- Trying a real Finnish sauna experience for the first time.
- Mailing a postcard from the official Santa Claus Post Office.
- Getting used to bundling up in 5 layers of clothes during the chilly winter months.
- Taking a ferry ride anywhere, either a short 15-minute trek or an overnight journey.
- Eating lunch at the Old Market Hall in Helsinki.
- Planning to visit in the summer when temperatures don’t have a minus sign in front of them.
- Flying in the luxurious Finnair Business Class to Helsinki.
- Sampling the many sweets and pastries that the Finns seem to love so much.
- Discovering that there really is nothing better than being alone with your thoughts in the vast forests of Finland.
- Being thankful that you can always find the national pastry of Finland, the Korvapuusti, anywhere you go.
- Learning a few words of Finnish, albeit with horrible pronunciation.
- Touring Helsinki’s historic district, including the beautiful Helsinki Cathedral.
- Spending a day at the UNESCO Fortress of Suomenlinna site near Helsinki.
- Flying around Finland with ease thanks to the Finnair network.
- Trekking out to see the unusual Sibelius Monument.
- Snowmobiling through frozen bogs and woods.
- Learning how to effectively stomp your boots when entering a house to get all of the snow off.
- How easy it is to visit other destinations like Sweden and Estonia.
- Learning more about the country’s history at the National Museum of Finland.
- Hopefully seeing the Northern Lights.
- In the summer, making sure to spend some time on one of the country’s many lakes.
- Eating and enjoying more reindeer meat than I ever thought possible.
- Wandering through some of Helsinki’s less visited districts, like the fashion and design neighborhoods.
- Pampering myself at the new luxury design hotel, the Lilla Roberts.
- Learning to love the quirky northern city of Rovaniemi.
- Quickly learning that one visit is not enough to really experience this amazing country.
- Getting lost in the works at the Ateneum Art Museum.
- Meeting Santa Claus in Rovaniemi.
- Discovering some of the country’s trendy new restaurants, inspired by traditional cuisine.
- Going on a Helsinki Food Tour with Happy Guide Helsinki.
- Attempting to like what is decidedly an acquired taste, the much beloved salmiakki licorice.
- Getting even more off the beaten path by heading far north into the heart of Finnish Lapland.
- Walking along Esplanadi Park on a nice day in Helsinki.
- The Finnish love of coffee.
- Visiting the fascinating Arktikum Museum in Rovaniemi.
- Getting used to the sharp Finnish sense of humor and irony.
- Experiencing Finland’s greatest treasure, its nature, at the Finnish Nature Center Haltia in Espoo.
- Taking a trip to Tallinn in Estonia for the day or weekend.
- Admiring the art deco design of Helsinki’s main railway station.
- Going on a dog sled tour through the snowy woods.
- Eating as much Fazer chocolate as I can handle.
- Taking a last minute sauna at the Finnair lounge in the Helsinki airport.
