Wanderlust & Other Adventures: Getting Involved & Living Like a Local in Finland

Let me tell you a little something about me that you probably already know: I absolutely adore traveling abroad~!

There's nothing more interesting than going to a brand new place and learning more about the people who live there and trying to live like them yourself. Well, that and help your friends who are from there get a chance to learn more about where they are. Now, before you scoff, tell me how many local landmarks you've gone to in your own home town or state and then we'll talk. We don't think about it, but most of the time we don't actually know or visit all the local landmarks and attractions because we call them tourist traps, and the same goes for people all around the world. Anyways, I digress, I should go ahead and talk about something else before I ramble on forever.

So this whole living like a local thing and making new international friends isn't all that new to me, and after doing it a few times I've learned some tricks. Mainly, don't plan anything. Planning friendships just leads to disaster, you cannot just plan a friendship and expect it to work out. Honestly, my best friendships and my best stories come from either accidents or from complete random happenstance. There will be a time while you're studying abroad or just hanging out where you'll meet someone extremely interesting and you'll have a chance to reach out to them. If you do, well, you might end up with a friend or friends for life!

Living like a local is all about making friends, I'm telling you that seriously. Locals know the best place to drink, they know the best restaurants to go to, and they can tell you where you should just keep away. I went to my first ever Hurling math because a local told me I absolutely had to go, and you know what, I wish I could have gone every single day it was that much fun! 

Make sure to see what events your University is putting on. A couple days into my stay in Ireland the University of Limerick was celebrating a huge birthday and threw a birthday bash for itself. Well, I probably would never have known about it if they had not told me. Also, sometimes your study abroad office in your host institution will put on events just for you, if you get the chance, go to them! These events are a great way to meet your fellow study abroad students, but also local students who are interested in learning about you and where you came from.

It's not all about having fun and running around at the local bars though, being a local and making friends with locals also means learning about the history of the place you are in. Don't understand something? Ask a local! Some people are more than happy and willing to tell you all you need to know about the place you are in, and funnily enough, they'll probably ask you a bunch of questions about where you are from too. 

Mostly I'm just telling you to get out there and be willing to make a few mistakes before you understand. What I hope to gain from living my life abroad like this is a new understanding of myself, of the culture I'm in, and to make a few new friends. Everyone's goals are different, but I think my own goals will impact me a lot. It's not about becoming a new person, but becoming a more rounded person, and I think studying abroad will do just that, round me out for the best.