Posts tagged " confusion "

How personality profiles (here MBTI) helped me stand in my strengths

January 21st, 2015 Posted by Life, My Story 1 comment

Moving to Finland was quite a jarring experience. For a people person such as myself, I suddenly found myself being unable to relate to or understand people…

Smiling for all the wrong reasons

July 1st, 2014 Posted by Blog 3 comments

When moving abroad, you quickly notice some differences in how people interact from strangers to family. In my case, I noticed that I was the only person smiling at strangers on the street in Tampere, Finland, whereas I’d never even questioned why everyone smiled at each other in Canada. I made a decision in 2010 to change my ways and adapt, but a couple weeks ago, I decided to revisit that decision from a new perspective.

How do you see yourself?

June 10th, 2014 Posted by Blog 1 comment

Foreigner, immigrant, resident, alien, newcomer, stranger, non-Finn, [insert your nationality here], visitor, tourist, expat, minority, migrant, settler, floater, exchange student, finnophile, English speaker, international student, asylum seeker, refugee, outsider, gypsy, wanderer, outlander, nomad, new kid on the block: all words for people who don’t belong.

But what happens when none of these words seem to fit quite right?

The One Place You Can’t Find on a Map

April 29th, 2014 Posted by Local Discovery, Self Discovery, Understanding the Transition 15 comments

Where you lay your head at night. Where your family is. Where you grew up. Where most of your friends are. Where you work. Where you love to be. Where you feel at homeā€¦

The concept of home is ever-fleeting, especially for those of us who may have several homes, or even no exact place to call our own. What makes it even more confusing is that home means different things to different people.

TedXOtaniemiED widget 3

Hi! I’m Irina.

I’m a multibelonger to Finland, Canada and Romania, without ONE language or culture to call my own – I have several. My intention is to be present where I am and find inner peace and harmony where ever life takes me. I’m embracing the gems of the ongoing cultural and linguistic transition which is my life and hope to inspire others interested in doing the same. Click here to find out more!