This is Senate Square, one of the most iconic spots in Helsinki. The grand building in the background is the Helsinki Cathedral. I spent part of the day wandering around here with my camera, enjoying how open and majestic the city felt compared to what I was used to back home.

This is the Helsinki Cathedral, one of the most recognizable landmarks in the city. I spent part of the afternoon walking around Senate Square and taking photos of this impressive building. Standing at the bottom of the wide stone steps looking up at it felt very grand — especially compared to anything back home in Nebraska.

I was trying to get a more interesting composition, so I framed the Helsinki Cathedral with the statue of Tsar Alexander II and the ornate street lamps in the foreground. I liked how the different elements worked together in this shot.

This is the statue of Tsar Alexander II of Russia, located in Senate Square directly in front of the Helsinki Cathedral. The monument was erected in 1894 to honor the tsar who had granted Finland greater autonomy during his reign.

I really loved Helsinki’s tram system — it was so convenient and charming. But after almost getting caught riding without a ticket earlier that day, I had finally learned my lesson: just because it’s public transportation doesn’t mean it’s free. I made sure to buy a ticket after that!

This was the harbor market in Helsinki, where vendors were getting ready for the day. I loved scenes like this — fresh fish, wooden boats, and people working right on the waterfront. It was such a contrast to anything I was used to back in Kearney, Nebraska. We definitely didn’t have fish markets or old sailing ships like this at home.

This was part of the lively outdoor market near the harbor in Helsinki. I loved walking through and seeing all the fresh produce and local vendors setting up their stalls. Scenes like this felt so alive and completely different from anything back home.

This was the fish section of the outdoor market near the harbor. The vendors had everything laid out on ice with handwritten price signs.

While walking along the harbor, I saw this woman feeding a big group of ducks from the stone steps. It struck me how people all around the world seem to love feeding birds — whether it’s ducks in Helsinki, pigeons in a city square, or seagulls at the beach. It’s one of those small, simple pleasures that feels universal.

This photo gives a great sense of scale. The large white Silja Line ferry in the background is massive compared to the smaller boats in front of it. These ferries are truly enormous — basically floating hotels that carry hundreds of passengers and vehicles across the Baltic Sea.

This beautiful old sailing ship was docked right in the heart of Helsinki’s harbor. I loved the contrast between the traditional wooden vessel with its tall masts and rigging, and the modern city buildings behind it. It was a nice reminder of Helsinki’s long maritime history.

At the harbor fish market, this vendor was showing a large fish to a customer. The man in the dark jacket was carefully looking it over while the vendor held it up for him to inspect. It was interesting to watch how seriously people took selecting their fish here.

The fish market had an impressive variety laid out on ice. There were so many different types of fish to choose from, each with its own handwritten price sign. I stood there for a while just watching people shop and vendors working. It was a lively, authentic scene.

This vendor was busy cleaning and cutting up a fish right in front of the customer who was buying it. I loved watching how skilled and efficient the fishmongers were at the harbor market — everything was done by hand and right there on the spot.

While walking around Helsinki, I came across these two condom ads on a pole. One was for a Finnish brand, and the other proudly advertised “Condom made in USA.” Seeing this kind of advertising out in the open took me by surprise — it definitely wasn’t something I was used to seeing back home in Nebraska.

This was taken while walking through the outdoor market near the harbor. I liked how the scene felt so alive — vendors setting up, people walking around, seagulls flying overhead, and that big sailing ship with all the signal flags in the background.

I couldn’t believe how much condom advertising was out in the open in Helsinki. This pole had two large billboards — one promoting colored “Euro Condoms” with the EU flag design. It was pretty shocking to see this kind of advertising right on the street.

This is the Helsinki Cathedral, one of the city’s most famous landmarks. I spent some time walking around Senate Square and climbed these wide stone steps to get a better look. The scale of the building and the grand staircase made it feel very impressive, especially from this low angle.

This is another view of the Helsinki Cathedral, this time looking up from a lower angle. I liked how the columns, statues, and dome created such a strong, grand impression. The classical architecture felt very impressive up close, especially with the overcast sky behind it.

This is the classic straight-on view of the Helsinki Cathedral from Senate Square. I spent quite a bit of time around this area taking photos — it was one of the most impressive buildings I saw in Helsinki.

After a long day of walking around Helsinki and taking pictures, Siru and I met up with Annele at her apartment. The three of us made pizza together for dinner, along with a few of their friends. It was a relaxed, fun evening — exactly the kind of night I needed after the stress of getting to Finland. We ate, drank, talked, and laughed while looking at old photos from our year in Australia.

I set the camera up on the couch, hit the self-timer, and had about 10 seconds to run back and grab my beer before the shutter clicked. We were all hanging out at Annele’s apartment after a long day, eating, drinking, and catching up. These kinds of casual, slightly chaotic group photos always ended up being some of my favorites.

Siru, Annele, and I — reunited in Helsinki six years after our year as exchange students in Australia. We had such a special bond from that time, and it was incredible how easily we fell back into the same easy friendship. Standing here together in Annele’s apartment felt amazing! I couldn’t believe we were all together again, in Finland of all places!!