Michael’s diary: Week Three

Citizenship and small victories

Monday

My third Monday of life in rural Finland with my cousin. I found time really goes quickly when you’re busy hauling rocks back and forth. Or uprooting plants and trimming the overgrowth underneath the midday sun.

It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Was it tough? Of course. But it was doable. A little bit of effort and a goal to strive towards made it all the better. Not to mention the cold ice showers afterwards, that was a reward in of itself.

Monday was another day of tending to smaller things. My feet ached from the previous days trek of traversing uneven terrain in the search for good sized rocks. Being back tending to plants was a welcomed respite.

Tomorrow was the big day: Would I be a legal citizen or would I have to go back to Canada? 

Tuesday

We woke early to ensure we had everything and were ready to go. It was an hour and a half trip by car to Oulu.

My appointment was for 13:50 and we were planning on arriving half an hour early. I never knew what sort of traffic problems might arise so it was better to play it safe.

My cousin had never driven far and it was a first for him. I was thankful he was willing to make the trip. There was road construction as a new layer of asphalt was being put down, delaying us by 10mins. Good thing we left early.

We arrived in Oulu and my cousin dropped me off so I could head to the migration offices. I arrived and sat. Checking and double checking everything. I had my papers with me regardless of the fact the DVV and Migri mentioned they could check everything online. Just in case.

I heard one of the other people’s names and room number called. It was in Finnish. I knew a small amount of Finnish and I repeated the room numbers, just in case. 

Yksi, kaksi, kolme, neljä, viisi, kuusi.

One, two, three, four, five, six. 

Again and again.

Then my name was called and it was in English. Everyone else had been in Finnish!!! Oh well. That was fine by me. I stepped inside. The woman at the counter was kind. She told me that since I had previously held Finnish citizenship, the process should be straightforward—maybe a month or two, but possibly longer.

I asked her if I could apply for a residency card as I’m only legally allowed to stay for three months under my Canadian passport, and I had just about spent one of it already in the country. 

She explained it would have been easier to apply from outside the country. Unfortunately I didn’t have immediate family here, and I wasn’t studying, so the options were limited. My stomach sank.

Still, I reminded myself I could work from anywhere. If I had to return to Canada temporarily, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. Just expensive.

After my appointment, my cousin and I explored Oulu before heading back. I was still worrying about how long it would take when I got an email and text message.

I was approved. 

It didn’t take a month. It didn’t take a week. It took less than four hours before I was approved. WHAT A RELIEF. I was a citizen!

Wednesday

My cousin and I did nothing as we took the day off in celebration of my citizenship. It was a massive weight off my shoulders. One thing that had been accomplished and one of the biggest hurdles I had to face. If I couldn’t get my citizenship then it would make everything else much trickier to try and get done. I couldn’t wait. My new life was slowly becoming to form and it was a rush of emotions. 

Thursday

I was still in disbelief with how quickly the application had gone through. I had assumed it would be straightforward with all my papers but I never imagined it would be that fast. 

My cousin and I headed into the forest across the road as we were in search of sand. We needed it to fill low spots around the property—especially the mud hole I fell into during week one. We found a good patch and quickly filled the car with buckets.

The rest of the day I spent gathering sap and pinecones for small fire starters. I had never gathered sap from a tree before and it was odd. Scraping the excess off without digging too far in. I didn’t want to reveal new wood. I ended up with a full tin, and four buckets of pinecones. That should last awhile! 

Friday

We shifted our working hours to the evening, when the sun began to dip behind the trees. It was cooler then, quieter—a welcome change after so many hot days.

Later that evening, my cousin and I worked together to clean out the shed. First, we took everything out and removed the old pallets that had acted as the floor. Then, using shovels, we dug up the excess dirt and debris until the floor was bare and clean. Afterward, my cousin went through the items to see what might actually be useful for us moving forward.

The floor still needs to be redone—probably with gravel or something more solid—but that’s a task for another day.

Looking back, I couldn’t believe it had already been close to a month. It felt more like a week or two at most. Even so, I was grateful to be here with my cousin rather than figuring things out alone. Now, I just need the rest of the year to pass so that my sister and I can get our own place and begin building something even better.

As the week came to a close, I wasn’t quite sure what the next one would bring. One thing I did know: I needed proper forest clothes. There’s still plenty of work to be done out there—but for now, I’ll wait and see.

I was enjoying myself and I was happy.