Niko moved from East Helsinki to Seinäjoki, and doesn’t regret anything

Niko is from Vuosaari in East Helsinki. He moved to Seinäjoki four years ago to study to become a cultural producer at a university of applied sciences. Settling in Seinäjoki has gone so well that visits to his former hometown have left him puzzled.

-Somehow the vibe here suits me. Not too hectic, Niko Ojanen describes Seinäjoki’s charm.
-I was walking around downtown Helsinki with a friend and realized I was acting like a tourist, he says. Settling on the plains has been helped from the start by Niko’s important hobby, floorball. As soon as he moved to Seinäjoki he began coaching a junior team for Seinäjoen Peliveljet. He himself plays floorball in the second division for ISB Ilmajoki. The sport has also led to work. Niko creates social media content for Peliveljet as a side job.

If anything should be improved in Seinäjoki, it’s public transport. Because of floorball, Niko soon discovered that it’s hard to get to games and practices by public transport.
-I had to buy my own car quite soon. Living near the city center, you can otherwise easily get everywhere by bike or on foot, Niko says. A car has also been needed when Niko has worked as a substitute primary school teacher alongside his studies in Seinäjoki’s elementary schools.

Niko now has a fresh university of applied sciences degree in his pocket and has completed a summer job as the City of Seinäjoki’s summer reporter.
-I do not currently plan to return to Helsinki. I have work, friends and hobbies in Seinäjoki. I’m also considering whether to continue my studies at Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences.

Four years in Seinäjoki hardly show in Niko Ojanen’s speech. Is there any dialect word or expression you’ve learned to use?
-The dialect really hasn’t stuck that well. However, ‘kökkä’ was a word I already knew beforehand.

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