Tervetuloa 

Moi moi. Moro. Morjens. Terve. Hyvää huomenta. Hyvää yötä. 

These were some of the first Finnish words we learned here in Kurki Ecovillage as volunteers for the year 2022. With so many different ways of greeting each other and us, how could we not feel welcome here? All the people we meet are warm and friendly, and they make us feel like we’re just as much a part of the village as everyone else. But we were not only welcomed by the people, the Finnish sky also had a little welcoming gift for us: we saw a few glimpes of the Northern Lights on our first evening together. We couldn’t have asked for a better way to start this adventure. 

At the moment of me writing this, the first two weeks of the project are already over. We’ve gotten an introduction to the Finnish lifestyle (think: lots of sauna’s, ice bathing, charity gatherings with husky’s) and, of course, the lifestyle of the people in Kurki Ecovillage (think: only using organic, biodegradable soap, separating pee and poo paper, eating punajuuri for community lunch on almost every day of the week). Besides that, we got to explore and discover so many things around here, like the frozen lake, where we spent time learning how to ski and ice skate; the local pub, where we went all out and danced with some Finnish regulars; and the city of Tampere, where our mentors Vivi and Izzy showed us some cool places to hang out (and where to get the least expensive beers).

Now, the real work begins. We made a timeline for the nine months we get to stay here, with some big projects on the agenda like renovating the barn and preparing for the Nordic Permaculture Festival that will take place in Finland this year. We’ll start working on some individual projects too. 

I think I can speak for all of us if I say we’re super excited to spend the next part of our lives here, and we’ll definitely keep you updated on the developments during the project through this blog. 

Nahdään!