Everything I need is right here
Delia Ionela Chinta, who moved from Madrid, Spain, to Kuopio, wouldn’t trade her life in Kuopio for anything. With services and nature close by and endless job opportunities, she feels she has everything she needs.
Chinta relocated from Madrid to Kuopio in 2020. She left behind the hustle and bustle of a metropolis and embraced a new culture and language. This didn’t faze her, as she had always longed for peace and quiet. Finland won her heart immediately.
In 2019, while working as a practical nurse in Madrid, Chinta received an email offering her the chance to study and work in Kuopio, Finland. After giving it some thought and learning about Finnish culture, she applied. By August 2020, Chinta was living in Kuopio and starting a year-long apprenticeship program to become a practical nurse.
“I knew that if I was selected, I would move to Finland permanently,” Chinta explains.
“The educational opportunities, professional development, and independent work culture attracted me. I enjoy developing myself, and I’m naturally independent, so integrating into Finland has been easy. Here, my opinions are listened to and valued, which has been wonderful.”
Chinta began studying nursing at Lapland University of Applied Sciences in Rovaniemi. At the same time, she was enrolled in the international Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) program at Savonia University of Applied Sciences. She found herself more interested in business and decided to stop pursuing nursing. Such flexibility in education would not have been possible in Spain.
Currently, Chinta still works part-time at Harjula Hospital on a ward, while also doing an internship with the Talent Hub Eastern Finland network. In the future, she wants to start a company that helps skilled professionals moving to Kuopio better understand Finnish work culture and the specific requirements of working as a nurse in Finland.
“The role of a nurse in Finland is one of great responsibility, and you need to be self-directed,” Chinta reflects.
“Many people who move here are used to their boss telling them what to do. But in Finland, you’re expected to be independent and self-reliant, and it’s not wrong to have your own opinions. I’d like to help with integration because it could bring more permanent skilled professionals to Kuopio.”
Chinta feels Kuopio is the perfect-sized city. She loves winter and enjoys skiing and walking with her dog, Olivia. Weekly sauna sessions have become an important ritual for her. She doesn’t miss the warm climate of Spain at all.
“Everything I need is right here. I can live right in the city center, but I’m still always close to nature. I can bike everywhere, and all the services are nearby.”
Chinta believes the people of Kuopio are warm-hearted. She has received a lot of emotional support and many invitations to coffee and summer cottages. She doesn’t find Finns to be as closed off as they’re often said to be. Her mother has also fallen in love with Finland.
“My mother loves picking berries in the forest and is obsessed with Oivariini (a Finnish butter blend),” Chinta laughs.
“She always leaves Finland feeling calm and peaceful because this is where her soul finds rest.”
Text: Akiola-Media Oy / Niina Linna
Photos: Delia Ionela Chinta
