Ask Me Anything: I Answer

I asked what you want to know about me? Well plenty it seems. I got questions from social media, emails, dm’s you name it. Many of you were interested in my life in Scandinavia before coming to Australia. So here are the best, in a nutshell, my life as Susanna the Nordic Mum.

Why You Moved to Australia and When?

I need to go back to 1999 when I was living in Finland and decided to move to London, UK. I applied for a job as a nurse and I was accepted. Moving February 1999 to Hammersmith, London. I settled down pretty quickly and loved the freedom and lifestyle being a nurse gave me. I worked as a nurse for a two years at the same hospital.

After two years  I realized I’m too young to have back pain. I didn’t feel comfortable continuing as a nurse. I went to work in the corporate sector. This is where I was when my company approach me to take upon an opportunity in Sydney, Australia. I had been with this company for 5 years and I felt that I had done everything that I wanted to do in UK and I wanted to move on.  The company offered a job in Sydney and I was told to I need to go via Auckland for a few months as well.  Gladly I took the job and moved to Auckland 2007 October and to Sydney in January 2008.

Arrival to Sydney I was walking at Circular Que looking at the Sydney Harbor Bridge and Opera House thinking what a lucky person I am to be able to call this home.

Could You Consider Being Vegan or Leaving Zero Waste Lifestyle?

I have considered been vegan many times and some things in my life have kind of pointed towards veganism. I have adopted some of the things vegans do like I use Nuttelex which is a vegan spread basically.

But then being a vegan when you have children, my children love meat and cutting it off from them because I am vegan I do not think would work.

Living Zero Waste Lifestyle is another one that I feel more pressure to do. We have a compost, we put different waste on different recycling even when it is harder and you need to separate things yourself.

Going zero waste with kids would be hard. They are well educated on sustainability, they are always asking is this recycle or compost food? My kids are eco-warriors and I want to set example. Perhaps further down the line zero waste is the only way we can live on.

What do You Love Most About the Scandinavian Lifestyle?

[bctt tweet=”I love everything about Scandinavia” username=”thenordicmumpodcas”].

As a society, they have made the right choices. They’re geared towards equal opportunities. No matter what your background or your gender is you can be everything if you really want to. I think society supports you better there in terms of life choices and the society then has a safety net that catches you if something happens to you. So I think those options makes people very content and happy to live in Scandinavian countries.

I love Scandinavian design. Every time I see something that is Scandinavian it makes me happy. I am always checking on things to see if they are made in the Nordics. The beauty is that you can have the Scandinavian lifestyle where ever you are. This podcast has become a place for me to open up about my Nordic lifestyle and how you can do it yourself where ever you are.

Food is big for me. To be able to cook nordic home flavors to my kids and keep them connected to their Finnish heritage. We connect our culture through our food and I am no exception here.

What Advice I Would Give For My 18 Year Old Self?

If I could I would tell my 18-year-old to take it easy. Enjoy life, even the hard moments that you do not like; enjoy them as well. I would tell my 18-year-old to find a hobby, sport and keep doing it until you are older. Now that I am in the early 40s I wish I could have a sport to fall back on that draws me out every day and keeps me busy. Something that I enjoy doing and I am good at it.

I would also encourage my younger self to save some money and go traveling. Move to another country earlier. Go and experience life out there not just through books, internet, and social media. Traveling and living in another country will richer your life more than you can imagine. Trust me. I know.

What is Your Life-Changing Moment

As a parent, it is always the birth of your child. Just after given birth to my son (my older one ) and the feeling of unconditional love towards this little thing. I realized that I have become second in life as my baby would always be first on my priorities.

The second son’s birth was another moment that I remember thinking oh gosh he is so cute. But also thinking why did we do this? Remembering that he is going to keep us awake at least a year. How right I was. It took three years for him to start sleeping through.

Other watershed moments was traveling in India and being confronted by poverty. It was pretty brutal. I do remember visiting Taj Mahal admiring the monument of love. It is huge, the walls are smooth mosaic. Inside people were quiet, whispering almost like at church. It was a beautiful moment and I realized that we all have that special someone out there for us.

What Is Your Favourite Move and Why?

I would say moving from Oulu, Finland to London, UK was a big one. I did not know anyone and I just did it because I needed a change and adventure. My first few weeks were spent exploring and getting to know new cultures. I  was walking around taking pictures in case it all disappeared tomorrow I did had proof I had been there.

My other favorite move was to move here to Australia. It was one of the best moves, nature, the people, and how beautiful this country and its people are. Finland is beautiful as is Australia in a different way. You have the freedom and you are lucky if you can call one of these countries your home.

What Was the Best Date You Ever Had?

I met this guy back in the day in Finland. We were in a night club and we danced and ended up talking and talking. There was this instant connection between us. We ended up sitting on some rocks by the beach for the whole night and just talking. It was magical. We did not change phone numbers but that night where for just one moment there were the two of us I still remember.

Another date that I remember is my 25th birthday in London. My boyfriend came to pick me up from work and took me for this amazing Michelin star restaurant in London called Savoy. It was the best food I had ever tasted.  After the lunch he took me for a boat ride followed night in west end play Equus starred by Daniel Radcliffe. It was the best birthday date forever.

So know you know little bit more about me. I would love to hear from you just jump in on one of the social platforms below and say hello.

You can connect with me on the following social platforms.

Facebook: @NordicMumSusanna
Instagram: @thenordicmum
Pinterest:@thenordicmum
Twitter: @NordicMumPodcas

Did You Like What You Heard?

Let me know by giving us a Review on iTunes. I love reading your reviews and I love to share them in our Instagram stories. Just hit the link, select Ratings and Review and Write a Review. We love to bring you more exciting guests and the reviews will help up us to share the scandic love that little bit further. If you have any comment, questions, or just want to chat head out to Instagram or Facebook where I hang out.

Don’t forget to subscribe so that you wont miss an episode.