helsinki week one

It’s been a great week here in Helsinki.

We stayed the first two nights in a beautiful Airbnb in Katajanokka, Helsinki. It’s located east of the city center and right near several piers. We were pretty jet lagged and tired the day we got here, but we went on an evening walk to a restaurant called Holiday where we had some dinner. We accidentally ordered too much food to eat and upon asking for a box and being told they didn’t do that, we felt pretty silly. It’s the small things like that that make us feel very American, haha.

We spent our first few days doing a little bit of sight seeing. We climbed on top of the Amos Rex Museum in Kamppi, went to the Chapel of Silence and visited some of Daniel’s favorite clothing brands: Muji + Makia. Then we went to Daniel’s favorite cafe in Finland, Birgitta, which is close to the water. I had a tempeh burger with potatoes which was fantastic. We each got a glass of rosé and enjoyed the lovely weather while we sat outside. We’ve spent a bit of time at Oodi, the main library in Helsinki. It is so peaceful and has a very beautiful atmosphere to sit and work, read or just hangout. And of course, we’ve found lots of cafes and coffee shops to get pastries and coffee. I really haven’t had a bad cup of coffee, and all of the pastries and bread are so fresh and delicious.

Daniel started his classes at Aalto University Wood Program on Tuesday, September 6. He’s been enjoying diving back into school and being in a learning mindset; very different from the last few years when he’s been working full time in the service industry.

In Daniel’s program, there are 8 other students from all over the world. The only other American is a guy named Adam and he’s here with his wife, Rachel. They are from Nashville as well, just a few streets over from where I lived in Hillsboro Village. How crazy is that?! We met up with them and went to Way Bakery. It was really nice to chat with a couple who has had a similar summer as we’ve had — lots of working and trying to figure out how to move to another country. It will be really neat to meet all of the other attendants, but it’s definitely nice to hang out with new friends who are from the same town as us. :)

Since Daniel and I have been Airbnb hopping for the first few days, we’ve been touring several apartments. In the first week, we have toured places in Lauttasaari, Kannelmäki, Kallio, Vallila and Ullanlina. So far, the places in Kallio and Ullanlina have been my favorite. We’re hoping to start renting a place starting October 1, as we have temporary accommodations throughout the rest of September. It’s been a bit of a doozy trying to find a place so last minute, but due to some Visa details, we weren’t able to start looking until we arrived here in Helsinki. Even though it’s been a bit stressful at times, it’s honestly been really amazing getting to see the city. By the end of September, we’ll have stayed in 4 different places. Getting to see the different neighborhoods and tour people’s homes has given us a better sense of what we’re looking for and things we do or don’t want to compromise on.

Doing all of this together has definitely been a different approach to what it would look like if we were traveling solo — of course, that was an option when Daniel first got accepted to the Wood Program at Aalto back in March. He asked me to come with him if I wanted to, and after some contemplation, I decided to join. So being here together — and doing all of the things that you would do when moving to a new city — has been equally more complicated while also being much easier than it would be if it were just Daniel. We’ve been able to really start learning what it means to support each other and how we want our life/relationship to look like in the future. I’m looking forward to seeing all of the growth that we will encounter when looking back on this time.

We’ve been in the same Airbnb in Töölö for about a week — it’s been lovely! We’re on the 6th floor of the building with some cool street views, but I’m looking forward to our next stay which will be in Espoo, the next city over to the west of Helsinki. We’ll be there for 4 days, then we head back into Helsinki to stay for the last 3 weeks of September in an apartment in Punavuori, which is right in the heart of the city. We’re renting a woman’s apartment who is traveling around France for 3 weeks. It’s honestly turned out to be a really cool experience — getting to meet people and tour apartments. Despite the small stressors and uncertainties, I feel like I’ll be able to look back on these first few weeks here fondly.

If you’re following along with us on Instagram and/or on here, leave a comment and let me know! I know Daniel and I each have a lot of family and friends from all over that are keeping up with us and it would be lovely to hear from you. :)

Kaylee’s Highlights: Enjoying excellent coffee no matter where we go, Birgitta, seeing Adam and Rachel at Way Bakery, the beautiful buildings that line the streets, everywhere is beautiful.

Daniel’s highlights: Going to Muji, the 50-60 degree and sunny weather, dressing up and layering each day when we go out, the ease of taking public transit (trams, metro, busses) the quiet and peaceful vibe of the city.

Our first Airbnb in Katajanokka, Helsinki

The beautiful staircase in the building.

Birgitta, a cafe on the water in Hernesaari

Lunch at Way Bakery with our new friends Adam and Rachel

We were on the second floor of this building in the center!

Daniel with motorcycles
“Hey, that’s a skateboard!”

Leaving Airbnb number one and onto the next one

Our second Airbnb located in Töölö, Helsinki

Coffee and a vegetarian sandwich at Ipi Kulmakuppila in Kallio

Daniel on his first day of the Wood Program 9.6.22

Kaylee BanksSeptember 7, 20224 Comments