Do you like it here?

That is the second question people ask me and it's kind of easy (yes), but also difficult to answer. I have lived in Charlotte over 3 years now, and it's not a long time to settle in. I know that there is people, who have relocated several times in their lives and they know how to mingle in in a new place. I'm not one of those.

I have lived all my life in Finland and moved only to go to college (60 miles from my home town) and after graduation started my family at my college city. And I was perfectly happy there! I never planned to move abroad and it was a huge adjustment for me. So, yes, I love living in Charlotte, but it's not that simple.

In three years here, I've accomplished a lot. I'm working, my daughter will graduate from high school next spring, we bought our own house... So we are going to stay and that is great. I have found a bunch of great friends here and I am happy just the way things are.


But: when I'm enjoying my time with girlfriends here, I miss my Finnish friends. I love Thanksgiving, but desperately miss First of May and Midsummer celebration. I enjoy warm weather, but would do almost everything to get to (original Finnish) sauna now and then. I'm used to the landscape here, but it's not my comfortable landscape and there is forest like in Finland here. And the birds sing in the wrong language!

And yet, I would not want to go back at the moment and that makes me sad: I feel like I'm betraying my roots when I'm loving my life here. And I know it's kind of stupid, but I just always need to be sad for a moment before I can truly be happy here.i know it sound weird. And it takes a lot of energy to feel so sad and so happy at the same time.

So next time you ask me how do I like it here in Charlotte, all of the above run through my brains before I can give you an answer. But my answer is: YES, I love it here and wouldn't change a thing!