everything, and in the end, we succeeded.

During our free time, we gathered to play cards, try hockey (a sport I discovered and really enjoy), experiment with musical instruments, draw, and spend time with Henny, a young mother with a three-year-old son, who would visit and chat with us.

None of this would have been possible without the amazing food prepared for us by Yussi and his wife, the cooks at the facility. I was the only one who didn’t eat meat, and they always cooked something special just for me. I miss them so much!

The most important thing I learned and became aware of was understanding the difference between authoritarianism and authority. Often people tend to be authoritarian, wanting to command without collaborating. But it is only through cooperation and dialogue that goals are achieved!

We had a wonderful mentor, Erja, who supported us greatly, and excellent tutors, including Mikko, who, despite his quiet demeanor, revealed a heart of gold!

Leaving to go back home was very sad! There were many tears and promises to keep in touch.

This experience has left me eager to do more, to explore new places, and to constantly challenge myself to learn new things through experience. Meeting people from different cultures but with smiles similar to mine is a very special feeling.

I can’t wait to go on another adventure!