Veronika Ličer, a student on the Economist programme, Digital Marketing pathway, felt a mixture of excitement and apprehension before departing for a six-month Erasmus work placement in Finland. She was about to experience the land of a thousand lakes, pristine nature and long winter nights, and above all a new life and work experience in Rovaniemi in the far north of Europe.
Finland interested Veronika because of its nature, culture and reputation as the 'happiest country'. As a metal music enthusiast, she was particularly excited to get to know the environment from which many of her favourite bands come. At the same time, she was curious about what life would be like in a new environment, how she would manage at work and how she would cope with any homesickness.
The journey to Rovaniemi was long. After saying goodbye to her father at the railway station in Gorizia, there followed an overnight train journey to Verona, then a bus transfer to Bergamo airport and four hours of flying. On arrival through the clouds, she was greeted by a view of the characteristic Finnish landscape, interwoven with forests and lakes.
Rovaniemi welcomed her with rain and grey skies, but the weather could not overshadow the beauty of the nature. Birches, pines and spruces accompanied her at every step, and amongst them it was also possible to spot numerous blueberries and lingonberries. She found her new accommodation in a house built in the traditional Nordic style, with large windows, wooden architecture and the indispensable Finnish sauna.
An important part of her experience is also the work placement at the company Lauri House, which represents Finnish and Sámi culture through its products and accommodation. On the very first day, she visited the Arktikum museum, where she learnt about the history and culture of the indigenous Sámi people. The knowledge she gained is also connected to her work, as one of her main tasks is to present the company's story to a wider public through social media.
At work, she is getting to know various areas of digital marketing and business operations. She collaborates on preparing posts for Instagram, helps with administrative tasks related to orders via the Etsy platform, and with organising accommodation reservations. She has also learnt about the process of making traditional Finnish products – amongst other things, she has learnt to engrave names on the popular Finnish kuksa, cups made from birch wood. At work, she collaborates with mentors and colleagues, whilst customers and guests come from different parts of the world.
Life in Rovaniemi offers her not only practical work experience but also the opportunity to meet other Erasmus students. The ESN organisation takes care of socialising and various events, and amongst the events she particularly cherishes the evening by the campfire in the traditional Finnish laavu shelters. It is precisely there that she has the opportunity to admire the Northern Lights, which appear when the weather conditions are favourable enough.
She quickly found her way around the city. Cycling is a popular means of transport, and English is widely used due to the large number of international residents and visitors. Although Finnish is challenging to learn, she has already mastered some basic words and phrases. She has also been impressed by Finnish cuisine, particularly salmon soup and the traditional Karelian pasty.
Her first impressions of Finland have thus exceeded her expectations. The Erasmus experience brings her not only new knowledge and work experience but also an important personal realisation – that it is possible to overcome many a fear when one wants something enough. In the coming months, she faces ever shorter days, longer nights and ever lower temperatures, but she is looking forward to them. She is most eagerly anticipating the snow-covered Lapland and the magical winter atmosphere that the north will bring.
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Source: Academia (11. 9. 2026).
This English summary was produced automatically from the Slovenian article and is pending editorial review. Slovenska različica
