Column by Maggie Knorr

Hello, my name is Maggie Knorr and I am from the United States, Minnesota specifically. I have just finished my first year in the MSc Economics Program at Hanken. As a foreigner in your midst, I thought I would take this chance to share a list of things, in no particular order, I am looking forward to this summer in Helsinki.

1. Be a tourist. Since moving to Finland before orientation last August, I have barely had the chance to explore Helsinki through a tourist's eyes. I'm looking forward to hosting some guests this summer, and I hope to use that as an opportunity to see new parts of the city. Probably the most embarrassing thing is that I have not yet been to Suomenlinna, so I am going to try to remedy that as soon as possible.

2. Flow Festival. I have never been to a music festival, so where better to start than this summer in Helsinki? Sounds interesting based on my friends’ experiences, and there are a good mix of international and Finnish music represented.

3. Aurinkolahti Beach. I almost made “sunshine” its own entry on this list, but I will combine it with the beach closest to my home here. Winters in Minnesota prepared me for the cold, but I always forget how dark they are here in Finland. I intend on going to the beach as much as possible to replenish my inner sunshine for next winter, and I suggest everyone do the same.

4. Ice Cream. Growing up in the dairy belt of America, there is not enough ice cream in my life here. Although I have recently grown an appetite for the Oatly oat-based ice cream, I have always had an appreciation for the kiosks that pop up during the summer, seemingly from nowhere.

5. Juhannus. I have spent two Midsummers in Finland with my host family from high school, and it is always an enjoyable time. My sister is coming this summer, and I cannot wait to share Finland, sauna, and the midnight sun with her.

6. Reading. One of the tragedies of studying, in my mind, is that I spend so much time reading for classes that I fail to take time to read for fun. This summer I hope to read more books in Finnish and Swedish. I would also like to explore more of Helsinki’s libraries. I hope to finish Bröderna Lejonhjärta, and to finally read Independent People by Halldor Laxness which has been on my shelf for the past two years.

7. Kräftskiva. I am still not entirely sure what this entails, but from everything I hear it is an essential part of the summer. I never say no to a good dinner party. Currently accepting invitations.