Journalist Erika Benke became so enamoured by the happiest country in the world that she upped sticks and moved there permanently, but is Finland really utopia?

Hi, I'm Dhruti Shah, and this is my podcast Have You Thought About? I'm a writer, journalist and poet, and I love to find out about what passions people chase after in life, especially if then blending together skills in unusual ways. In each edition, I'm going to chat with someone I find particularly interesting and someone who's managed to fit things together in their life or

I moved to Finland two and a half years ago, after 23 year career in the BBC newsroom in London. In the last two or three years, when I was still with the BBC, I started making lots and lots of films about Finland. So I would come here quite a lot to gather material for my stories. And I just sort of gradually started to feel that I'm a lot happier here than I was in London. The BBC

everything's just organised so well.

I was going to say Finland comes up in the most sort of happy places to live. However, it can't be perfect, right? There must be some challenges in terms of adjusting to a new life or is that something that you've got used to? Because you have crossed countries before?

Yeah, I'm sure that's part of it. You know, I've always been very - a risk taker. And I love challenges and I love going to new places. So that's kind of that's my personality. So of course, that's made it a lot easier to adjust to a new life in Finland. But of course it's not perfect. I mean, no country is perfect compared to the other countries that I lived in. This is the most

So how do you get your Vitamin D and everything the sun provides in those cold winter months?

Most people take vitamin D supplements here. The way most people cope with it is that you go out they have this window of opportunity two or three hours during the day when there is light. When you leave the house, go for a run, go for go skiing, go to the supermarket or do your chores. So just take advantage of that little window of opportunity that you have to soak up some

How different is is to life having grown up in Hungary?

The biggest difference is, it's a very fair and very equal society here. So here, if you're a woman, if you're a foreigner, it doesn't really stop you from achieving anything or getting anywhere in life. And that is quite good. I can't tell you how it's sort of giving you wings, it makes you want to just do more and achieve more all the time. There's a very kind of progressive and

So that element of support, collaboration is quite key to you, in which case I'm gonna actually sort of segue on to you are a storyteller. And you have covered a lot of different stories over your career, and probably your career to come. Finland, of course, came from storytelling. But right now, what drives you when it comes to pursuing your curiosity that makes you think, actually,

But Finland is very much undercovered in the international media, although it's changing a bit now because of the NATO story. So Finland applied to join NATO after Russia attacked Ukraine. So that has been obviously in the international news over the last year. But other than that, not much. And that's such a shame, because Finland has so many stories that the whole world

It's any sand. It's not special sand. No, absolutely. So

the best part of it that you don't even need quality sand, so they were using sand that's been rejected by the construction industry. So it was not even good for builders, but it's good. So this cheapest sand is good for making this battery. And they said that any sort of granule product that is not flammable would work on the same principles. Like they're looking at industrial

That's really fascinating because there's a lot of conversation and a lot of focus within from the UN from the G20, on land degradation and land restoration. So to then understand that there are solutions, potential solutions happening, which, as you say, could change the world. That's absolutely fascinating. But you're not a science specialist. So how did you take the confidence to

To be honest with you, it's true. I'm not a science specialist that I approach this story with trepidation, because I never paid any attention to physics or chemistry at school. I always have a list of potential stories, and I put it on my list. And then weirdly, somebody from the BBC approached me about it. They said, hey, have you heard about this? Yeah, I actually have, and I've

That that human element is what drives the story, right. That's what you and I also have chats about.

yeah, the enthusiasm. So that was I just could feel the passion. And then when this email came through, from one of the BBC contacts that I have, I said, yeah, yeah of course, I'll do it. I think many of my story ideas come from the Finnish press, of course, like I'm doing something now. I just filmed afantastic lady, an 82 year old woman who just received her black belt in Taekwondo,

Wow.

And now at the age of 82. She's a black belt. And she was telling me that her balance and her flexibility improved hugely, but also her memory has improved. Because you need to remember all the movements. So like, they have these patterns and lots and lots of different kind of movements and techniques. And she has to remember exactly what comes after what. So that has had a fantastic

We want them to be happy when they are elderly, and when they reach that stage in life, but unfortunately, the reality is that most of us are not in the best physical or mental shape after a certain age. And then if you see such a shining example of somebody just so full of life, so full of energy, articulating her thoughts, so clearly, that's just so inspiring. So I'm always on the hunt for

So you're looking forward to retirement at some point then in Finland. If there is retirement?

I don't think about retirement you know. Yeah, I think I think there's at least 15/20 Is that I'd like to work. And then when I retire, I might, I might, you know; I'm worried about climate change, really, it's just, I've been here for three winters, and I see some weird things, you know. We still have tonnes of snow and ice but we had two kind of warm spells this year in January

I can see you doing that. Erika, I actually could see you doing that. And then getting featured in the world's press about your career change.

The world's oldest reindeer herder, retrained at the age of seventy, or whatever.

Well, then, you know, there's always there's always a market for reindeer herding, especially around Christmas, though you never know.

Well, I don't know.

I might start an Airbnb. It's probably a bit more realistic up north and people will come there because there won't be snow anywhere else at that point. I don't think in Europe, unless you go really, really far north. That's my vague plan for retirement.

And that was the wonderful Erica Benke who brings together Finland, storytelling and much much more. Do you have an interdisciplinary life because I would love to hear from you. And perhaps we can chat about that on this podcast that goes with my newsletter, which is called Have you thought about and can be found via www.dhrutishah.com. Please join me next time for a fun