Moving to Finland | What Was I Thinking?

In September 2023 I moved to a hundred-year old log-framed house set on 5 acres of land in southwest Finland. What made me move there? And how do I feel about the move just two months later? Will this be my forever home?
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[@jesseh4291]

As a Finn, first of all, welcome! The fact that Finns are the happiest country has more to do with security of life, than actual "happiness". We have universal healthcare, free education and a good financial aid for the people who become unemployed. So the happiness comes from security, not "happiness" as people think of it. If you are looking for laughter and smiles, you are more likely to find it in other countries.

[@user-hr9fc9bp3s]

Hahahaha nice comment😁👍I met many drunks from Finland in Estonia Jesseh, visiting Taalin for the weekend via the beer ferry...lots of happy and smiley drunks there! 🤣😂🤣😁👍

[@butterflies655]

​@@user-hr9fc9bp3sWatch the statistics in the video "Country alcohol consumption comparison." The highest alcohol consumption countries in Europe are: The 1st Moldova.The 2nd Lithuania. The 3rd Chechia and the 4th Germany. For instance in Europe RUSSIA, Latvia, Estonia, Hungary, Romania, Belarus Poland Portugal, Slovakia Slovenia Andorra, UK, Ireland, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Austria, Cypros etc. are ahead of Finland. Finland's alcohol consumption has dropped drastically in 10 years and is going down all the time. Stop those lies!

[@bugrist]

@@butterflies655 I'm swiss and I can say the same, if you are looking for genuine happiness forget about Switzerland. And I say this as a poor but happy person. And the alcohol is a plague here, tabagism too.

[@CaroleFrenchFox]

Wowww, I didn't know this about Finland. I had heard about the Baby boxes that get given to new mothers/mothers to be, with all the basics to get you started etc.... but had no idea about the rest. It's wonderful to hear there are some governments who care for their population.

[@thomasbarchen]

I hear the American dream is alive in Finland. 😮

[@sket179]

It's not about happiness, the researchers are just reluctant on changing the title to something less marketable. It's actually measuring contentment. We are content of our safety nets, appreciation of children, enough money though no riches, healthy food, right to roam etc.

[@teppo9585]

Appreciation of children you say? Weren´t children in schools prompted to wear those idiotic masks for no reason just recently? And take those harmful jabs? And safety nets? Hmmm I don´t think you´ve had to rely on those safety nets yourself to have that opinion. Yeah I think you live in Lala land.

[@sket179]

Friends? Sure. Just need to get acquainted with your neighbours and be kind to them, and find your niche/passion and meet people there. Or work or school.

[@GorGob]

@@mariebussinger6565 This is like japan people keep to themselves and family.

[@clarereynolds9607]

Sounds wonderful !

[@SIERRATREES]

Yes to that @@clarereynolds9607

[@nuodso]

Snow compensates for the lack of light a lot in my opinion. It's so interesting that you'd associate Finland with Lapland, whereas we Finns also think of Lapland as a tourist destination.

[@Zakru]

Big vouch for snow. Even in just starlight, snow brings out many features in your surroundings. Or if you're near a city, light pollution :D (or, well, town, I don't think Finland really has "cities" on a global scale)

[@wille84fin]

And we who live in Lapland associate southern Finland as a tourist destination. Edit: can't speak for everyone of course, just for the tiny bubble i live in.

[@realharrykane2063]

@@wille84finLapland gets as many tourists as south Finland lol

[@wille84fin]

@@realharrykane2063 Might be true on Lapland overall.

[@poweredbymoonlight9869]

The snow reflects light well so on gray days it's still feels more light outside with snow during day than any gray day without snow any part of the year.

[@mikehall6608]

I'm a Brit and moved to Finland 5 years ago. Finnish is tough, but not impossible to learn, as long as you put the effort in to study it. At first the words are quite difficult to learn and picking them out from other people's conversations was difficult, but over time it gets easier and you'll start to pick up vocabulary much quicker. The grammar is difficult to negotiate, but again it's basically just a set of rules that you have to learn. The hardest thing about Finnish is actually speaking it, that's personally my biggest downfall. To improve speaking it and recalling words and grammar on the fly you need to go out and practise it. You need to think in Finnish, and force yourself to speak Finnish in shops, cafes, and all the various places you go - if you revert to English too readily then learning to speak Finnish will be much slower. You can talk to yourself in your head in Finnish, that's a good way to practise in your day to day life, and that's without the embarrassment of looking foolish when you've forgotten the word for something simple. Also, living out in the sticks, no ones going to hear you if you speak it audibly as well, that would help your muscle memory learn the words/ pronunciations. My advice for when you're out and about would be to ditch English, not compare Finnish to English in any way. Instead of thinking of what you would say in English and then wondering how to translate that in your head (believe me you'll be stood there like a lemon with cogs turning in your head and the other person will have switched to English already), you need to come straight out with Finnish words, even if it's completely wrong grammar, or not quite the right word form, try your hardest to get the meaning across somehow, with gestures, or with pictures on your phone (you can search those in English :) ). Just try to make the best of all of those situations, because each one is a learning opportunity - if you go straight in with English, you'll have wasted an opportunity. Memorise what you want to ask/ say beforehand and just go for it :). If you don't understand exactly what has been said back to you, don't worry, just try your best to pick out some of the words you do know - and eventually you'll get used to hearing them being said, so much so that the words you don't know yet stand out even more from the speech, which makes learning them, or asking what they mean even easier :). Quite often, just a few words from the sentence is all you need to get the gist - but be prepared, quite often it's not, that's ok though, failing is all part of learning :). My final tip, this was only something small, but had a big impact on my learning, is to learn puhekieli ("spoken language" or spoken Finnish) from the beginning. This is something I didn't do and left it out of my learning for far too long. Also, the courses I took didn't include this very much at all. Basically there's a difference between written Finnish "kirjakieli" and spoken Finnish "puhekieli", they aren't massive differences, and most of the vocab is the same, but a lot of the most common words are shortened. These shortenings make the language easier to speak and less of a mouth-full (quite similar to I'm, they're, how're, in English, but Finnish has more), and also if you don't learn the spoken Finnish versions of words and sentences, you won't have a bloody clue what anyone's saying to you, which is really frustrating (at least that's what I found) - it's much easier following someone's speech if you know the puhekieli. Written Finnish is used most of the time when in writing - exceptions being social media chats, texting, and it being used for effect in literature/ magazines/ marketing etc. Anyway, good luck with your first winter - it has come quite early this year, so straight in at the deep end - sounds like you'll have a lot of snow to clear from your driveway etc. It'll be gone in about mid April :).

[@mikehall6608]

Or what you could do is live in Swedish speaking Finland and learn Swedish instead. As Angela speaks German, and Swedish is more closely related than Finnish and might be easier to pick up :)

[@franknada8235]

His theory of Finns learning English "because English is so easy in comparison to Finnish" was hilarious. And obviously wrong. Finnish is very different from Germanic and Latin languages which makes learning more difficult _both ways_ . But Finns are used to Swedish and German so there is that bridge. The biggest reason by far is the combination that English is taught everywhere as it is treated as Lingua Franca of this age, AND TV&movies are so saturated with English, so there's the reasons.

[@judithcressey1682]

Mossy Bottom in Finland to tell them where they go wrong.

[@backstagecam5082]

What a wonderful little essay you wrote! White text on black backgound is hard to my eyes, but I made it! Such a beautiful English lesson with an interesting theme (atleast for a Finn). Thank you, Mike! "living out in the sticks" - absolutely hilarious!

[@cherlgolja5402]

Really, write a book 📖

[@SB-mm9zh]

Hi Daniel, Irish introvert here. I think you did the right thing.and can fully understand why you moved. Wishing you, Angela and your daughter a wonderful life in Finland.

[@bekabeka71]

And why you think he moved?

[@Gollumfili]

The house prices are ridiculous.

[@SB-mm9zh]

I think he explained why he moved didn't he?!@@bekabeka71

[@drts6955]

@@Gollumfili did he not have a house?

[@dechannigan2980]

Electricity prices

[@kelkantupa8199]

Welcome to Finland! 🇫🇮 As a fellow old loghouse renovator, please consider not to change old windows, but to restore them. In Turku you can find knowledge of old loghouses from Rakennusperinteen Ystävät and in Parainen from Curatio (Curatio has some very good KZbin-videos, but not sure if they can be translated in english). Old loghouse is a treasure, you just need to know how to keep it breathing. 🤩

[@ByHisGrace-]

Such great advice 😊

[@v_hovila]

Ryhmä Perinnerakentajat on hyvä. You can also use water soluable glue paper on top of the gaps between window and it's frame. It stops the draft. See liimapaperi.

[@hubertinepankhurst1161]

You can another window like done in Canada, to preserve outside original window and have maximal insulation, like done in Canada.

[@jessenic]

A common mistake is to replace the windows and not make any new air intakes. The old drafty windows have been a natural air intake and that has kept the air quality good, when you replace them with tightly sealed windows the air inside might not be flowing enough.

[@MADBATTERY]

Seconded, Im renovating an old homestead on the west coast of Finland. Renovate those windows! If you have any questions I'm more than willing to help you in any way I can. Welcome to Finland! 🎉

[@Itslvle]

As a Finn and an MD, some thoughts. Firstly, welcome. Our ability to speak English fairly well is mostly due to our TV-programs not being dubbed but subtitled instead. When it comes to being the happiest country in the world, we all get that wry smile because that's not really what the index measures. It's rather a being-content or more accurately have-the-least-societal-problems index. Happy is not something we would ascribe ourselves. Being grumpy, keeping our social distance and wallowing in the darkness of Autumn while not having an absolutely corrupt ultra-capitalistic society, now that we can all agree on. But happy, get outta here! Being a GP in the general vicinity of Turku, I can at least say that your wife will have less of a dismal pay and working conditions compared to the UK, though I have no idea how Ireland fares. And there's much less useless hierarchy as well. And a useful thing to note, we don't really understand the American concept of "Hello how are you?". We might answer "Well since you asked, my wife just died". If you hate useless small talk that serves no actual purpose, you'll probably feel quite at home. Though this has the flip side of making connections with people more difficult as we're not all about that "Hey how's it going let's go to a party haha I don't know or like you but here we are". Hope you folks fare well here. Like any place, nothing is perfect, but at least the systemic problems are quite lessened here, hence the "happiest" nation.

[@pluggedfinn-bj3hn]

Hello, and welcome to Finland! I'd like to say that no, we don't see English as an "easy" language to learn compared to Finnish, as we've learnt Finnish as babies. Our good English is more thanks our education system combined with the fact that our small country doesn't produce as much entertainment, so we start watching TV shows etc. in English with subtitles pretty much as soon as we can read. On top of now with internet we interact in English with other people all the time. English has many things Finns are not familiar with. Articles, irregular verbs (Finnish has only a few), gendered pronouns, the randomness of how to pronounce/spell a word... But we simply see it as a necessity to communicate with everyone outside Finland and to consume entertainment be it on KZbin, movies or TV/Netflix that we learn it through the exposure.

[@juhakotimaa]

And Finland has been at the forefront of digitaliztion and internetization of the society since the 90s. Look at pretty any platform on the internet where you have young people, and there is always an overrepresentation of Finns. But yes, media consumption plays a huge role.

[@olgapetrova6415]

As a person, who learned English as a foreign language up to level C1 and is learning Finnish now for several months, I can say that Finnish language is way more harder to learn. Not sure that I will ever know it as good as I know English...

[@pluggedfinn-bj3hn]

@@olgapetrova6415 Can I ask what is your native language? As you probably know, a big reason for Finnish being so hard to learn is because it's from another language family from most other languages. So yeah, it'll take a lot of work to learn it as an adult, but it's mostly because you need to twist your mind to understand how some things work. There's also significant difference between formal and casual Finnish which makes a bit tough for new speakers from what I've heard.

[@olgapetrova6415]

@@pluggedfinn-bj3hn My native language is Russian. It also has cases, as Finnish (I think they called 'sijat'), so it's also very difficult to learn, as they say. Of course, as you said, people learn their native language in a very natural way as babies. I learned a little bit of Norvegian, it is also quite simple, comparing to non-Roman languages. Sijat in Finnish just frighten me, it 100% percent not enough to know the words, you need to understand all the sijat and remember all the exclusions. My mother language is Mari, its small nationality in Russia, the Mari language is of Finno-Ugric languages, but I can't speak it, only understand very little. Maybe knowing it could help me with learning Finnish.

[@pluggedfinn-bj3hn]

@@olgapetrova6415 Yeah, cases are hard, but you getting them wrong won't necessarily cause any misunderstanding in most situations. There are some fun examples of them changing the meaning significantly, but from the context most people will understand what you meant. Getting to actively speak the language and slowly learn through that is also important, can say that for me I never managed to learn swedish despite it being mandatory here because I never used it anywhere but in classroom.

[@Peg06]

Congratulations! New baby, new house, new country! I can see it now: you get Angela off to work, strap Juno to your back and go out to work the land. And the most important part: SANTA IS YOUR NEIGHBOR!!!

[@kathryntourunen5469]

Hey, Daniel, Angela and Juno ! Myself and my husband have been following your channel for a few years now and it was such a surprise to see you’ve moved to Finland ! We actually live in Kuopio , Eastern Finland so you’re kind of our ‘neighbor’ now - welcome to Suomi ! I’m British and my husband is Finnish and if you need help with anything please let us know … my husband has built/renovated many houses and is very happy to help or give you advice if you need , especially with heating systems and Finnish building standards.

[@lesleyharris525]

That's very kind of you, ❤

[@juliahaynie764]

Such a generous offer! I hope they take you up on it!

[@webcore2]

Best wishes to you Daniel, Angela, Juno and farewell old friend Moss. Since my heart surgery in 2020 I have been following your channel and others relating to self-sufficient lifestyles, and recently been wondering what had happened to you. Meantime, my wife and I have relocated - not to a remote location or to another country, but to suburban Surbiton and following the 1970s TV dream of Tom and Barbara. Not quite the extremes of your chosen lifestyle, but we shall continue to explore self-sufficiency in all forms. We are retired architect and garden designer with house and garden as our project for life. It will be interesting to compare how we adapt to our different environments.

[@goingfinn]

Welcome to Finland! As an Englishman who moved to Finland 16 years ago, I can say that despite challenges along the way, it was a good decision. I've made some very good friends here and have enjoyed the Finnish culture. Spent most of my time in Turku and found people there to be friendly and welcoming. Now enjoying a more country life in an older house with a bit of land around it. Long dark winters take a bit of getting used to but the summers are great. Best of luck!

[@stevewilson6390]

Never been to Finland but I've met Finnish people on holiday and I must say the Finns are such nice people, Educated,approachable and welcoming. I remember my wife, son and I talking to a couple and their children in a restaurant I asked where in the UK they lived because I couldn't detect an accent, they spoke such perfect English. We are Finnish and we've never been to England was the reply, so so impressed.

[@arcabuz]

Approachable?, you’re joking right?, you have no idea.

[@EerikRed]

​@@arcabuzOkey Hater..😂

[@EerikRed]

@@arcabuz And you came here just to tell that 🤣 I pity you dude.. I give you a free advice, try to find something what makes you happy, it's not worth it to live in such a agony.

[@EerikRed]

@@arcabuz Maybe internet ain't just for you buddy, dude is gonna get a real mental breakdown when He meets a real troll..😂

[@arcabuz]

@@EerikRed it was a pleasure, Erik Norman

[@katharinawinter3788]

Since I visited Finland in 1978 and 1980 I am in love with this country. Don't let yourselves get scared by the language. It's hard, but not as hard as people make believe. And as you already found out a lot of Finns know English and German and are friendly enough to speak it.

[@LegendNinja41]

how many Finns know German (at a basic level) if you would have to guess?

[@richardbas2948]

​@@LegendNinja41Keep it a bit positive! Don't put well willing people down! I'm sure you're not perfect yourself!

[@lesleysmith8300]

Lovely to see the change. I was totally surprised but pleased for you and your family. Looking forward to seeing what you do there. Thanks for sharing. 🙂

[@keepcreationprocess]

​​@@soffsoff6574I really admire Finnish --- and I must say and admitI hate and looking down 👎 on all the other nationalities --- I can prove this. I don t say this lightly......I don t say it lightly when I mean I DISRESPECT you. I have evidence.

[@LegendNinja41]

@@richardbas2948 wasn't meant in a negative light, i'm german and surprised to read that a lot of Finns know german.

[@Mystaries]

How wonderful Daniel. Becoming a father. Congratulations to you & Angela. Brought a tear I must say. Finland is such a beautiful country. My son worked there for a few years. Introvert & snow lover here. The feeling of being surrounded by trees & snow was so special when I visited. Looking forward to following your new adventure into fatherhood & Moominland. Very happy for you🙏❤️

[@carolynellis387]

I was only wondering yesterday, yes literally yesterday, what you were up to and how you all were How lovely to see you and know you're settling down to a completely different way of life. So many congratulations on this amazing journey with a wonderful daughter Juno and this is your new life. I'm sure you will be toasty warm in no time at all, given your creativity all will be well Much love ❤️ thanks for your update Daniel Angela Juno

[@SatumainenOlento]

I am a Finn living in Ireland. This is awesome content for me for so many reasons! 😅 For last 16 years I have been telling to all my friends in Ireland that they should just get an upgrade in life security and move to Finland 😅 But then...I am quite a hypocrite as I still plan to live in Ireland 😅 You will be fine with the cold in winter if you have lived in Ireland. Humidity makes such a difference and my experience is that Ireland is much colder country than southern Finland! 🙃 You just need to chop chop chop wood like a crazy person now!!! Or buy it! You will be burning much more than you realise. Also, the snow work will be quite a big job soon. You need to open the road to a mainroad so Angela can go to do her studies. But neighbours might be helping you out there. (There is machines for chopping wood and blowing the snow.)

[@SatumainenOlento]

Actually...living 2km from the coast...I doubt that you will see much snow 😁 But it can still go down to -30 C for some weeks in January/February. But you will be fine. Surprising fine! 🥰❤

[@joniharkonen1460]

the choppin the wood is axe.

[@lanternlanguages-ielts4158]

Finland is an excellent choice for Irish struggling with the cost of living crisis.

[@brianc939]

Will people just live fuking life. All this bullshit about living off land etc. Idiots

[@brooksstudiosgarden1615]

I did in fact start watching your videos because of my love for Ireland and dogs. Moss’s passing was heartbreaking and then your move away from Ireland made me even more sad but I’m excited about your new home and land. Living in the caravan for so long must have been hard and now you have a whole house, 5 acres of land and a family! I’m very happy for you and can’t wait for new videos. I’m also hoping to move to Ireland in 2024 (fingers crossed) & one of my plans is to start a small flower farm. Thanks for all the inspiration! Here’s to lots of new beginnings in 2024! 🎉

[@ximono]

Welcome to the Nordics! I know some of what you're faced with in that old log cabin, as I'm writing this from inside a 200+ years old one in Norway. It's perfectly cosy now, but it did take a lot of work, and some money. From my experience, and what experts in traditional houses have taught me, you can save a lot of money by prioritizing correctly. Many spend too much money on too drastic changes that only end up causing rot and mold, costing even more money to fix (by undoing the costly mistake). So do seek out reknowned experts in _traditional_ houses (not modern ones, even if they claim they have experience with old houses!). We have an organization for this in Norway as well as county-level advisors for owners of traditional buildings, and a ton of great resources. Generally, the advice I've received and followed is to prioritize and do the following (I'm sharing this with anyone interested who comes across this): 1. Stop drafts. This is the cheapest, easiest and most effective thing you can do. Find drafts with a flame, tracing it along walls, looking for where it flickers. The goal is no flickering. Take off skirting boards and window trims (inside), fill the gaps with wool or some natural insulation material, cut strips of "Tyvek" and staple it across the lengths of the gaps. Replace trims/boards. Finally use sealing strips on the inside of your window and door frames. I prefer modern ones from Tesa, but you can also use linen or wool. 2. DON'T "upgrade" your windows if they're very old! You'll only be downgrading. 100 year old windows will last another 100 years and more, while new windows have an expected lifetime of only 20-ish years before they rot. You could upgrade the glass to a more energy efficient one, but you will often sacrifice the character of the house if the glass is handmade and beautiful. They say the eyes are the window into the soul, and the windows _are_ the eyes of the house. Old houses often lose their "soul" after window upgrades, it's a very common and tragic mistake. Expensive too. Luckily there is a good alternative. Keep the outer windows as they are, restore them using traditional techniques and paints (new plastic based paints or caulks can cause rot), and instead replace the glass of the _inner_ windows with energy glass. (Make inner windows if you don't have that, but most old houses do.) Best of borth worlds, and good insulation value in total. (Some extra tips: The paint towards the inside should be more impermeable than the paint towards the outside. A bit counter-intuitive, but water vapour from inside seeks towards the cold, and this slows down water vapor and allows it to exit the outer layer. Also, make sure the inner windows are 100% airtight to prevent condensation. If that's not enough, a professional can drill small holes in the outer frame to let the vapours out. Often small gaps will take care of it. So seal the inside, not on the outside.) 3. Do insulate towards the loft and cellar, but be extra careful as you risk an outbreak of wood-rotting fungus. By insulating towards a cold space, the heat that would otherwise dry it out doesn't reach it, making it colder and wetter. You may or may not need to insulate the outer walls. If you do, you may not need to make them thicker (and the house uglier). This is an area where I'd definitely rely on experts in traditional buildings, not modern ones. Using modern insulation materials in old houses is very risky business. 4. Use traditional materials and techniques wherever you can. This especially applies to paints, caulks, mortars and insulation. When you replace something, try to replace it "like for like" in terms of material and quality. Remember, today's quality is shit compared to a hundred years ago, especially timber. Local sawmills can help you out though. As for paints, stay the h*ll away from modern paints, the largest source of microplastics in the ocean. It's also just stupid to seal your house in plastic, causing your sidings to rot when vapour inevitably pushes out towards the cold side. Linseed oil based paints cost _about_ the same per m2, but require knowledge and correct technique, and takes more time to apply. But done correctly, it lasts much longer than plastic paints, up to 30 years according to experienced professional painters. It's a superior paint in many aspects, though not shiny like plastic. 5. In general, do the smallest and less drastic tasks first, do them in turn and evaluate as you go. Often, relatively little is needed to acheive a good comfort of living, saving you LOTS of money (and the risk of your house rotting). Take good care of your house, and it will stand for another 100 years and more! You can do much of the work yourself, and all of what I've mentioned can be learned and done by amateurs (who know what they're doing). I'm fixing windows and painting and insulating my house myself, having taken courses and studied available resources. It's great fun, and very rewarding! But I always consult with advisors before I start, and professionals during the project. I think that's essential. It's very easy to mess up an old house if you don't know what you're doing, regardless of good intentions. I wish you all the best! It looks like a lovely house :)

[@ByHisGrace-]

Such great advice and I'll refer to it all myself should I be able to make the move to Finland myself one day 😊

[@margaretmlydon6910]

You are so helpful. Some fantastic tips there. 👏 👏

[@purplerabbit7190]

I would reconsider NATO is a safe option. I would trust Russia more. Then I wear a tin hat

[@saraheschweiler4939]

What an excellent list!😀Thank you bunches !🌿💐🌿🙏🌿💐🌿 I live in Minnesota, USA, where our winters are similar to Finnish winters, & my home will be 100 years old next year. Love the beautiful old windows with wavy glass! We've been remodeling, though, & now, as of this year,, our attic now has spray-foam insulation & sheet-rock on the ceilings & walls, & after reading your comments, I really wish we had not followed the General Contractor's advice to use the spray foam ( he said it was the most affordable insulation 😔), but now I worry that our cedar-shake roof cannot 'breathe' properly....feeling very sad about that...hoping it will be ok for many years to come....🤔

[@richardsimms251]

Great comments! Thank you. RS. Canada

[@EmmiIgnatius]

A heartfelt welcome to Finland, Mossy! 🇫🇮 Despite us Finns being introverted and respectful of one's privacy, we are generally trustworthy, welcoming and willing to lend a hand. I live on the southwestern border of Satakunta region, at appr. 70 minutes' car ride distance from Turku, myself! I'd love to give you, Angela and baby Juno a walking tour around Old Rauma, a Unesco World Heritage site, if you wish to visit Rauma some future time! Excitedly looking forward to hearing from your next projects!

[@v_hovila]

Good idea! Old Rauma is very beautiful!

[@lovemotherearth3805]

What a beautiful welcome 🙏 to a new family 😊hope to see the video of the visit ❤

[@CaptainZG]

I worked with people/companies from Finland and visited many times. Love it! Rauma, Savonlina, Turku, Helsinki etc....all those cities and regions and generally all countryside is just beautiful. Coming from Canada I was not at all bothered by short winter days and/or snow....who knows I might move there one day as well...if they let me 😊

[@judyengle7728]

Good video

[@mariebussinger6565]

Respect of privacy says it all. Not enough of it in some places.

[@logarithmic7]

I'm a western Canadian and Finland would have been my first choice!!! Smart move, I"m sure you will have a very happy life there. Congratulations and best wishes to you and your family.

[@johnnyboy7534]

I’m Finnish and I must say that I adore British Columbia.

[@Olematonnimi]

People need to not import their political opinions here.

[@solared]

@@Olematonnimipolitics is a major factor in deciding where you want to live.

[@seaweedandeatit]

Mossy Bottom - Welcome to Finland. I lived and worker in the North for 6 months in Health care. I LOVED EVERY minute of my stay. The Finnish folk are fantastic. I envy you masses and wish I could go back and live there. Enjoy your time, your life, the folk you meet there, everything about Finland, it may take a wee while to understand them but they are very accepting. I could go on because they are great folk in every way. Enjoy :)

[@idakarikoski]

Welcome to Finland! Tervetuloa ❤ I hope you will build beautiful life here. I also live in the Finnish countryside, near the coast, half an hour away from Turku. Maybe we are neighbours 😅 Me and my partner have a rental house here, but we are dreaming of our own property and self-sufficiency. If you need any help from native finnish speakers, we are here 😇

[@brandyjean7015]

How kind!

[@caprifolia1]

Welcome to Finland! We Finns love people who understand and value nature. Warm greetings from Helsinki.

[@lodgehousestudio6219]

Wow what lovely finish hospitality.

[@heidi1651]

Funny to think about how many Finnish viewers he might actually already have! I'm Finnish American!

[@ruut1448]

Saying this as a Finn, when you live close to Turku, you probably wont have 2-3 months of snow. Thats only in the "best" winters, its possible that some winters you won't have almost any! In my opinion, snow makes the winters seem not so dark, but of course it's a matter of getting used to

[@Karjis]

Yeap, one of the warmest areas in Finland is to be in south-west. Basically it does not matter if you travel east or north, it gets cold in a same rate per 100km except right at the coast. Basically temperature lines on a map are drawn in 45deg angle if anyoner understands what am I trying to say 😂.

[@iiropohjaa5131]

Jos haluaa lumisia talvia kannattaa muuttaa Jämsä-Keuruu-JKL alueelle. Eikä halua kovin kauas isommista kaupungeista.

[@Perlenbraut]

Hi Daniel! Welcome to Finland! I emigrated with my husband and our 3 (almost grown up) children from Germany to Finland last year. Since summer 2022 we have been living in North Karelia on a 6-hectare farm with forest and are also building a self-sufficient life here. We have now had our first summer of vegetable growing and it was a good year for the first time. But it will still be a long process until we can provide ourselves with fruit and vegetables throughout the winter - it's definitely a big difference to Germany when the growing season here is so short! But we are adapting better and better and by 2024 I will have gained some experience and hope to be able to implement some things even better. I'm excited to see what the coming gardening year will be like and wish you all the best and every success with your projects! Bye, Conni

[@PorkySubstrate]

I did this also. There is a lot to learn about how those houses are built as the construction is completely different from a typical Irish or British brick house. If the house is wood all the way through, be mindful of any attempts that have been made to modernise it in the past. Remove plastic flooring (get the glue tested for asbestos), don't use latex paint, and make sure you have good guttering and drainage. If your soil is clay, it can freeze for months and expand and displace your building. The house needs to breathe and the ground beneath it stays dry. It's nice to see someone at the beginning of their journey. Good luck!

[@ahjotuli7153]

Welcome to Finland, Daniel! What a nice surprise 😊 I was a bit disappointed to hear you were leaving mossy bottom, but now I'm really excited to see you start a new in my home country. By my estimation you are about 1 hour drive from our own little self-sufficient plot of land and gardens, so we're almost neighbours! ✌🏻✌🏻

[@f.goossens8118]

Hej from Jamtland, Sweden. A Scot here who lived two years in Ireland (Co Leitrim) but needed open access to nature, which Ireland doesn't grant, and less overcrowding. Ireland is a beautiful island, but being used to the Right to Roam in my native Scotland, I craved the Allemansratten that Sweden offers. We're only on a quarter acre on the edge of a tiny rural village but given our ages (we're retired) it suits us well. All the best to you in your new life. We're currently under more than two foot of snow. It's dark much of the day already. And it's beautiful. You'll love it. These are how I remember winters being from my childhood.

[@ukqwerty999]

Sounds like you have a nice time living there :)

[@freyaellie1]

Where in Leitrim did you live? I'm English and lived in Leitrim for 14 years before moving here in Höga Kusten, Sweden about 11 years ago!

[@f.goossens8118]

@@freyaellie1 Near Derrinurn. We used to take weekly bus trips to Sligo. :)

[@freyaellie1]

@@f.goossens8118 We lived in Aughavas, near Mohill. We got married in Sligo, a lovely little town.

[@Funkydesu]

Well done for making the move to Jamtland. It was always my dream to move to northern Sweden, but Brexit put a stop to that, unless I'm prepared to stay only 6 months each year. I'm still considering that, but I hope you continue to enjoy that lovely part of the world.

[@pcread]

There are so many of those old family farms, where the kids left for the cities and the (grand-)parents passed on. I'm a UK citizen and consider myself an Englishman, but my mother was born and bred in Satakunta. And I went to school in Helsinki back in the 70s for 3 years. Brexit really screwed so many of us expats over. I live in Germany and have right of residence here, but I have thought about going to live near to my family and our summer-cottage on the coast.

[@EilaGomez]

Welcome to Finland - greetings from another one with almost 100 yo house surrounded by natural forests and a drive towards self sufficiency as much as possible. The lightless months of the year are the worst in life here, even for us natives. We can only cherish the idea it is ”only” about 5 wks until Winter solstice and at least the daylight hours won’t get any shorter!🙂

[@marieviken1945]

I am so happy for you with both your daughter and the new homestead in Finland! The distinct 4 seasons in the Nordic countries makes sure you never get bored and always have something to look forward to all year along - bursting Spring with lots of new life, nice Summers with beautiful long, warm days and everything growing, calming Autumn with plentiful harvest and cold crispy Winters for rest and contemplation as well as making firewood and skiing. I live on a small old homestead with a small flock of old Norwegian breed of sheep, dog, some rabbits and a cat in the eastern part of Norway close to the Swedish border. Having refurbished most of my old house from 1864 I discovered that a lot of the "old stuff" which looked to be in a very bad condition was more than ok and after some repairs, cleaning and painting will be fit for many years to come. Now I am working with the same approach for my old outbuildings - even the ones almost fallen down have a potential! I look forward to follow you developing your new homestead!

[@bugrist]

What about the terrible micro mosquitoes?

[@butterflies655]

​@@bugristMostly they appear in Lapland. Not in southern Finland.

[@bugrist]

@@butterflies655 oh, that's something new to know!

[@pekka1900]

I'm a Finn and lived here in Finland for more than 3 decades with occasional long term times abroad (anywhere from weeks up to a year at a time). I wished to share few things about Finland, both good and bad that might be useful to know. First the good: -It is safe here and the people are generally well meaning and helpful if you need it, but the best thing is that you can almost without exception trust what people say, and that they will do what they said they would do. -There are somewhat good job opportunities, even if mostly centered around larger population centers. -Cost of living even though rising quite fast is still manageable for most people. No insane housing crisis... yet. -There aren't really any serious political scandals or overt easily seen corruption in everyday life. Although there is a lot of "cabinet corruption". -Education is "free" and it allows people with lower income status to get a foot between the door in social mobility, if they so choose. This comes through by very high taxes. -Work culture is rather relaxed and not mired by some bizarre rules and expectations. You are just expected to do you task and you are left alone and help is easily available when asked. Now the bad: -Climate and bugs. The winters are really cold and really snowy, and you get almost no sun for several months. And then in Summer you get millions of mosquitoes and other such creatures that bite you aggressively. Some Summers can be exceedingly cold and rainy. -The Finnish culture can be very isolating and cold. The people wont let you become close friends or even friends that easy, and especially if you are a foreigner, they won't really see you as one of them no matter how much you try and put effort into it. -The language is very difficult to master if you are not highly motivated to learn the subtleties and very hard vocabulary and grammar. -One more cultural aspect that bothers me greatly is that you are always expected to be the same with everyone else. You aren't expected to show genuine emotions and if they are expressed they come off as clumsy or unpleasant. Finnish people tend not to say straight things when they get upset, because the general culture never deals with handling or expressing feelings. You will get ghosted, ignored, cold walled, and neglected by other people, unless you behave exactly like them. The phrase "tallest grass gets cut first" applies here strongly. I think it is a general small country/culture thing. Not necessary applied only to Finland. Finnish people are socially clumsy and largely confused. Sorry for already longish comment, but there could be said a book worth of Finnish aspects, but many foreigners and local Finns feel isolated and cold both mentally and physically. But saying these negative things doesn't mean you can't have a healthy and happy life. We're planning to move to Ireland from Here with my family for many of the negative things I mentioned here. We look for a more social lifestyle and milder climates without being in a way too hot and humid climate. Thank you for your video! All the best.

[@biglance]

Hello, very interesting comments and analysis of Finns. It sound much like my grandfather. Can I ask you how Finns will react to someone with a Finnish last name, paternal line, that came from Finland? My great-grandfather was born in the USA, but his parents were both from Finland. Would I still be an outsider or less outsider than someone with no Finnish roots. I hope to go there soon. Thank you in advance, peace be with you.

[@mariebussinger6565]

That part about the cool nature: I found similar in moving from a diverse city to a mountain town in the US. Years later, still outsider. People are kind and friendly but it would take awhile to be fully trusted, something I do understand.

[@biglance]

Thank you! peace be with you!@@mariebussinger6565

[@teppo9585]

@@biglance Having a Finnish name means absolutely nothing. Person needs to be someone they lived with since childhood and share same view of the world, which is anti-everything not Finnish. Then you have some outcasts like me but we´re a lost cause for having been isolated all our lives so we know no social behivour patterns to make friends anyway.

[@biglance]

Lol! Excellent insight! I really do appreciate it! I guess the Finnish tribe witll not accept me, I must find one somewhere over there ^^ peace be with you, thank you.@@teppo9585

[@Complex_Addition]

WTF. Welcome to Finland. Looking forward to your videos.

[@ydin9]

There are very little natural forests left in Finland and generally those are typically national parks or nature reserves. What you are describing if a free growing logging forest, very likely privately owned one that you should be prepare to some day see completely cut for timber at the worst case or maybe you are lucky and it's a "forgotten plot" only used. You are however allowed to forage and traverse on other peoples forests without doing damage to the land or the trees. Be mindful of elk and deer hunting seasons as well when on unfamiliar forests and wear bright.

[@qlcrane8019]

There is no need for cutting ever if he owns the area around him. And being that south near sea they usually aren't even part of the forestry industry and would require like 6 months of waiting for permission by the local deciding people to even get a permission for cutting down a single tree because of view reasons.

[@mariegabe9015]

I live in Eastern Ontario, Canada and I agree with you, a snowy winter is way better than a rainy one. Winters with snow can be bright and sunny and when it snows its magical and light-filled. There are no grey days, even when it snows.

[@mangore623]

Oi vey, get back to us if you have to actually work outside when it’s -20C or -30C. You don’t die out in the rain, but if you’re not careful, you can die very quickly and easily out in -30C with a strong wind.

[@Rom3_29]

As a Finn, now living in states. It’s easy to get use to cold and short daylight days. Nothing beats Finland winter scenery on a sunny day and blue sky. I miss Finland but I’ve gotten used to living here.

[@teresalehtonen8499]

missäpäin siellä asut? Mä asuin hetken Las Vegasissa. Kuuma, mutta kuiva, ei niin tukala ku jossain tropiikissa

[@Lilmissxx]

@@teresalehtonen8499 miten päädyit Las Vegasiin jos saa kysyä?

[@tcb1017]

I'm also from Finland and I livet in CA for 40 years. When, I retired back in 2019 moved back to Finland. THE best move I ever did. I Love being back and living My again My dream life all över. CA USA was great for My 40 years and Now Finland is great 😊 I spend Winters in Mexico witch is great also, so I have it all of THE best 😊

[@lilatravelpartners]

​@@tcb1017Kudos.... Stuck in Midwest...debating , if want to remain here after 2024?...the Plan 45 yrs ago was to retire to Finland.. So good luck for you.. Lykkyä tykö

[@abigailjacob4043]

I just looked up the growing zones in Finland and discovered the southern coast of Finland is considered primarily 6a, with small pockets of 6b. I live in Kentucky in the continental US and live in a zone 6b myself for gardening. It's pretty amazing what being closer to the coast will do in terms of keeping your climate a bit milder. Best of luck on your new homestead!

[@franziskani]

My understanding is that the U.S. growing zones differentiate according to the lowest temperatures in winter. Which of course will have effects on perrenials and trees - surviving winters in the long run. So his growing conditions will be different. Late start and then highly intense. There are videos online of people homesteading (kinda) in Alaska, they need to have greenhauses. Many winter vegetables fare well till - 10 degree Celsius (if it is not too windy, in that state the plants like kale or even salads are more delicate. When they have thawed they are fresh again, not mushy and can be eaten. But below - 10 to -15 degrees (in the greenhouse, mind you) it gets difficult. I know of one Permaculture youtuber in Canada (Verge Permaculture) that had a rocket mass heater in the greenhouse (that was built close to the house, so one wall was warmer). They have now moved on to a larger property (in Alberta) and they have a design with geothermal heat (heat battery) and he has plenty of content on passive solar greenhouse. That kind of setup can make it work in the regions with harsh, long and dark winters.

[@kielomariamaja1037]

Welcome to Finland! I am a fellow yellow house owner from Tuusula, Southern Finland, though my house is newer than yours (from 1955). I am so happy you have found out so many of our most common interests. Yes, we Finns love gardening, picking berries and gathering mushrooms! I used to study agricultural plant biology in The University of Helsinki and I love growing my own food and making preserves. Black and red currants are traditional for Finnish gardens just like gooseberries and several cultivars of apples. Also, plums and cherries grow well. Several of my friends have sheep and chicken - and personally, I dream of getting bees. Hot black currant juice with honey is the Finnish cure-all when you get a cold. I hope you have already tasted pulla and that someone has invited you over for lettu celebration with strawberry jam and whipped cream.

[@mattgrant402]

Wow! Congratulations on the birth of your daughter & finding your new home. What a magical place! And having snow for that period of time will be like a winter wonderland ⛄️ your real life Narnia 😃 Isn’t it incredible how life can change. Good luck to you all in your wonderful new life in Finland ❤️

[@DNA350ppm]

From me, too!

[@cameronmitchell9163]

Hi, we are from the USA Southern State of Georgia. Your channel caught our eye because of Ireland, yes, but mostly because you moved away from your home country - a thing that is very interesting to us. We cannot compliment you enough- you are earnest and likeable, relaxing to listen to, and a capable educator. My mother especially enjoyed your Irish Tales ! With your move to Finland, your channel just became MORE interesting, if that's possible. You give us hope that maybe it's possible for us to do a thing, too. A heartfelt Thank You for all you accomplish and your Channel. Best Wishes from the States.

[@karigary8144]

Welcome to Finland! We're not perfect, but I think you can love it here anyway. 😎

[@edwardlarkin4279]

Thankyou. Sibelius is why I love Finland and its beautiful forests and lakes. And it's people would be wonderful to be with. Sunny Finland.

[@elsik2332]

As a Finn who's just moved back home after living in the UK for 10 years I'm so glad to have found this video, maybe I can borrow some of your optimism and enthusiasm. There are so many things I love about my country, especially when it comes to nature, culture and standard of living, but I got really used to the milder climate and long springs and warm autumns, and I'm really dreading the 5 months of snow cover here (I'm a bit further north in Eastern Finland). No foraging for me until April... Also just letting you know, Finns do know how to complain, it's bit of a national past time!! But so is cozying up in your warm home in the middle of long dark winter and just slowing down and taking it easy, that's something really nice about the winter time.

[@LilyGazou]

Sounds like here in Seattle area - long dark winters. But that’s when we read, create, paint, do crafts.

[@EmmiIgnatius]

No wonder my relatives emigrated from Finland to the Seattle area. All of the Washington State is gorgeous.

[@ukqwerty999]

How did you feel about living in the UK Elsik, and how were the people.

[@samhailess]

sounds so calm

[@tillysanders2593]

As a Brit and gardener from Southern England whose lived in Toronto for decades, I relate to contemplating long cold winters , snow.& ice. It's really 6 months of winter ..thats half ones life. The growing season is short here , Summers short, humid & hot and winters long and bitterly cold . Black flies and mosquitos can be a nuisance in rural areas during summer months. Pickling and jarring fruits & vegetables were crucial to survival of early homesteaders during winters. I've been told our climates are similar.

[@RT-hh3vl]

Finland is a hidden gem, amazing education at all levels, safe roads (not a single person killed by a vehicle in over 12 months (need to check which recent year that was), quiet introspective people, skiing(!), and space....

[@ukqwerty999]

That stat was for pedestrian or cyclist in Helsinki, about 220 per year for the country

[@teppo9585]

People get run over by trams in Helsinki, yet the powers that be want more and more trams.. Somehow it doesn´t matter if someone gets killed by a speeding tram but if you have a cab that goes little over speed limit is a reason enough to throw the book at everyone that drives a car (except if the cab´s passenger is one of the powers that be).

[@lightmind20]

@@ukqwerty999 I think he was talking about pedestrian deaths, not all deaths in traffic.

[@arcabuz]

Well it is not hidden now with a KZbin channel showing it to everyone, is it?

[@Billiamwoods]

​@@teppo9585In countries like the US, tens of thousands of people a year die in car accidents. Perspective

[@iamhasrizal]

I was in the North Ostrobothnian region in Finland for four years and relocated to Ireland in 2020. Both have pros and cons. I hope Ireland solves the property crisis currently haunting everyone here. For being in Finland as an individual like yourself, Penti Linkola's book, "Can Life Prevail?" might be within your interest, which I recommend. I wish you all the best and achieve contentment in life.

[@bambinaforever1402]

I used to live in Finland for 35 years, then we moved to the south of France with my husband. Sometimes i miss Finland and come visit - we still keep our individual house in Helsinki area where one of my sons lives. So each time i come visit in winter i m thinking dear god, how can people love here. And each time i return to France i m like dear god thank u we moved. So i wish u a very good luck. The country is nice, i like it but the weather SUCKS

[@manolisgledsodakis873]

Hyvää päivää! Great to see that you found somewhere suitable. Finnish is only "difficult" because it's structured unlike any other language so there are no familiar words. But don't let that scare you from pursuing it. And don't let mistakes embarrass you. We all make mistakes; it's how we learn.

[@katalingerstenberger2758]

I am Hungarian and I learned, that Finnish and Hungarian languages are very similarly structured and are somehow related. We do not understand each other, but our grammar is the same, is indeed unique compared to other languages. I would like to know, if you Finnish people are aware of or taught of this?

[@Anttik_]

Yes, we Finn's know that Hungarian is our relative language. But we don't understand a word of Hungarian, there are no similar kind of words. I think the structure of the languages is just quite close to each other. The words in Finnish that are from foreign origin come mostly from Swedish, English and German, so those languages feel somewhat more familiar to us, even though the structure is quite different.

[@ShanLiB]

I studied Finnish before going there for almost a year, between Helsinki and Turku. I tried to practice it during my visit. It was interesting to be told, while there, that although there are 13 cases to decline for in Finnish, only a few of them are actually used regularly by Finns. Also, after teasing me about my attempts to speak the language, one Finn said, "Why do you do that? There are only 5 million of us and most of us speak excellent English." I loved my visit there and it's my favorite European country, for many reasons.

[@katalingerstenberger2758]

Hungarian is structured like the Finnish language, our grammar is similar and unique in the world.

[@leximojito1218]

Aw congratulations to you both, Ireland's loss is Finland's gain. I am from Kilkenny, I have adult children and understand all too well your dilemma. Enjoy every minute with your precious sweetie, the time will fly by!

[@margecavanagh8033]

We also love Ireland but sadly our kids will never be able to buy land there.

[@Headpunch]

Hi all from Baltics Latvia, you made a good decision, start won't be easy, but you will get there and you won't be disappointed. Food and vegetable garden is a must, you can sell and most important u can save for a winter. As living in UK for 12 years now, I can tell people here don't even know how real strawberry, blueberry etc taste like.

[@kateduggleby6161]

Congratulations on becoming a Father Daniel, and it’s good to see what you are doing and that all is going ok for you. You certainly seem to be embracing your new situation. Wishing you and your family all the very best, and we look forward to watching your projects unfold, as we did in Ireland….❤

[@annebracken7757]

I moved to Sweden from ireland 25 years ago. I love the access to nature, i am surrounded by forest, lakes and a river. A lot of my time is spent outdoors. I am very grateful now that i made that decision back then. I wish you luck on your journey. The cold weather is easy to get used to. When it gets really cold -20 or below the scenery is stunning!

[@nienor1510]

I am Australian and my husband is Finnish, we live a bit north of you from your description. We got a house pretty similar to yours, 1 bedroom and about 100 years old, ours had been renovated I think in the 90's though so it's pretty good condition. The land is very overgrown and hasn't been taken care of in at least 20 years, we have a lot of things we'd like to do but have 3 small kids so that's taking priority time wise at the moment. We'd like to get semi self sufficient too, maybe Finland is a popular place to "escape" to to get away from modernity. I would have liked to live in England where my ancestors are from but I just could never move there as it is right now. Personally I think taxes are too high and services aren't as good as everyone always says here in Finland but otherwise it really is a wonderful place, I fully agree about how magical the land still is.

[@bakeraus]

G'day! I'm lost in Finland myself and from Australia. Few Aussies sprinkled in here

[@jokuvaan5175]

Thete are plenty such plots throughout the country because urbanization has been rapid and Finland has traditionally been sparsely populated with a lot of small farma all over the country. Usually the old houses are only habited by elderly who don't have energy to maintain the property anymore and when they pass away their family sells it.

[@genevievemarie]

Congratulations!! Best of luck in your new adventure with your loved ones. Looking forward to watching it unfold.

[@joannewolfe5688]

Exciting times! I have subscribed, as I enjoy watching what people do with rural properties. Finland sounds lovely!

[@tsm7078]

I was so surprised (pleasantly) to see this video. I look forward to watching as you tackle projects on your Finnish property. Congratulations to you and Angela on the birth of your daughter Juno. Things have certainly changed since the early days in Ireland. Best wishes to you and your family

[@lesleyfrench4182]

Congratulations to you and Angela on the birth of your daughter Juno x x Frosty Bottom is a great title 😂 wonderful to see you again. I was wondering the other day about how you were... and know I know... Good to see you and look forward to the new videos x x

[@tomcollier00]

Well done! I'm really excited for you guys.

[@Marowyn]

How exciting!! Looking forward to hearing/seeing more about your adventure.

[@RoloTomasi654]

Ireland’s big loss Daniel, you’ll be missed! Sorry about the mess that is the Irish housing market! But the Finns are a gem of a people that the Irish could learn a lot from, and their landscape and way of life is breathtaking👌Swapping rainy winters for snow angels, saunas and auroras is a no brainer! Congrats with your young family and a heartfelt best of luck on your new adventure🤞Slán libh

[@beachnmountains]

If you take the housing cost out of the equation I would still take Ireland over Finland. You can't find in Finland the Crac , the trad sessions, pub culture, the Irish gift of the gab, the warmth of the people, the Great food, greenery unlike anyplace else the remote islands, ancient monuments, castles, Medieval and ancient history is unique and in the end all that is superior to what Finland has to offer

[@pulchralutetia]

@@beachnmountains Those are the reasons I'm moving from the UK to Ireland! Much better quality of people in Ireland than the UK, more open and interesting.

[@alwynroberts8465]

I moved here from UK 10 years ago, never regretted it. When the snow comes it brightens up the place good luck with keeping your house warm.

[@normajean2855]

Oh Daniel..congratulations!! looking forward to this series with great excitement!!

[@tmcdermottg]

Good to see you back. Excited to see your progress

[@PaulinaMeyer-yf1cm]

Why am I so excited for the life of a person on the internet that I never met? I'm genuinly happy that you found such a nice place with all the things you and your family need. What a weird and comforting feeling. Thank you so much for sharing your corner of the world! All the best from prussian siberia (yes, property taxes in Germany are a royal pain in the bum and -in my opinion- not well balanced at all...even with the recent reforms).

[@anitapeura3517]

A few months of snow is infinitely better than months of grey, cold, dark rain. I lived in Gothenburg for a year, and found the unusually warm winter there (warmest for 400 years, late '80s) really depressing though I had been expecting something like it. The first morning of golden light on overnight snowfall was so magical, I skipped work and went for bus rides around the country, marvelling at the heavenly light over the landscape, reflected back by the snow. What a difference it made to my mood and mental state. And not just me but the locals too, all now out of doors revelling in this light. Snow is cold, yes, but brighter and better than rain, and more hygienic.

[@marcusisacson]

I live in Gothenburg and the winters here are mild and actually not very different from London thanks to the Gulf stream passing the Swedish west coast. We very rarely have snow and if snow falls it normally dissappear in a day, many winters we haven't even had below zero degrees.

[@loke6664]

@@marcusisacson Yeah, but that is still something pretty recent. The early 80s still had plenty of snow and were pretty cold (I grew up there). It certainly isn't as cold as Americans think it is and never really was. The climate is pretty similar to Edinburgh and Seattle but with slightly less rain. I live in Kalmar nowadays and it is far warmer and sunnier even if it just is slightly less south.

[@MB-qu5hl]

Congratulations on the move, new home, baby and new adventures to come. Thank you for the updated and sharing.

[@federtm2]

I moved to Finland from Spain and I love it too. Just subscribed, looking forward to more videos :)

[@777akm]

Well done you! I'm an Estonian who has been living in soggy Leitrim for the last decade. At one point in my life I lived near Tampere. Yes, it gets a bit cold in Finland and the sun will hide for a while but at least you know what season it is. It's not like there's a ton of sunlight in Ireland... plus of course, the soggy part and the temperatures can easily compete with Finland. Most Finnish (and Estonians) speak English and the self-sufficiency you're after is very much in the blood of Finnish and Estonians so you're in good company. You'll love it there!

[@Mpg972]

May I ask why you Don live in estonia it looks lovely

[@777akm]

@Mpg972 It is lovely there, yes! I came here for 'a sec' to help out my mum with her farm.... long story short, I started a business here and all kinds of life complications simply won't allow me to move at the moment.

[@wachterwachter]

Great point about the self sufficiency, yes the Balts, the Fins and the Slavs know much more about it and about foraging than people in the Western (er) Europe 😁

[@butterflies655]

​@@wachterwachterFinland is a Nordic and western country.

[@EmmiIgnatius]

I, for my part, have always (truly since I was a pre-teenager) admired the Estonian spirit of political awareness. How right you were concerning, for example, Putin's Russia, whilst there was a sense of true naivety amongst Finnish politicians. Greatest of all was how the Estonian youths behaved in TV interviews since the 90's, how aptly they were able to comment on political and societal issues... I admired Lennart Meri and Hendrik Ilves and think Kaja Kallas would make a splendid NATO's next Secretary General.

[@rcjambroens]

Tervetuloa suomeen Daniel, Great to see more people are coming over to embrace the traditional Finnish lifestyle ;). My Finnish adventure started 20 years ago and we acquired our mökki (summer place) 13 years ago. It's an old farm from 1910 with just over 4 hectares (10 acres) that I am very gradually turning into a (quasi-) homestead. A few years ago I finalized a 36 m^2 greenhouse and this years we started with beekeeping with 2 hives and got 50kg of honey. Life is good here. As you are also located in Varsinais-Suomi we are practically neighbors. Drop me a line if you ever need help or advice on 'how to be a foreigner in Finland'. Cheers, R.

[@peterclark2374]

Thanks for the update! We're sure you are very busy. We wish all of you the best in your new adventure!

[@izziebee2957]

I moved to Finland from the UK over three years ago, living in central Helsinki so my surroundings are a little different to yours! But I love this country and I hope that you and your family will love it too ❤

[@lovelyskull3483]

Happy to see you. Cheers. I am so happy for you. A baby and new home. Absolutely wonderful!

[@fourdayhomestead2839]

Enjoy Finnland!! I live in a small Finnish community in the United States. Great people!!

[@aahpuuh]

That’s very cool, where does this exist roughly?👀

[@fourdayhomestead2839]

@@aahpuuh nw wisc.

[@sandrakeighron2585]

Congratulations we are so happy for you both. I remember finding your channel when we were living in the UK waiting to move to Ireland where we have been here for 5 years. You looked so tired and ill and we watch you over the years looking well and happy. So pleased for you. Can’t wait to see your videos. Take care xx

[@margueritedoubleday2529]

Congratulations Daniel and best wishes to you and your family for this new adventure. Look forward to hearing more about your new life.

[@TheHulluu]

Oh wait what! You moved here, close to Turku?!? Nice and welcome! Hope to see you around somewhere here someday!

[@girle5584]

2023 has been such an up and down adventurous year for you and you don't look worse for wear. Congratulations on the little one and your now little family of three. It appears you have made smart and logical decisions for moving forward for all of you.

[@rebeccasobin7271]

We are so happy to see you once again and can't wait for the next video.

[@MrWeGe]

For anyone wondering, the image from 18:29 is from Elonkierto Agricultural Exhibition Park in Jokioinen. Used to live super close and it does look wonderful in the summer.

[@nowherech]

One year ago we met and recorded a story of a woman who was living in a ecovillage in Finland. She was building her own house fully from ecological materials. For her the winter was the time of slowing down. In her house there will not be any electricity and she was excited to live just with the light of candles and fire.

[@peterwilson5528]

Wait until the water freezes then she will know what it is all about. See how she likes 5 months of winter darkness and thick snow. It sucks. If she drives see how you like years of changing summer to winter tyres and then winter to summer. Enjoy scraping the ice off your car window every time you want to go out or park anywhere. See how you like the lack of smiling people. Finnish people don't like foreigners at all. "Muukalaisviha" you will learn all about. Customer service is awful and red tape is all about who you know who can pull strings. Buddy buddy corruption... High suicide rate, and heavy alcohol use. Now in NATO, this is the front line and now a dangerous place. Russian nukes now have Finland as a NATO base and therefore a target.

[@heatherhall3452]

Can’t refrigerate ya food without electricity- everyone’s been sold a lie and they’re gullible enough to believe it

[@Deva-no3dn]

Love this. Strong people in a tough world. We need people like her.

[@arcabuz]

Do you realise that winter over there is about 8-9 months?. Just think of how much time of your life goes by just “slowing down”. If you like mushroom lifestyle Finland is your place

[@peterwilson5528]

@@Lusikkasopassa Well if Persesuomalaiset keep getting into government then Finland will become like Nazi Germany in the 1930s.

[@Burke1O1]

What a life this man is living! Been watching for years and will be watching for years to come

[@stacywettstein8285]

Congratulations 🎈 on the move and your baby girl. So excited for you and yours. And grateful you are taking us along. ❤

[@paulinescully9646]

WOW! Great to hear you have a daughter! Wishing You, Angela and Juno a very happy and blessed future together in Finland. Thank you for welcoming us into your world! 😊

[@maretgalbraith9105]

Hi Daniel and the girls! So you made it to Muuminland :) Being a native Finn and having watched your videos from Ireland from the very beginning I venture to say that you may find some similarities between the countries. There often seems to be some element of magic in the nature, the forests and the lakes and the respect and love for the nature. it goes very deep in Finland too. I would say it is essential to the Finnish character. Even the dark winters give you a time for reflection and the magical light summers nights are something else. You are a hard worker too which the Finn’s will appreciate.( though they may never tell you) I myself am planning to move back to Finland next spring with my Canadian husband who is also being introduced to the crazy Finnish bureaucracy. I am really looking forward to your videos again and may I say I feel very honored that you chose Finland for you and your family as your new home.

[@JN-vj2kd]

As a long time fan from Finland, I'm really happy to see you chose to come here of all countries! I really wish success in your new chapter and I'm really eager to see your new homestead thrive! Tervetuloa!

[@fionamurphy3651]

Well done Daniel, Delighted to see you back on screen. You are living my dream - love the idea of Finland, have visited, been around Turku and thought what a lovely place to live. Watched your life in Sligo - only across the country from where I am. If it weren't for family and my advancing years I would be following in your footsteps. Best of Irish luck in your new home and congratulations on your wonderful news. Looking forward so much to watching your new life unfold in Finland.

[@mariaarnold2716]

A great big welcome to baby Juno and many congratulations to her proud parents. We look forward to following your new adventure and learning more about Finland

[@guseva1]

Hello Daniel, as someone who has dropped into your channel from time to time, I was very happy to see you have moved to Finland. Having enjoyed your channel from the first video, I am immensely happy you have moved from a life of solitude, to now being a family man. I live in Perth Western Australia and work as a fly in fly out underground miner, working in remote gold mines 2 weeks on then 2 weeks off. Your channel and others like it have greatly inspired myself and my wife to think about a rural life. My wife comes from that country to the East of you lol...and we have also recently bought 30 acres of land there with a house or Dacha very similar to what you have. We are now planning our rural future. Good luck to you and your family Peace brother

[@ioankatsapovich]

Perkele 😅

[@soapstuff6212]

Heartbroken to lose Daniel from Ireland 🇮🇪 💔, wishing you and your family all the best in Finland, congratulations on the birth of Juno. Looking forward to hearing more on the very exciting new project!

[@locito1978]

So happy for you! You have such a beautiful soul and your voice calms me. Keep up with the videos!

[@actingwoman2]

Thank you for the update. ❤

[@Julia-zj2ch]

Oh Daniel! It is so wonderful to see you again and to see the joy and sparkle in your eyes again! What an inspiration you are. It is exciting to look forward to watching you again and to see all the projects you engage in. Just as you did in Ireland, you will no doubt at some point look into the lore and spiritual history of Finland and make delightful videos about that as well. You are an amazing and delightful person and Angela and your new little one are fortunate in deed to have you in their lives. Thank you so much for sharing. "Frosty Bottom" would be an excellent new name for your home and channel. Too funny.

[@gloriahoulihan8717]

You are the second person from the part of Ireland where you settled to move to Finland that I know of. They loved it there. I wish you all the best and will watch your videos with interest.

[@jennawh]

Welcome to Finland! 💙 This is the first video of yours I have ever seen and I gotta say I thoroughly enjoyed it!! Your journey sounds magical and I am happy it has brought you to Finland, I truly hope you and your family will be happy here! I believe you are going to find yourself with a lot more Finnish viewers soon enough when people start to find your channel! I really enjoyed hearing the whole process of reasoning on behalf of your family on why you decided to move to Finland of all places, I am glad you all found Finland to be a good place for your family, can't wait to hear more about this journey! Ps. It really was a great idea to film this video fully outside showing the beautiful Finnish scenery around you!

[@Elizabetha2514]

Love this video! Happy for your new adventure in Finland and also looking forward to hearing more about it!

[@CashMacGregor]

i am canadian and i'm not happy the way things are playing out here. i had decided that finland would be my first choice if i was to leave canada. i'm in my mid 70's and due to various issues i have to hunker down here and finland is not in my future anymore but i am glad that my research into an alternate place was spot on.

[@aprilwhite3474]

As a Texan, I sure do love your channel and have been a follower for many years. I’m on 7.5 acres yet can’t grow a damn thing in this climate. I love the idea of a Finnish climate. Can’t wait to follow you on this new journey. Cheers!

[@helenahandkart1857]

Anywhere colder & wetter appeals to me, also, (in South Australia)

[@susanwheeler9624]

So delighted to see a new video from you Daniel. Congrats on your new family.. how wonderful! A new adventure .. how exciting. I look forward to your upcoming videos. I loved the ones from Ireland and know i will enjoy the ones to come. Thank you for taking us all along with you 🥰

[@kylebentz]

As an Californian also living in Southwest Finland, welcome!

[@danielheltberg6202]

Hey Daniel, I'm so glad to hear you're doing well. As you know, you have a community here on KZbin that's always curious to hear about your new adventures and projects. We always support you, I believe, because a part of our dream for freedom lives on in you. It's great to hear that you're now a family and in Finland! I wish you the best in the future and good luck staying warm (as someone who lives in Scotland can understand)!

[@Anonymous-km5pj]

So hap for you, family man ! Finland our new pan-european enclave?? lol sorry not sorry. Gotta get away gotta get away.... 🎶🎶🎶🎶 All the best w the new homestead, you;re gonna make it gleam im sure.... looks warmer there than here in SW BC Canader (!) 🤣🤣🤣

[@orderofytene]

Great news. I am very happy for you. We live in the very north of Sweden in the Tornedalen valley. We often go to Finland as the border is so close, love for both countries 🙂I have to say as well, even in the frozen north self sufficiency is far from impossible. Tornedalen is a great place to be self sufficient, despite its latitude.

[@newbatling4194]

How wonderful that you live there, do you do the homestead lifestyle

[@orderofytene]

@@newbatling4194 We do ! We have to take a slightly different approach to things though. We grow when we can but we focus on dairy from our goats and meat from our sheep supplemented by hunting. We grow in the summer and can usually stock up on enough potatoes and berries for a full winter. The biggest challenge right now us trying to go off grid. Solar is only really an option for 4/5 months of the year, which is not sustainable. We have no stream for hydro and so my next best option would be to build/buy a personal wind turbine.

[@mariecampos-ts2bm]

Great to see your return Frosty bottom looking forward to your Next video. Congratulations on the new member in the family🎉

[@septimaharding7520]

Oh, that sounds so healthy. I wish you and your family all the best and a happy, happy time in Finland.

[@Carina-tm1yj]

Hello, and welcome to Finland Mossy Bottom! We sure are happy to have you here!