Hi, my name is Mikaela and I’m a 20 years old student from Galicia, Spain. I will be spending my next three months here, in Seinäjoki for my internship as an Higher Technician in Office Director Assistance.
When I first heard about Finland being an option for my Erasmus I was puzzled, but not in a negative way. I personally knew very little about the country so it surprised me for my school to have contact with a company in Seinäjoki to offer us an internship here, but I’m glad they do. My family and friends were very supportive about this choice, and soon we were already looking up information about the city and how would it be like to live here.
Most likely, the first things that show up when you search for info about Finland are the snowy weather and how nice Finnish people are. And what can I say, both are true. I got to Seinäjoki the first week of March, after quite a long journey from my hometown, and I was immediately welcomed with a beautiful white landscape and very kind people who showed me the place and helped me to get all my things to the place I’ll be staying during my time here.
On my first day at work I was introduced to a big part of the team and everyone was friendly and those who were free at the moment even chatted for a bit to get to know a little bit more. As someone who’s really shy and even more when it comes to speaking English, the people here made me feel really comfortable, and seeing others put on the effort to understand each other in a language that’s not our native one gives off a pretty nice feeling.
Both in my residence and workplace they mentioned the possibility of lending me a bike, and even though I was reluctant about the idea (and you have to understand me, if I had never seen snow, how could I imagine riding a bike in the snow without falling at least three times), it wasn’t too long until I saw tons of people riding around the city with their bikes and I realized the amount of care they take on the streets by removing the snow to make it possible and how easy it actually is to move in Seinäjoki (even if you still do it by walking like me).
This experience has just started and I’m thrilled to see how it goes, to explore every corner of this city and to learn everything I can about the people and their culture.