Everybody has a place that is closer to their heart than any other place. The place that instantly makes your heartbeats blur into the background and makes you realise how wonderful life is and how lucky you are to be living the life you are living. It might be your childhood home, or it might be just a random place like a gas station, that other people see as a forgone conclusion. What matters however, is the memories you attach in your thoughts to the place. Personally for me, having born in South-eastern Finland, Koli is my "place". And not just because of the fact that it reminds me that hey Finland is your home, but because it is the most beautiful place I've ever been in. Trust me Bali and its white sand beaches and crystal blue waters are nothing compared to the sound of the loon (bird) in the middle of complete silence that opens when you climb higher to the mountains of this National Park. It feels like the only colours in the world are blue, white and green there. It feels like there is 10 times more air than you'd ever need. So if you ever get a chance, GO! (there is no place in Finland that would ever showcase the nature as well as Koli does, and nature is a part of the Finnish culture, or at least that's how I see it. Plus it makes you feel purified in a way.. you get a sense of serenity I guess?). Even if you are not the hiker type of a person, you can still go the cafe at the Sokos Hotel and have a rye bread with salmon. Doesn't get much more Finnish than that I think.
