Learning the Ropes--Me, My Life, and This Blog.

        Well, since this is the inaugural post of this blog, I figure we should kick things off by talking about... Well... Me. 

        Who am I? What am I even doing here? Why am I writing this? 

    

       Well, all of that is a bit of a long story. Blogging is something that I have always wanted to get in to--as a hopelessly optimistic would-be writer. I have always wanted to have an outlet to create and discuss with others who are interested in the world in same the way that I am. That at least answers the third question. But, in the interest of having all of this make sense, let's go back to the first. 

 

       My name is Josh. I am an American who has spent his life moving around, and never quite settling in a single place. From being born into a military family with 7 brothers and sisters, to moving around with my father as an ex-soldier-turned-minister. This life of constantly moving around gave me a sense of adventure when it comes to experiencing new places and settings. My latest change of scene was when I moved to Finland in 2018. 

        I knew that I was ready to move somewhere drastically different from the Midwest/East Coast United States lifestyle that I was so used to. I wanted to experience an entirely new culture, language, people, and environment. Although, I admit, I didn't really have any specific place in mind. But I knew that I wanted to move abroad, and so I set about finding a way to do it. That's when I was given the idea to try being an Au Pair. 

 

       After several weeks of mulling it over, I finally made a profile on an Au Pair website. Within days, I had offers from families in Australia, Germany, The UK, and Finland. In the end, the family in Finland won out. I guess you could say that Finland chose me...

        Well, it was only 2 months later, and I was on a plane to Helsinki. From there, I would take a train to my new home for the next year--Tampere. The story from there is long, and we will talk about it as we get to know each other better. At this point I don't even know who out there will be interested in reading this. But let's just say that I fell in love with Finland, with the people I met, with the culture, and more... More that I hope to tell you all about some day as I continue to work on and develop this blog. 

        Now, it's time to answer question number two. 

        These days I spend my time working as a freelance writer and creating content on social media. I make videos about my life as a foreigner living in Finland. I love to make jokes about typical misunderstandings, observations, and things I have learned about Finnish life. Oh, and sauna... Lots and lots of sauna. 

  

      My hope is that through this blog I will be able to give my followers, old and new, a place to really get to know who I am as a person. This blog is where I will take deep dives into my life here in Finland, and explore how manage to navigate my way through interactions and experiences here. You will learn about me, my personal life, my odd views on things, and more... Hopefully. 

   

     So, if you have managed to read this far, thank you! I am excited to get this blog off the ground and see where I am able to take it. Bear with me as I learn, adapt, and talk for a while. 

Kiitos,

-Josh