Tammisaari 2008. After my contemporary contract ended in December, I moved with my sister and her family to think about what my next stage in life could be. I came out to the conclusion that the best place to live in Finland is at the corner of Mechelininkatu and Hietaniemenkatu in Helsinki.
The problem was that I wanted a house over 100 years old and there are only houses built in the 1970s in that particular corner. Why that place? A few hundred meters to Hietaniemi beach (some parks between) and the train station and a bus to the airport in the other direction. The center of the city with nature.
Every night for about four months, I thought about that wonderful old house at that crossroad. From the kitchen window of which I can see the old-fashioned courtyard with its wrought iron fences and the houses surrounding the yard with their beautiful 100yr old details. The window views at the other end of the apartment were not important. I thought about 40 square meters.
In 2010, my work in Helsinki increased and I also attended documentary director training. I was looking for a permanent apartment in Helsinki while I was living in temporary places. A co-worker was moving into a bigger apartment with her husband and said they could still keep the old one if I wanted to move there temporarily. They said it's 5 minute walk from my workplace and they are leaving some furniture and cooking utensils. Of course I wanted to. I got the keys and a note with the address. After my shift at work I went to the place for the first time. A wonderful house over 100 years old. From the kitchen window I could see the courtyard with wrought iron fences. Location on Hietaniemenkatu, about 100 meters from my dream corner.
The rent was very cheap for a 40-square-meter apartment located there. The smell of the house was even more wonderful than I could have imagined. And there was an old fireplace to warm the winter evenings. I couldn't have imagined that either. Thank you, I got what I asked for and more.
Of course, with a delay of a couple of years and having completely forgotten about it in between. Is that the way 'law of attraction' works? I lived in that diamond of houses for a few years until life took me to Mexico for a couple of years.