Why We Moved to Finland
In 2020, life took a dramatic turn for us. We made the decision to pack up everything—our belongings, our dreams, and even our cat and dog—and start fresh in Finland. Here's the story of how and why we left Germany to build a new life in the wilderness of Northern Karelia.
A Longtime Dream
The idea of moving abroad wasn’t new to us. We had even consulted an immigration expert about relocating to Canada, drawn by its vast nature, snowy winters, and low population density. But moving outside the EU turned out to be a bureaucratic maze, and with the clock ticking, we looked closer to home. Finland, with its pristine forests, clean air, abundant lakes, and welcoming homesteading opportunities, became the clear choice—the next best thing to our Canadian dream. (Except for the language. We grown ups are having a hard time learning Finnish but luckily the kids really picked it up fast by visiting the local kindergarten and school).
The Push and the Pull
Two forces propelled us forward: the pull of Finland's natural beauty, its homogenous high-trust society, low-population density and self-sufficiency potential, and the push away from the increasing restrictions and pressures we felt in Germany. The pandemic highlighted many of the challenges we were facing: Lockdowns, irrational use of masks everywhere, restricted movement, borders closing fast and forced vaccinations on the horizon. Couple that with mandatory public school and you have an overreaching government that could potentially cost us a fortune in legal battles for not complying with the madness. With two young kids, we realized staying wasn't an option.
Finland offered us freedom, space, and the possibility of homeschooling if needed. It felt like a place where we could build a safer, healthier, and more grounded life. Also at the time of our decision making, Finland was not yet a NATO member which was a very compelling reason to move there. Unfortunately, this has changed at the writing of this post.
The Move
Once the decision was made, things moved fast. We sold our house in just four months, arranged to rent a small cabin (a Mökki) near Tampere, and packed everything into a car and trailer. It wasn’t easy—especially the night before we left. I spent hours loading the trailer in the pouring rain, carefully weighing every box to avoid exceeding the trailer's weight limit and playing tetris to distribute it all evenly. Soaking wet and exhausted, I felt like I was living my most miserable moment.
But the next day, with our kids, cat, and dog stuffed in our small Corolla and all our stuff in tow, we drove to Travemünde, boarded the ferry, and three days later, on September 29, 2020, we arrived in Finland.
Finding Home
While we were relieved to have made it, our future still felt uncertain. We could only stay in the rented Mökki for three months, so we immediately started searching for a permanent home. Out of the entire country, only two properties fit our homesteading criteria. One was in Polvijärvi, Northern Karelia.
When we arrived to view it, everything clicked. The kids jumped out of the car and began playing in the yard, and even the dog seemed at ease. We spent time inspecting the house and land, but in our hearts, the decision was already made. This was it—the place that had been waiting for us.
Four Years Later
Now, more than four years have passed since that moment. Our life here is not without its challenges, but we have no regrets. Finland has become home in every sense of the word.
We’re excited to share more about our journey and life here on this blog, from homesteading adventures to professional milestones. This is just the beginning of a new chapter, and we hope you’ll follow along.
