Upon arrival at Finland’s Kurki Eco Village, I knew that I was entering an environment where sustainability, community, and learning by experience would challenge all of my preconceptions of harmonizing with nature. I did not anticipate, however, how the experience would ignite passion for gardening, constructing buildings, and Finnish living within me.
Building with Purpose: Walls, Insulation, and Lifelong Lessons
The highlight of my experience was assisting in constructing environmentally friendly homes. Guided by jarkko, I learned the details of constructing green buildings from wall framing to installing insulation. I was fascinated by the Finnish way of constructing buildings that are energy-efficient and durable against severe winters. Driving every nail and installing every block of insulation felt to me like learning a trade that unites human need and environmental stewardship.
Working with walls is also teaching me patience and the value of details. From old-fashioned woodworking techniques to advanced high-tech sustainable materials, I was surprised how the small details contribute to the warmth and durability of a home. But what thrills me the most is that there remains so much to learn. My school now is Kurki Eco Village, and I am excited to keep advancing in carpentry, to learn more about roofing, and Finnish innovations for the build.
Cultivating Life: Lessons from the Garden
Aside from housebuilding, the garden was where I retreated. Raising beds of seedlings, I learned the subtle art of nudging life from earth to plate. Planting vegetables to Finland’s brief summer took patience and adaptability—traits reflected in the villagers’ even disposition. We carefully shifted crops, composted to enrich the earth, and shielded new greens from unexpected frosts.
The garden also showed me that growth is a collaboration with nature. By midsummer, our labor will yielded literal fruit: crunchy greens, fat tomatoes, and herbs that perfumed the air. To serve these harvests at meals shared together was a reminder that meals are sweeter if grown for us in love.
Embracing the Elements: My Passion for Finnish Weather
If there is one thing that always makes me happy no matter where I am, it is Finland’s enchanting climate. I have come to love its unpredictable mix of rain, snow, and sunshine a chorus of elements that keeps hope alive. To wake up to a fresh cover of snow is pure magic, transforming the village to a shimmering fairy kingdom. I have come to also love the rain, which nourishes our garden and perfumes the air with earthy petrichor, and the golden sun that lingers till dusk.
Every day is its surprise gift: one morning snow, the next planting seedlings amid a gloriously blue sky, and that evening, I am cozy indoors to the patter of rain on the roof. Snow, especially, holds a dear spot in my heart, its silence and how it quietudes the world. Surviving the seasons of Finland in all their wild totality, I have come to greet change with passion and not resistance. Here, the climate is not background but oppositional dramatic ballet, and I am grateful to be along for the ride.
Sauna, Silence, and the Finnish Psyche
Feeling immersed in Finnish culture, I am forever altered. Sauna ritual scorched and the Finns’ love of contrast and ease. I’ve spent time in these hallowed spaces among locals and learning about how sauna is more of a mode of existence for Finns than an indulgence. Otherwise, I’ve learned to admire Finns’ appreciation for silence, simplicity resolve that defines their spirit.
Conclusion:
Roots and Wings at Kurki It has been a weave of work, wonder, and joy at Kurki Eco Village. From the satisfaction of constructing walls to the humbling grace of seeds sprouting, every minute that passes solidifies the commitment to sustainable living. Finland, so starkly beautiful and hospitably warm, has left its indelible mark. As curious I am awed that the best journeys are the ones that change not where you are, but who you are. Kurki is less a location than a promise. A promise that with hands willing to work, a heart willing to accept the untamed, and a soul willing to learn, we can create a better world, one wall, one seedling, and one sauna at a time.