Text and photos: Silja Lavonen
“I never imagined myself moving to Finland. Actually, I wanted to go to Portugal,” Lieselot laughs when asked how she ended up here from Belgium.
Her opportunity to live abroad first came during her studies, through the Erasmus exchange program.
“A school friend of mine went to Portugal, so I figured it would be better to choose a different place. Otherwise, we’d just be stuck with each other and not meet anyone new,” she recalls. So instead of sunny Southern Europe, her destination became Finland and the town of Kajaani. There, at Kajaani University of Applied Sciences, her earlier studies in sports combined neatly with her then-current focus on tourism — making the choice a natural fit.
Originally, it was supposed to be just a one-time experience. But during an internship in Muonio she discovered that she actually enjoyed the long northern winter.
When she returned to Belgium to finish her degree, she found she couldn’t shake the thought of Finland. The pull was strong enough that she packed her bags once again and headed back.
Her work took her first to southern Finland town Heinola and then to north, Ivalo, but neither place felt quite right. Something was still missing.
Eventually, it was the snowy winters of the north — along with stronger career opportunities in tourism — that led her to send out open applications to Rovaniemi, Ylläs, and Kuusamo.
Kuusamo came through. In November 2019 she moved into new town, and spent her first winter working as a safari guide, introducing international visitors to Finnish nature.
When Covid spread in 2020, it shook the tourism industry and made work hard to find. But for Lieselot, the pandemic brought an unexpected benefit: time to study Finnish language. With integration courses held online and free time suddenly available, she was able to fully focus on studies.
“For me, Covid turned out to be positive. I could really get to know the area, settle down, and study the language,” she says.
Today, her Finnish is so strong that she can comfortably give an interview almost entirely in Finnish.
Her choice of home has occasionally puzzled her family. “Why on earth would you live somewhere so cold?” her father once asked. “But you just wear more clothes,” Lieselot replies with a laugh.
The remoteness of Kuusamo has also taken some getting used to. A Belgian friend who often visited southern Finnish cities kept asking if they were close enough to meet. Again and again, Lieselot had to say no, until finally the friend sighed: “In’t hol van Pluto! (You really live in the lair of Pluto).”
Her hometown in Belgium is actually smaller than Kuusamo, but big cities are only half an hour away. “Here, if you want to go shopping, you need to drive two hours to Oulu,” she explains.
Still, she feels Kuusamo has everything she needs, and she doesn’t mind the quieter rhythm. “I think you can feel bored anywhere, in a big city or in a small place. But sometimes boredom is good. It doesn’t bother me,” she laughs.
Trips back home now feel hectic, and after them it’s a relief to return to the calm of Kuusamo and the apartment she shares with her boyfriend.
Since the pandemic, Lieselot has gained experience in several roles in Kuusamo. Her advice is to stay open-minded and willing to try something new, so that lack of work doesn’t become a reason to leave. Her philosophy is simple: try, give things some time, and stay if life feels good.
After three winters of guiding and completing a whitewater rafting captain’s course, she felt ready for something new — something that matched her education more closely. Improving her Finnish opened doors, and she applied for a sales manager role at Rukan Salonki.
A little over a year later, we’re sitting in one of Salonki’s log villas, and Lieselot smiles broadly as she talks about her job.
“The guiding work was so valuable, because it helps me now to understand the bigger picture, from both the customer’s and partner’s perspective,” she says.
Her workdays are busy and full of responsibility, offering a sharp contrast to her otherwise peaceful life.
“I work closely with our partners and lead the sales team. We also take care of guests here on site and plan out their weekly programs.”
She adds that finding a comparable role in Belgium would probably be impossible. “Here we manage everything — activities, sales, accommodation, transport… everything from the moment a customer’s plane lands. In Belgium, each part is handled by a different company.”
“The days can be really hectic, with a million things happening at once, but I’m so happy I applied for this job,” she says, her voice calm but certain.
To anyone moving here, Lieselot’s advice is to be patient in getting to know people. “Locals will warm up to you, but in their own time.”
Through tourism work, she’s made friends who share hobbies like berry and mushroom picking. “I love cooking, and I like to combine Belgian flavors with things I find in the forest. My friends have taught me how to recognize different mushrooms.”
And learning local traditions doesn’t stop there. “One day I’d like to learn how to cook reindeer heart,” she says with a grin.
After several years, her favorite season has shifted from winter to the sunny Finnish summer. “I love the sun and the lakes! I spend as much time as I can by the water.” She’s even found her favorite beach: a quiet spot by Lake Suininki.
Having lived in many parts of Finland, she’s convinced Kuusamo is the best of them all. “If I didn’t enjoy it here, I’d have left already,” she says matter-of-factly. And with her energy and determination, it’s easy to believe her.
