Submitted by an expat woman living in Helsinki, Finland

Helsinki is at about the same latitude as Alaska, so that gives a sense of how far north it is situated. There are about 9 months of cold weather and 3 months of warm-ish (not hot) weather in the year. July is the most beautiful month, but it rains all throughout the fall and it snows all winter.

Living anywhere in the Helsinki region is good because of the excellent public transport. Rent can be expensive and in the Helsinki region it can be really hard to find a suitable place. Most people pay month to month rent. Housing is high quality, but can be far away from a bus stop so plan accordingly.

No, most people do not have household help because it is really expensive.

The best way to call home is to use a free calling service on the Internet. You can buy a prepaid mobile SIM card from almost any kiosk for about $20. The providers are all equally good. Coverage is excellent.

There are many internet providers to choose from. You buy the contract and then set up the modem at home (about $30 for the cheapest service). Also, many cafes offer free wifi.

There is a large amount of English programming on TV, even more so than Finnish shows! You have to pay a TV license fee of a few hundred Euros a year. No getting out of that. English newspapers can be found in major department stores.

Postal service is excellent. Many people speak English, especially in the city center.

It's important to learn the local language, but you can go years without needing it. You can take classes at the university, or, if you are unemployed, you might even get to study Finnish for free. Almost everyone under 40 speaks English so you probably won't get to practice that much.

Water is safe to drink and is pumped in just like in America. Most places have electric stoves, not gas.

It is hard to find a job unless you come on contract or speak Finnish or have a really special skill. People here are highly skilled and speak English so being a native speaker is not an advantage.

http://www.MOL.fi and http://www.oikotie.fi lists jobs, but mostly in Finnish.

Local currency is Euros and it is easy to set up an account. Don't forget to bring an ID to the bank.

State and private healthcare is available and everyone has state health care. The lines can be long, but it is an option. If you want fast service, go for private care, but be prepared to pay more. It is easy to get medicine and pharmacies are of very high quality. Many doctors, but not all, speak good English. You can check first by calling their office.

Kids are dropped off at school by parents or they take the city bus. There are no special school buses. It is not unusual to see really young kids (7-8) riding the bus alone.

University education is good.

It is expensive to own a car. You have to go to the police station to exchange your US license for a Finnish one and complete paperwork. Helsinki has a great system of trains, buses, subway, and trams based on zones. Public transport is very safe and easy to use.

You can find everything here, but it is expensive. Stockman and Sokos are the big local stores. Do not bother bringing huge American furniture/appliances as they will not fit into spaces here. There are tons of hairdressers but many don't speak English. A haircut starts at about 60E. A manicure is about 50E (considered a luxury).

All winter sports are big here, as well as track and field in the summer. There are many sporting clubs that one can join.

There are lots of vets and many trails to walk dogs on.

News in English: http://www.yle.fi/uutiset/news/ and http://www.hs.fi/english/

The winter is really hard if you are not used to it. Try to plan a vacation at that time in order to get some sun! It never really gets warm here, so do not be disappointed with the summer weather, which ends up being more like spring.