“People tend to see a lot more effort to avoid what they fear than to achieve what they want.” Dan Brown
Change rarely comes without risk and uncertainty, but the pursuit of change can be just the decisive turn in life that makes it possible to live the life one is determined to pursue. Diana is a dentist specialized in pediatric dentistry who sought a change in her life. Long working days and vague working hours were motives that before long led to immigration from Barcelona to Sotkamo, Finland.
– Life and the culture is wonderful in Spain but reconciling work and leisure was a challenge. I worked in a private dental clinic as a dentist and my working hours were from nine to nine, Diana describes her worklife in Spain.
– One day, while scrolling through the website of the Spanish Dental Association, I noticed open job opportunities across Europe. There were open vaccancies in Belgium, the Netherlands and Finland. I got information on each, but Finland was the most attractive allthough I had no information whatsoever on the country in general. I got an interview with a recruitment company and two days after the interview I was offered a job in Finland. After recieving the offer I applied for a Finnish language course to study the finnish.
There are many things to consider in terms of labor migration. It is not enough to apply for and get a job, but the legal obligations related to work and housing must also be taken into account. Immigration cannot always be confused with the twists and turns of politics or legislation. Moving to another country is a life changing, it can feel overwhelming as well as like an absurd decision in an individual’s life.
– After the Finnish language course, we had to make the final decision on moving. The decision was made and the recruitment company took care of our work permits and helped with other legal obligations. Then we were able to move.
– I was in shock when we landed in Finland. It was October and the weather was gray and cold. It was a really big contrast to Spain where the sun always shines.
Open to the future
– I was looking forward to our future and deep inspide I felt happy. First, I did not believe the promises given of the Finnish lifestyle but now I can prove my beliefs wrong. Everything I heard about work-life balance in Finland is true.
The way of life is peaceful in a small town of ten thousand inhabitants and the culture differs a lot from Spanish culture as for the four seasons, long winter, snow and ”stay home”-culture for starters.
– In Spain, there are a lot of festivals in spring and summer, people are on the streets and life is more on-going in general. Worklife and work culture is also different. The people here are extremely friendly and we were warmly welcomed from the beginning, despite minor language barriers. Co-workers and my employer have been patient and helpful.
– Nowadays, we enjoy our lifestyle and peaceful way of living. Allthoug at first, it was took a little getting used to with all the free-time in the evenings. Life is easier. Kainuu has basically no traffic, a clean environment, beautiful scenery, and a good and safe environment for children to grow.
Finland is a good place to raise children and Finland puts alot of effort in early childhood education promoting childrens holistic growth, development and learning in collaboration with their guardians. Diana and her husband were impressed by how professional the education system is in Finland.
– Taking my kids to daycare is effortless because they love being there. The eight-hour workday also suits our lifestyle as it’s really easier to combine work and leisure. It is much easier to be there for the kids.
Diana is a such a radiant and joyful person who has worked at the Sotkamo dental clinic as a dentist for seven years. She believes that Kainuu is perfect for it’s peaceful lifestyle, safe environment, beautiful nature and work-life balance. Diana’s story is one of many success stories in our blog series.