Once graduating high school, many kids go on to college or the workforce, but that can’t be said for Senior Xzavier Kahkonen. He has decided to live in and travel around Finland after graduation.
Kahkonens’s dad’s side of the family is from Finland and he said that he wants to learn about and explore the country. He loves the cold weather and would like to get out of the United States.
“I just want to get out of the country,” says Kahkonen.
The country of Finland is in northern Europe located near Sweden, Russia and Norway, surrounded by the Baltic Sea, the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia. Kahkonen will be one of the 5.5 million people living in the country known for its wilderness and national parks.
Kahkonen is planning to enjoy and explore rocky areas of the country: “I would like to explore mountainous regions and just be out in nature.”
Kahkonen is going to Finland by himself and is planning to travel there for a year. After his year of travelling around the country, he will most likely move there permanently.
The people in this country speak both Finnish and Swedish. To be able to communicate, he is going to have to learn both of these languages. He is going to take classes through Duolingo to be able to do everyday activities like ordering food and asking for directions.
In Finland, the largest cities are Helsinki, Espoo, Tampere, Vantaa and Turku. He would like to visit the capital, Helsinki, and all the natural landmarks such as Koli National Park, Pyhä-Luosto National Park and The Village of Saramo.
Since Kahkonen will be traveling alone, he thinks that this is a great place for solitude and self-reflection.
“I will definitely miss my family and friends and will have to come back for the holidays,” explained Kahkonen
Moving to a different country 12 hours away is a big decision to make. Kahkonen settled on this commitment and wants to do everyday activities on his own. He is moving somewhere he has never been before, so give him kind comments and luck.
