Three hours from the Russian border

There's so much news we never hear about because the world is a big place and small places don't make enough racket.

Finland, for example, has been bullied by Russia... well, forever, but now it ranges from annoying to horrible and somewhat scary.

For example: Russians are apparently hacking the GPS of Finns who are driving near the border and sending them off on random routes.

But also: they paid hundreds of refugees to come to Russia and then ride bicycles over the land border with Finland and claim asylum.

Seemingly just to overwhelm the Finnish systems (which are only used to processing the handful of asylum seekers that come through the airport) and... distract the government? Make them spend a lot of money to house and feed and take care of these people for the year+ they're being processed? Incite fear among citizens that this is a test for something bigger?

I was doing my road trip across Finland just before the US election so I was obviously thinking a lot about the state of the world on the long drive.

Specifically, what it means to be an American who votes but lives abroad and doesn't really plan to return. About the line between privilege and self care. About how part of me is so glad I live in Mexico, and wants to just wash my hands of the whole thing, but the bigger part knows I can only live in Mexico because I have a very powerful passport that I'd never give up...

And if I wouldn't give up my citizenship and the benefits that come along with it, then saying "not my problem" is just gross privilege, right?

I spent most of my trip with my friend Kelli, who lives about 90 minutes from the Russian border. When we were talking about the worst case scenarios, I made an offhand comment about how I was glad she had dual citizenship. She hasn't lived in the US in +20 years but she could always go back if push came to shove, right?

Without missing a beat, she told me she never would. She said she'd stay and fight, no matter what. She didn't even have to think about it. She'd risk her personal safety for her adopted country of 5.5 million people, even against a super power like Russia.

Even though the last time Finland and Russia were at war, the former lost 10% of its territory and 70,000 lives.

I hope she never has to make any decision of the sort. I don't think she will. But I also haven't stopped thinking about it.

In fact, that's what I was thinking about when I went to the train station a few days later. I was dragging my suitcase through the center of Helsinki, and I stopped to take a photo because it's a pretty building. And then I noticed they had removed the Finnish flag from this very central, relatively important building and were flying the Ukrainian flag in its place.

Some Googling tells me that isn't isolated. Finland has been regularly flying the Ukrainian flag at important government buildings on various anniversaries of the fighting, too.

This tiny country, in a capital city three hours from the border, where Russians are dropping off asylum seekers on bicycles and fucking with everyone's GPS.

Finland has cut off Russian tourism, even though it was a big source of revenue for the eastern part of the country. Women are signing up for civilian defense training in droves. Everyone seems to be pretty much on the same page that Russia should be stood up to.

It's all just made me think a lot about what I'm willing to fight for, what I'm willing to fight against, and the difference between the two.

I don't have a pretty bow to tie this up with. That's really as far as I've gotten.

So, for now, I'll just leave you with a happy Friday and promise a lighter-heart edition about drinking Palomas in Athens next week. 💜

xo,
Caro