Photo: Annika Pitkänen
Summer Cabin Living
Joy
‘Mum, where did you put the Mölkky game? Did you leave it in the car?’ I’m surprised by the emotions brought on by the question. It’s just like when the kids were still small. They asked the same thing, and the answer was the same, too: ‘Yeah, it’s in the car’. I return to reality. The 19-year-old eyes looking at me underlining the question are exactly the same as they were when they were 9. I want to hug my kid, and my lips are itching to smile. My youngest is kicking a worn ball on the grass, aims at a tree, but misses. Someone is filling a balloon with warmth inside my chest. It’s love. My children. And no one is in a hurry to go anywhere.
‘Someone is filling a balloon with warmth inside my chest.’
Finland has millions of summer cabins
Finns are a summer cabin loving people. Nearly half of all Finns spend some time at a summer cabin each year. The summer cabin life is filled with activities: cleaning, cooking, playing games, reading. When the pandemic restricted travel abroad and employers started offering the chance to work remotely, many Finns stayed at their cabin even after their summer vacation ended.
Summer cabins as cultural heritage
In the Nordics particularly, holiday homes are associated with a lot of cultural importance, and they are a part of the national identity of many. Going to a summer cabin is a way to relax, and many families have strong traditions that they observe when staying at the summer cabin: heating up the sauna, chopping firewood, fishing, playing Mölkky and other outdoor games. It’s easier to relax at a summer cabin than at home, since the change in scenery helps us break free of the stress of everyday life.
Thank you.
You were not alone with your feelings.
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