When you meet Carrie Jurvelin (25), you don’t instantly think she’s not originally Finnish. She’s got nice, short red hair and lively eyes. When you take a closer look, then you might notice that maybe her features aren’t the most typical Finnish ones. Everything tells she’s well adjusted. That’s her advice to anyone interested to spend time in another country.

 You can’t expect
the country to change for you. You have to adjust.

Home is where your heart is

Carrie comes from Wisconsin. You might have heard the famous Laura Ingalls stories, where the little Laura lives in Wisconsin Big Woods. The days have changed ever since, and whereas Laura made her way to Missouri and Independence (and finally back to The Big Woods), Carrie has landed firmly as far as on the Finnish ground.

 I have lived in Finland for six years now. It took me five years to get used to living here, but for the last year I’ve felt I’m at home.

The legendary shy Finns

From her longer experience Carrie knows something about Finnish people.

 I wouldn’t say they’re shy. They are private people. It takes some time to get to know them, but when it happens you are friends for a lifetime.

Cooperative
studying

Carrie studies International Business and Administration. In her group there are five foreign students, the rest are Finns. When comparing the American and the Finnish way of studying Carrie recommends that people coming from elsewhere prepare themselves for lots of group work.

Carrie’s two
”careers”

Carrie’s a busy woman. Not only does she study, she’s also a mother of three little children (the oldest being five and half) – and the fourth is on the way. Yet with her husband’s help she finds time for combining the two. In future she wishes to continue her old hobby, photographing.

Arctic specialities

Finland doesn’t amaze the northern woman very much. She enjoys of Finnish delicacies, such as salmon, especially salmon soup, and reindeer meat.

When demanded to reveal something weird she finally admits she doesn’t understand some Finnish people’s hobby: swimming in ice cold water.