Dear Expat Community in Finland,
I'm 31 years old and I just moved to Lappeenranta from Germany to have my phd. I'm Turkish, I was born and raised there; so a very sociable, warm, talkative community. I lived in the USA, Slovenia, Germany and France so I lived in several countries and cities. It's the first time in my life that I live in such a small city with very little of an expat community. It's always hard to settle in and adjust at first but I always managed. This time, I'm not that optimistic. I'm very sociable and I like spending my free time with people; talking, sharing ideas, going to events etc. I also realized that I need to have a social group of people to feel safe and happy. There are barely any internationals around that I can connect with and Finnish people seem to be extremely reserved. I started feeling isolated, even depressed. (Even though I'm constantly on Skype calls with my friends, I miss real human interaction and communication). I know it's a long shot but I don't know how to manage this situation anymore. Does anyone have any ideas? Did anyone live in a small Finnish city and survived? I'd be so happy to hear your tips and ideas.
Isolation in a small Finnish city
Hi,
You have to take it as a positive.
You need to fish, there are huge amounts of lakes there with fantastic fishing opportunities.
You need to hunt, there are very good opportunities to learn hunting.
All wild life and outdoor activities are unique in the world especially in that area.
Even the name of the place tells this ( The Wild Mans Bay).
Join a sauna club.
Swim in winter time / cold water.
They have special dishes like "The Atom" and "The Hydrogen".
You can learn how to ski
I think there is a boat tour you can take north up to Kuopio only traveling by boat using the lakes.
The border to Russia is perhaps closed due to covid, but St. Petersburg is a place to visit when the border opens.
I guess it still can get boring, but you have to assimilate to the local culture, otherwise it will be difficult to get to know locals.
Br. Kean
Hi Alex,
Thank you for your message and checking up on me. I'm doing much better, even though I'm still not a big fan of where I live 
Thank you Kean! Really nice advices. I guess I have to completely change my urban lifestyle and learn to enjoy different experiences. It'll be a bit hard as I have always lived in big cities and my activities were mostly based on visiting restaurants, cafes, bars, concerts and art exhibitions.
Hi, I am in same boat as you and I FEEL YOU! too bad I live in the south if not I'd love to meet up ;')
Hello MaxineH,
Welcome to Expat.com 
Considering this thread has been inactive for 2 years now, I suggest you write a few words about yourself here > New members of the Finland forum, introduce yourselves here - 2023.
Also, do not forget to tell us how we can assist you.
Cheers,
Cheryl
Expat.com team
@Deniz_Mainz
Are you still having it tough/difficult 
@Deniz_Mainz Hi dear welcome here, God bless you, i am also searching for job in Finland.
@Deniz_Mainz an ideal place for person like me.
Hello everyone,
Job seekers are advised to create their CVs in the section for Jobs in Finland.
All the best,
Cheryl
Expat.com team
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