Respite, Reuse, and Home

In Mikkeli, my thoughts have drifted back and forth to home.  What makes a home, what can be reused and remade to create a home, and what is home for different people.  We toured a school in Mikkeli for Grades 1-10.  The children take off their shoes and coats and go to class in their socks.  I imagined how comfortable it would be to learn that way.  We saw a music class where boys with behavioral problems felt comfortable and at home enough to make beautiful music together.


In the library, I got to see a piece of home for me.  (Good taste in music, Mikkeli!)



Tero, my host, drove me around the neighborhoods of Mikkeli one evening.  I saw many wood houses that were built after the war.  The proportions were beautiful, and it was nice to see that the houses were still working well in the present day.

We visited a bed and breakfast in Ristina.  The owners have only owned the place for two years, but they were filled with pride when discussing it's history.  They want to repair it to it's original beauty, but keep the feeling of the old.

I visited a development company, Mikalo Oy, to discuss housing in Finland.  I was interested to find that the company's mission was not to make a huge profit, but simply to break even.  The city of Mikkeli subsidizes rents for those who can not afford a home.  There is no one without a home in Mikkeli.  Everyone, no matter their social status, has a place to live.

We visited the Infantry Museum.  In times of war, home can simply be comrades and friends.

Jorma Tiitinen spoke with us about the endangered ringed seal and the work he is doing to try to protect this animal's home.  I was moved to tears to hear his impassioned discussion about this beautiful animal.

Sometimes. . . home can simply be a letter.

And sometimes, the best home can be used for one purpose. . . then renovated and reused for an altogether different, but fabulous, purpose!!

A Fazer Easter Egg!!  An egg shell filled with chocolate, courtesy of Jussi and Laila Törrönen!!

I have thoroughly enjoyed Mikkeli. . . It feels a little like home.  I have felt very welcomed and at home in the family of Tero and Poh Suan Lallukka.

Thank you all so very much!

Robin