Recently Moved to Finland and Figuring Out Your Next Steps?
Check out the Life Away blog. Life Away is your resource for getting started in Finland. Created especially for newcomers without Finnish ties, we cover topics about everyday life, bureaucratic processes and everything in between to help you navigate your new life in Finland.
Whether you’ve just landed, have lived here for a little while or are thinking of moving – welcome!
We’ll share what it’s like moving to and living in Finland
and what we’ve learned along the way. We’ll talk about what it takes to get started, integration, language learning and more. You’ll get on the ground, insider information from a native Finn with the outside perspective of an American newcomer. Plus, you’ll get fresh, up-to-date information.
We’ll also talk about expat life in general, from what being an expat is actually like, how to build home comforts from abroad and to how to cope with this major life change in our Expat Life section. And we’ll share our budget-friendly travel recommendations, from quick weekend getaways to week-long Mediterranean sprawls. Check out our Travel section for more.
We’ve lived abroad (as a couple) since 2018.
We started our expat journey in the UK, where we studied, got married, worked and lived until 2024. We dove into the experience headfirst and learned a lot along the way. As 3rd country expats, the experience was even harder with both of our families living thousands of miles away. We had to figure out the British rental market, the healthcare system, filing US taxes from abroad – everything on our own. And somehow we did.
We know firsthand how stressful and overwhelming being an expat is. Not having anyone to turn to, to ask questions or who can relate to your situation can be an isolating experience. And we know how frustrating it is to constantly feel like you’re an exception to what’s considered normal – we’ve been there! And that’s why we’ve created this blog, to help fellow expats and newcomers navigate this new life in Finland. From every awkward or embarrassing situation we’ve encountered as expats, something useful has been learned and we want to share it with you.
We’re Katlyn and Tapani, an American-Finnish couple
who recently relocated to Tampere, Finland. We met at the University of Worcester in 2015 and have been together ever since. In 2024, we packed up our car, our lives, and our hamster and drove to Finland in a 3 day journey across Europe.
We are frequent Arrested Development quoters, lovers of British sitcoms, Estrella enthusiasts, and 90s Eurodance connoisseurs. We love to try new recipes, plan upcoming trips and make each other laugh. On a typical Friday night you’ll find us at home, lounging and snacking, either looking for a new anime series to watch or revisiting a classic like The Wire – indeed.
If you want to learn more about life in Finland, read here. Or if you want a comprehensive guide on how to get started, read our “Smooth Start in Finland” guide. Stay tuned for more!