15/03/2025
896 days in Finland!
This number doesn’t hold any special significance, just a random urge to speak my mind.
Arriving in Finland on 1 October, 2022, felt oddly familiar—like the day I left my birthplace in 2005 to move to my higher secondary college hostel in the capital of my home country. During the first night I went from room to room, meeting new hostel mates—most of whom were crying while I was happily roaming around. That was the moment I realized homesickness doesn’t really suit me. I've always found my life to be beautiful, thrilling, and full of surprises. Maybe it’s because I’m the youngest in my family - a privilege that may have shaped my perspective differently than if I had been the eldest. So, here’s a little gratitude for that luck!
I searched about Finland in Google in 2020 for the first time ever in my life and within 2 years I made it there, yes, that's how interesting life can be. Fast forward to my arrival, nothing really surprised me. Everything made sense based on the research I had done beforehand. Of course, you learn the nitty gritty details over time, and different contexts shape your understanding. Since moving, I’ve realized how much I appreciate the way nature is valued here, how personal space is respected, and how life isn’t treated as a relentless race. Certainly, there are deeper layers to these aspects, but I won’t go into that now.
Yes, there are challenges—trade, unemployment, social security, immigration, and many other complex issues. But the world is in turmoil, and change won’t happen overnight. Thinking about the future often feels overwhelming, with so many things seemingly deteriorating. But I don't complain to God, why Finland! At this stage, EMPATHY feels like the most crucial value we need to practice, in every way possible.
If you've read this far, maybe you're wondering—what exactly am I trying to say? Honestly, even I don’t know. This is just one of those empty mind moments taking control of my Facebook.
Two years in the Global Innovation Management master’s program at TSE impacted me significantly, pushing me to reflect on things in ways I never did before. It sparked a philosophical shift within me—one strong enough to make me, someone with 10 years of industry experience, brave enough to step into doctoral studies. I’ve always sought to keep life interesting, and this current blend of industry experience, music, mountains, and academia is exactly that.
Right now, I’m truly enjoying my doctoral journey (while looking forward to the inevitable turbulences, of course 😋😐😋). Coming from the industry, I'm finding the research incredibly interesting, and I hope to give back my learnings in every possible way once I complete this chapter successfully.
To end with, here’s to practicing EMPATHY and doing our part to make the world a better place.
