Lives a bilingual family life in Åland

Tiina comes from Pori in Satakunta and her husband is from Sweden. Finnish and Swedish have therefore always existed side by side in the family, even though English was the couple's first shared language.

– In the beginning we spoke English with each other, but today we have a completely bilingual home. I have always spoken Finnish with the children and my husband Swedish. Now that they are older, we switch languages effortlessly, sometimes mid-sentence during conversations around the dinner table.

Moving without prior connections

Tiina and her husband are Christian believers and met through work and studies within an international missionary organisation. Neither of them had any prior connection to Åland, yet the idea of moving there grew stronger.

– For me it was a strong inner conviction that Åland was the right place for us.

The family was living in Turku at the time. The youngest children were three and five years old, and the eldest was about to start second grade. The move therefore took place in the summer, before schools started. First the family moved to a rented apartment in the rural municipality of Lemland, and later they bought a house just a few hundred metres away.

– Now we have right of domicile, but we didn't when we bought the house. It's a common misconception that you can't buy a house in Åland. I've even been asked whether we pay taxes, says Tiina, laughing.

She often has to explain to family and friends what the self-governance and the right of domicile entail.

– We've noticed that ignorance about Åland is often widespread, both in Finland and Sweden.

Language opens doors

For Tiina, language is an important key to feeling part of Ålandic society. She recommends taking language courses and getting involved in community associations both to learn Swedish and to find new social contexts.

– The local language is the key to the people and the community. At the same time, it shouldn't be a problem for those moving within Finland – everyone has studied Swedish at school, so the foundation is there.

Tiina herself has accepted a role as a Swedish language ambassador. This means she visits Finnish-speaking schools on the mainland and talks about how she learned Swedish and what opportunities the language has given her.

Despite Swedish being the dominant language in Åland, the family's three children are still fully bilingual.

– We have chosen to make an extra effort to maintain Finnish as the home language, sent the children to Finnish-language camps and spent a lot of time with relatives during the holidays.

Thriving as a jack-of-all-trades

During her first period in Åland, Tiina continued working for the same Christian organisation as before. She then chose to start her own business.

– I have always been a jack-of-all-trades, and that suits Åland very well. Many people here are exactly that.

Through her company she has, among other things, worked as a freelance writer, photographer and translator from Swedish to Finnish, collaborated with tourism companies and blogged in Finnish about everyday life in Åland. When a part-time job as tournament coordinator at IFK Mariehamn Football came up, she said yes to that as well.

– My first assignment was the Alandia Cup for 11-year-olds, where many of the teams are Finnish-speaking. I remember how wonderful it was to get to work a little in Finnish again.

An everyday life that works

Tiina sees many advantages to life in Åland, even though there are also challenges. The tax border in combination with online shopping is one such challenge, and since her husband travels a lot for work, the travel times can sometimes feel long.

– But otherwise we are very happy here. I like that the Ålanders are enterprising and straightforward. There is a lot of common sense here. People have their feet on the ground and pitch in – if you need help, you get it.

She also highlights the range of amenities as something that often surprises people.
– Åland has almost everything. There is even both a curling hall and a ski slope. Mariehamn is also a perfectly sized city, and most of what you need is close by.

– Åland is the right place for us!