Back when I first started learning Finnish, I thought of it as an exciting, intellectual, almost artistic challenge. I wanted to express myself in Finnish and I wondered about how I’d develop the ability to conjugate, inflect and live in Finnish! What I didn’t expect, was that I would learn a lot about myself on the way. I kind of just thought I’d learn Finnish. In the post I reflect on the 7 things I learned about myself and the world through this process.

It’s taken 23 years.

[twenty three years… just breathe that in a bit]

It’s taken me 23 years to ‘get’ a dog. I’ve wanted one since I can remember. In fact, every single birthday wish I remember making in my childhood went like this: …