It’s been a long time since I last wrote a blog post. A lot has happened over the past year, and I felt it was time to sit down and write again.

One of the biggest things that happened was that I applied for and received an Irish passport. It’s something I had been thinking about for a long time and always wanted to do. When it finally arrived in the mail, it felt both exciting and surreal. The passport is significant to me for several reasons. It opens up opportunities for the future as an EU citizen to live and work abroad, while also making travel throughout Europe much easier. It also strengthens my connection to my family and where I come from.

I’m also planning another trip to Finland this summer, which I’m really looking forward to. When I arrive, I’ll stay with a relative for a few days in Helsinki before traveling east by train. Along my journey, I will see forests, lakes, and smaller towns.

I’ll be attending a family reunion in Eastern Finland, where we’ll stay at a hotel and get to ride Icelandic horses nearby. I’m really looking forward to riding the horses, as it will be a new experience for me. During the trip, I’ll also visit Koli National Park, which is one of Finland’s most famous national parks, known for its landscapes and views over Lake Pielinen.

I’ll also be visiting a relative’s home for a gathering and will have the opportunity to meet more extended family. I’m really looking forward to it

At some point during the trip, I would also like to visit a few other places in Europe:

• Sweden (Stockholm)
• Denmark (Copenhagen)
• Italy (Rome and Sorrento, where I hope to meet up with one of my cousins and her two boys who will also be travelling in Europe at the same time). It’s only a few hours flight from Copenhagen and I love history, so that’s another reason I’d like to go there.

I’ve been wanting to explore some other countries close to Finland, and this trip feels like a great chance to do that. I’ve already been to the three Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) so now I’d like to see a few places nearby that I haven’t been to yet, and possibly Italy.