It’s been three months now since I moved from Finland to the US. I said goodbye to my dearest friends, family, and Meemo. Before moving I sold everything, quit my job, and terminated the apartment. Leaving was tough, but at the same time, I was happy because after a long wait I got to live under the same roof again with my husband, Bryan.
Two weeks after I arrived at Los Angeles airport, the U.S. border was closed due to the Coronavirus. On March 19, California ordered nearly 40 million residents to stay at home.
Green Card Process During COVID-19
We had 90 days to deal with the key issues regarding the Green Card application before my Visa expired. The closure of government buildings made the application work challenging. After almost 100 working hours, the package was finally ready to be sent to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
According to the latest news, more than 20 million Americans have lost their jobs due to COVID-19. Bryan has been lucky to keep his job. He has been at work, so I’ve been researching places on my own.
The distances here are long. The other day I walked 11 miles, around the Back Bay Loop. It was a hot day and I carried a liter bottle of water with me, which emptied surprisingly fast. 3 hours and 30 minutes later I was finally home.
6 things that changed when I moved from Finland to the United States
Adapting to a new country requires learning. I’ve listed a few things that have changed in my everyday life.
1. Public Transport
In Helsinki, I traveled everywhere by public transit, walking, or cycling. It’s not very common here to walk from place to place because the distances are so long. I’ve seen busses passing by, but they reportedly take too long to get to where you want, the city is designed for cars. It’s even more common to jump in a Uber than go by bus.
2. Health care
No matter the financial situation, all Residents of Finland have access to health care. The price level of health care here is much more expensive and health insurance is required. Some workplaces provide health care, even for the whole family.
3. Driving
In Finland, I prefer public transit than driving a car. Now I must go back to driving school to get the official driving license of the country and get used to the traffic. Here the highway might have a total of seven lanes fully packed, cars are moving fast, and have to always keep eyes wide open for unexpected situations.
4. Weather & Nature
The best thing here is that the sun shines almost every day and it gives us so many opportunities to do different types of outdoor activities all year round. Beautiful nature and the weather were one of the reasons we decided to move here.
5. Small Talk
In Finland, it is pretty normal to NOT talk to people you don’t know, but sometimes a conversation with a stranger can be long and rewarding. Here, almost everyone is greeting each other on the street and asking: “How are you?” And the answer should be brief: “Good! How are you?” And then you say: “Have a good one.” And that’s the end of the conversation. As a Finn, I am still trying to learn not to say too much, because it’s not part of the thing.
6. Measurements & Distances
Before going to the Crossfit gym for the first time, I realized that I needed to convert kilos to pounds. I also need to practice how to change Celsius to Fahrenheit, kilometers to miles, and liters to gallons. Good thing is that there are Conversion-apps available, that helps a lot in everyday life.
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Thanks for being a part of my journey!
All the best, Lotta ❤️
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Endless Horizon 