When I saw snow for the first time
I still remember the morning I woke up and looked outside the window. Everything was white. The trees, the ground, even the small playground below my apartment, all covered in soft snow.
It was completely silent.
I stood there for a long time, just watching. I didn’t feel cold at that moment. I only felt calm. It was my first time seeing snow in real life, not on TV or in pictures. And it felt almost unreal, like I was inside a different world.
Back in my home country, Vietnam is a tropical country so we never have seen snow before. This first moment felt very special to me. Simple, quiet, but unforgettable.
A season of colors I had never seen before
Before winter came, Finland gave me another surprise: colorful autumn.
I had never seen trees turn so many shades of yellow, orange, and red. One day, I stood under a big tree with golden leaves, and I just felt happy for no reason. The leaves were falling slowly around me, and everything looked so warm and alive.
It was very different from what I knew before. In my country, seasons don’t change this clearly. But here, nature speaks in colors.
These small moments changed how I see nature. In Finland, nature is not loud or overwhelming. It is quiet, simple, and peaceful. But somehow, it makes me slow down and feel more. The first snow made me feel calm. The autumn leaves made me feel joy.
And both reminded me that sometimes, the most beautiful experiences are also the simplest ones.
Text and pictures: Thom Le, International Tourism Management student