The Allure of Live Performance: Pop Music Concert Attendance

Pop music concerts are more popular than ever, with thousands of fans flocking to see their favourite artists perform live, and Australia is no exception. Recently, the country has seen a surge in live pop music performances, attracting thousands of concertgoers from all walks of life. From the high-energy performances to the electrifying atmosphere, there's something extraordinary about attending a live pop music show that's hard to replicate anywhere else. But what is it about the live experience that makes it so irresistible?

On the surface, it's easy to understand the appeal of pop music concerts. For many fans, it's a chance to finally see their favourite artists perform live after several years who may have visited their city/country. It’s a chance to connect with the music on a deeper level through lyrics and to experience the songs in a way that's unparalleled by headphones or speakers. But there's more to the allure of pop music concerts than just the music itself.

Attending a live show can be a truly transformative experience, both socially and emotionally. Pop concerts are often short and sharp, lasting only a few hours, adding to their allure. Unlike more extended events or festivals, pop concerts offer a concentrated and intense experience where the audience can fully immerse themselves in the music and atmosphere for a brief but memorable time. For many fans, concerts are a chance to let loose and escape from the stresses of everyday life, to feel connected to something larger than themselves. It's a chance to dance, sing like no one’s watching, and scream along with thousands of other fans who share the same love for the music.

There's also a sense of community and belonging that comes with attending pop music concerts. These events bring together people from all walks of life who might not otherwise have much in common, united by their love for music. Whether you go to concerts with your friends or not, it's a chance to meet new people, forge new connections, and share in a collective experience that can be genuinely transformative.

But what drives this emotional connection to live music performances? There are a few key factors at play. For starters, music has the ability to tap into some of our deepest emotions and memories, making it relatable and creating a powerful sense of nostalgia and connection. Add to that the excitement of being in a new and unfamiliar environment, surrounded by like-minded people, and it's easy to see why concerts can be such a transformative experience.

Of course, there's no denying the role that social media has played in the allure of pop music concerts in recent years. With platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, fans are able to share their experiences with the world in real-time, engage with those who aren't there and create a sense of missing out for those who couldn’t make it. But even beyond the social media hype, there's something extraordinary about being in the same room as your favourite artists and fellow fans, experiencing the music together in real time.

So the next time you're debating whether or not to shell out for those concert tickets, consider the unique appeal of the live experience. Whether you're a die-hard fan or just someone who loves to dance and have a good time, there's something genuinely magical about attending a pop music concert that's hard to put into words. From the music to the community to the pure adrenaline rush, there's nothing quite like the thrill of the live experience 🎶.

How to Make the Next Right Decision

Whether it’s starting a new job or leaving the current job, going back to university, travelling/moving to a new city or deciding to buy a house, we all make life-changing decisions every day. Not only that, but when we make a decision similar to the opportunity cost, we are effectively ‘cutting away’ from certain possibilities and choosing one option or course of action over the other alternatives. For example, if you go back to university to study full-time, you are effectively choosing to miss out on full-time income and employment experience, networking and other opportunities. All of this can only make decision-making a challenging process. So how do you make the right decisions and know whether you have made the right decision?

The Sunk Cost Fallacy

The sunk cost fallacy is our tendency to make decisions based on the amount of time, money, or effort we've already invested in something rather than what will bring us the best results in the future. For example, it's like realising your current career, job, studies, or location you live is not serving you anymore and still sticking with it because you don’t want to ‘waste’ the time, money and effort (the sunk cost) you have already put into it.

Sometimes it’s difficult to accept that something we've invested in isn't working out anymore, and it can be tough to let go when we've put a lot into it. But the past and what you have already invested are all gone. No matter what you decide to do in the future, there is no way of recovering them. So, it's better to focus on the present circumstances, not dwell on the past or what we have invested and make decisions that impact our future outcomes. Ultimately, it's better to make a choice that leads to better results for our future rather than sticking with something just because we don't want to see our past investments go to waste.

So, next time you find yourself struggling to let go of something, take a step back and ask yourself if the sunk cost fallacy is swaying you. It's better to change now rather than continue down a path that isn't right for you.

Quitting Framework

So, you have taken a step back and figured not to let sunk cost fallacy sway you. But if you are deciding on quitting or whether to stick with something, how do you make that decision? Stephen Bartlett's "Happy Sexy Millionaire" is an excellent book to answer this question as it outlines the ‘quitting framework’.

According to the framework, the first thing you should do when considering quitting something is to ask yourself why you're thinking about quitting in the first place. There are generally two options here: either you don’t enjoy the thing anymore/it’s unpleasant, or it's hard.

a) If the thing is hard, ask yourself if the potential reward of continuing is worth the challenge. If the answer is yes, then you should keep going. If the answer is no, it might be time to consider quitting.

b) If you don’t enjoy the thing/it’s unpleasant, ask yourself if you believe there is a way to make it enjoyable again/make it not unpleasant. If the answer is no, or if you've tried your best and still haven't been able to make the thing enjoyable/not unpleasant, then it might be time to quit. However, if the answer is yes, ask yourself one final question: is it worth trying to make it enjoyable or not unpleasant? If the answer is also yes, then you should stick with it. If the answer is no, it might be time to move on.

This framework helps to decide what to quit, stick with, and be more intentional about your decisions.

Questions to ask yourself when making a decision

a) Will I regret not making this decision? For example, suppose you are considering starting a new exercise routine, joining a volunteer organisation or saying yes to that opportunity. Ask yourself, in one year, if you will regret not doing it today. The pain of regret is far worse than anything.

b) What is the risk of doing nothing? Inaction often feels like the safe path but can also have consequences. Doing nothing is also a decision, and it's important to consider the risks of inaction.

c) What is the worst-case scenario? For example, if you decide to invest some money in something, change careers, or start that side project, what’s the worst thing that could happen? Can you live with that/overcome that outcome? If the answer is yes, then make the decision.

Ultimately, the most important thing is to decide by not overanalysing any of these questions, worrying about all the different options or other people’s opinions.

“You do not know where your decisions come from; they pop up like hiccups. People have a great deal of anxiety about making decisions, ‘Did I think this over long enough? Did I take enough data into consideration?’ And if you think it through... you find you never could take enough data into consideration. ”

— Allan Watts

How do you know whether you have made the ‘right decision’?

Most of the time, it comes down to picking one of the options available and sticking with it. Whichever option you choose, you'll never know how the other options would have played out. There is no way for you to figure out what the alternative would have been. So, once you go through the above questions without overanalysing them, you have to pick whatever option you think is the best. If that option ends up being the best and works out for you, then perfect. But if it doesn't work out, adjust based on the situation, and move on. Because at any given point, there is no way for you to know the outcome of your decision beforehand.

For example, suppose you are considering moving overseas for a new job/career or staying in your current job/career and getting promoted. Say you decide to go overseas, and that job ends up being the best job ever for you, and you receive so many further opportunities because of that - you would consider that a ‘right decision’. But you could also move overseas for that same new job/career and get laid off permanently within a few months or get caught up in an accident or a firearm violence event - you would consider that a ‘wrong decision’. Likewise, if you instead decide to stay in your current job/career and get promoted, you may have a positive or a negative outcome. But you wouldn’t have known that outcome before you made the decision.

You don’t have the option to go into the future to know for sure that you are making the 'right decision’ now.

Key Points:

1. Recognise that you don't always have a choice: This doesn't mean you should rush into every decision without considering the consequences. But the effects of not making a decision can be just as detrimental as making the wrong one. In these cases, you must recognise that you have no choice but to act.

2. Don't overthink things: Trust your intuition, and don't get bogged down by trying to make the perfect decision. The ideal decision isn't always possible, and overthinking can lead to paralysis and inaction.

3. Don't be paralysed by your options: It's natural to want to make the best decision, but sometimes having too many options can be overwhelming. If you're good at many things, pick one and go with it. You can always explore your other options later.

4. Take action: Instead of spending a lot of valuable time deciding which option is the best, take action and start working on something. You'll get a better sense of what works and what doesn't as you go, and you'll be able to make more informed decisions in the future.

Once you make that decision, you must stick with it and not look back. Be confident with what you have decided, live with that decision and move on. Ultimately, making the right decision is about not being swayed by the sunk cost fallacy, recognising when you have to act, focusing on a few key questions/options, not overthinking, trusting your intuition, and taking action.

My experience of being a graduate in the Australian Government

Graduate Applications

In early 2020, leading up to my final year of undergraduate studies in Science at Monash University in Melbourne, I was exploring my options for post-university studies. Having been a university student for almost six years at this point, I was so ready and keen to move into the workforce. At this point, I was working part-time at the Victorian Public Sector Commission and having also completed a couple of internships previously at the Victorian Government; I had developed a strong interest in the work of the government and its tangible impact on everyday Australians. Having also heard great things about the Australian Public Service (APS) graduate programs, applying for APS graduate programs was a natural choice for me.

Many of the APS Graduate Programs recruit between March and October for the commencement of the following calendar year in January/February. Hence it is a competitive and relatively long process, which I had to be organised and prepared for while completing full-time studies and part-time work. I knew I didn’t just want to submit multiple applications to several departments without tailoring each application to the department I was applying for. So, I thoroughly researched the departments/programs I was applying for, and I applied for just a few graduate programs that fit my skills and interests, ensuring that each application was tailored and focused on that specific program/department to increase my chances of success. Preparing and practising for all the online tests, interviews and assessment centres were important to perform well, and this application process was undoubtedly a learning curve. Finally, I was thrilled to be accepted into the 2021 APS Generalist Graduate Program by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA).

Moving to Canberra

The range of career opportunities and the opportunities to meet so many new people made it an easy choice to move to Canberra, which required some research and planning. Luckily, DVA gave a lot of support. The relocation assistance they provided financially (similar to other APS departments) was quite generous; moving all my belongings, including my car, within a few days and having temporary accommodation in Canberra for a few weeks meant my move from Melbourne to Canberra was relatively smooth. I soon found a permanent place to live (within walking distance of the DVA office), and I was ready and excited to commence my APS graduate year.

APS Graduate Year

The Graduate Program at DVA commenced in late January 2021, and I had three work rotations throughout the year: Strategic Policy, Project Management and ICT. They were three distinctly different graduate rotations that gave me a breadth of experience in various roles while exposing me to various department work areas. From policy writing to creating project management documentation to ICT asset management, I developed many skills and learned a lot about my abilities and interests. I was also seconded to Services Australia for a short period to provide frontline support to the people affected by the NSW Floods, which was quite a rewarding experience. The graduate program provided me with training and development opportunities throughout the year, including a graduate group project that allowed us to make a tangible difference within the department and built my professional network within and outside the department. Overall, I have learnt much from this graduate program and developed critical skills to be a successful public servant, which I am grateful for.

Outside of graduate program rotations, I also got involved in the Graduate Data Network (GDN), which aims to empower graduates to advocate for better data use, analysis, and capability across the APS. There’s never been a better time to work in data in the APS, and I had a fantastic experience being part of the network while holding various leadership roles, meeting amazing people and, most importantly, making a difference through working on impactful data-related projects within the APS. In my free time, being part of the Social Network of Graduates (SNOG) committee was a fun way for me to expand my network while organising social events for fellow graduates, which increased their sense of belonging in the graduate community in Canberra. Being involved in this extracurricular work further enriched my skills and overall graduate experience and the APS Graduate year.

Delivering the 2022 Graduate Data Network forum was certainly a highlight of my graduate experience!

Parliament of Australia Graduate Program

Around September/October 2021, I found out about the Parliament of Australia Graduate Program, and I was intrigued by it. This program includes three to six months of secondment opportunities at one of the parliamentary departments. I researched the program, went to the information session online and spoke to previous-year graduates. I soon realised that this program is a fantastic opportunity to expand my knowledge of the Australian Parliament and further develop my skills. Having always been interested in parliamentary procedure and practice, I couldn’t let go of this opportunity. With the support of DVA colleagues, I applied for this program and was extremely excited to be selected for the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO).

Given this program's competitive nature, differentiating yourself from the rest of the graduate applicants by highlighting work experiences, noteworthy activities/projects you have done (i.e., APS Graduate Project, GDN, SNOG), your unique interest in this program and what you’ll be taking out of it, would increase your chances of success. At PBO, I worked in the Corporate Strategy Branch, where I got to contribute to various pieces of work and gain a breadth of experience, including supporting the work of the Portfolio Budget Statements, Audit and Risk Committee and all staff training and workshops. Working at the Parliament House and being exposed to the parliamentary procedure daily was a highlight. Personally, this was a positive experience, and I would recommend the program to anyone interested.

Tips for future Graduates

The following tips are based on what helped me grow and the advice I received from colleagues I’ve met along the way. Observing and learning from their stories and experiences was invaluable.

👍Say yes to opportunities - As a Graduate, there are so many opportunities that you can get involved in; Events/training run by the APS Academy/Australian Public Service Commission, Graduate Data Network, Social Network of Graduates, opportunities for interstate work and more. The graduate year goes fast, so look for those opportunities and get involved.

🤝Learn to love networking - One of the benefits of being a graduate is the opportunity to do different work rotations within your department. Go out of your way to meet as many people as possible in those rotations and cultivate those relationships as best as possible. Saying yes to opportunities as above and reaching out to people for coffee will also go a long way in expanding your network.

✋Be proactive - Sometimes, it might feel natural only to do what you are told to do and wait for instructions/more information. But putting your hand up to help out a colleague, blocking a time on your manager's calendar to review a task, actively seeking feedback and further development opportunities and not being afraid to ask questions would go a long way toward your success.

🔑Adaptability is the key - Changing teams/colleagues every 3-4 months, having not-so-exciting work at times, and not always having the ideal work rotations, nor the choice of work rotations, can be challenging. But instead of resisting them, adapt to those different situations by being open-minded and optimistic, by recognising the privilege of being a graduate and the finite nature of the graduate year. It would help you to stick it out and get through the year.

🌟Everything is a learning opportunity - Ultimately, every good or not-so-great experience/situation is a learning opportunity. You can learn some of the best lessons and what-not-to-do through your not-so-great experiences/situations. Having this perspective with curiosity would help you to learn and handle those situations better next time.

Grateful to have had this graduate experience and for all the lessons I've learnt, the opportunities I’ve had, the colleagues I've met and the friends I've made. Excited to see what lies ahead!

Gratitude and Perspective

"When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive—to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love." ~Marcus Aurelius

We all know that earth, the planet we live on, is a massive place. But it is incredibly small compared to our gigantic Sun, an ordinary star. That giant Sun is incredibly small compared to the rest of our solar system. There could also be more than hundreds of billions of stars and 40 other billion earth-sized planets (according to Kepler Space Telescope data) within just our galaxy that is known as the Milky Way. That is just one galaxy, but there are more than 100 billion galaxies in the universe (space.com), based on what we know about the universe and who knows beyond this universe. This fact demonstrates how physically small and insignificant we are compared to the rest of the universe. This peculiar realisation is a liberating reminder not to take life so seriously and that most things we worry about are insignificant. It reminds us to be grateful for our existence on a habitable planet with clean water and a safe atmosphere, to be thankful for the occurrence of the big bang (the beginning of our universe), for the earth's evolution and survival from several extinction events, for the atoms and molecules that make us who we are and for the universe that created us. Next time when you look up the stars at night, take a minute to reflect on all of this!

There is also so much more we can all be grateful for daily. But often, it's hard to see those things as we tend to take those for granted. We should all be thankful for the essential things in our lives, such as having a place to live, safety, good health, friends and families, jobs, and access to food and clean water. We can also be thankful for little things such as the beautiful nature surrounding us, music that makes us feel happy, the kindness of the people around us, the educational opportunities and the technology that enable us to connect with friends and families. That's so much more than what a lot of people in the world can say they have. While it might seem abstract, there are millions of people in the world at this very moment, who unfortunately don't have a place to live, don't have access to food regularly, suffer from several health issues and don't have the means to support themselves. So while we take all those for granted, we can be grateful for all we have. Even life experiences, whether positive or 'negative' experiences, are things we can be grateful for. As much as we can be thankful for having a positive experience such as travelling overseas with your friends or family, we can especially be thankful for the 'negative' experiences, as you learn the best lessons from those not-so-positive life experiences. 

Even though life is 'long' and most of us would hopefully live for more than 80 years, if you zoom out and look at the broader picture, life is extremely short. You, me and everyone we know are here on earth for a short period. Time flies like a blink of an eye, so before you know it, days, weeks, months, and years pass. So when you wake up each day, it's another opportunity to be grateful and make the best use of that day, as there is no guarantee of tomorrow for any of us. As the quote says, "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right". When you realise that there is no guarantee of tomorrow and that when you die, you'll stay dead for a very long time, it's much easier to fear less about failures, external judgements and expectations. Too often, it is easy for us to get caught up with little things that don't matter, our flaws, mistakes, opinions of others and the things we can't control. So it's hard to develop such a positive perspective. But when you realise that you have honestly nothing to lose and everything to gain, it's much easier to make big, bold, positive decisions in life. 

Understanding how short life is and being grateful for everything we have, no matter how small they seem, would make you worry far less about things you might not have. Understanding that you are only a tiny part of this massive rock, in a giant solar system, in a galaxy, in a universe will lead you to live and be kind, have fun, laugh, try and fail and do them all over again. Whatever you do in life, all you can do is try your best with compassion, honesty and gratitude. Ultimately, you realise that you can choose your dreams and choose to live an incredible life and make the best of the extremely short life you have here on earth! 

Engaging Young People in the Australia-US Alliance and Presenting a Policy Pitch to US Officials

The Australia-United States Alliance

The Australia-United States alliance (alliance) is arguably one of the strongest, most influential international alliances in the world, and it is undoubtedly more vital today than ever before. The 1951 Australia, New Zealand, and United States (ANZUS) Security Treaty serve as the foundation for this alliance, with last year marking the 70th anniversary. From the beginning of the US's history, Australia has been an important and reliable ally as Australia has fought alongside the US in the most significant conflicts in recent history. Hence, the strong defence relationship is an essential component of this alliance, including the "Five Eyes" pact for intelligence sharing with the UK, New Zealand, and Canada. Australia's most significant economic partner is also the US, especially in terms of investment and two-way trade. The Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement (AUSFTA) is a pillar of their robust economic relationship. According to Austrade, the US accounts for one-fourth of Australia's inbound foreign capital. The two nations also have significant ties in education, culture, research, and sport, in addition to their special defence and economic partnership. Ultimately, this alliance is a relationship built on a shared set of values based on a mutual commitment to democracy and freedom. It is a relationship with a long and proud history and can withstand the test of time. This relationship's strength and progress will further shape the next century, especially the next generation.

Engaging young people in the alliance

The strong economic ties between the two countries have created significant economic benefits, especially for young Australians. For example, given the strong presence of U.S.-based aerospace and defence firms in Australia, several young Australians have had the chance to work side-by-side with Americans and develop cutting-edge Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) capabilities and skills right here in Australia, demonstrating the Australia-United States alliance in action. However, about 60% of the Indo-Pacific population comprises young people, and there is still much room to increase youth engagement in decision-making bodies and processes. There is a significant opportunity to engage more young people from both US and Australia in developing novel policy responses to persistent security risks and overlaying their innovative thinking with unprecedented global threats such as pandemics, cybercrime, and climate change. Engagement and education activities such as The Future of the Australia-US alliance workshop and Next Generation Leaders U.S.-Australia alliance – Regional Workshops are great examples of activities that provide young people with the opportunity to share their ideas and increase their engagement and understanding of the Australia-United States alliance. Using these workshops, other committees, advisory boards and engaging with youth-led organisations, the Australia-United States alliance can ensure the voices and ideas of young people are included in policy development and decision-making. Continuing to fund such meaningful activities would provide ongoing engagement opportunities for young people in decision-making and make them feel empowered and like their voices are being heard.

Presenting a Policy Pitch to the US officials

One such opportunity in Australia is the Youth Advisory Council of the US Embassy in Australia. It is a group of young leaders under 30 with various backgrounds and experiences who meet regularly to advise the U.S. Embassy on next-generation issues and undertake projects on topics of mutual interest. The councils are based in Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane and provide an incredible opportunity for young leaders to be directly part of the alliance. Earlier this year, I was grateful to be selected to join the Canberra Youth Advisory Council to work with other talented young people on next-generation issues and advance the Australia-US alliance. As part of this council, on 08 August 2022, I had an incredible opportunity to present a policy pitch about a climate research commercialisation partnership to the US Deputy Secretary of State, Wendy Sherman and the US Ambassador to Australia, Caroline Kennedy, at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House. To say it was a fascinating experience to present a policy pitch to such influential and powerful US Officials in person, at such a historical place as the former House of Representatives Chamber at the Old Parliament House, would be an understatement. I was awe-inspired to be amongst such a group of high achievers and to hear thoughts and feedback from the Deputy Secretary of State and the Ambassador.

The Policy Pitch

Over the past month, I worked with five other amazing councilmembers to research and craft the policy pitch for the United States and Australia to establish a research commercialisation scheme in collaboration with the Pacific Island nations on climate research. The idea of the pitch was to take regional mechanisms and approaches to climate change and sustainability and invest in that research to make them commercially viable, a similar model to the Australia-US Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (AUSMURI) program implemented between the US and Australia. This can be implemented through proposals invited through a competitive pitch process and selecting the most robust applications that can articulate clear use of money and commercialisation technologies. This proposal would have significant economic benefits, including creating thousands of jobs, propelling development in the climate industry, and creating more robust climate technology industries that will see stronger demand in the future. This proposal would act as a positive and vital link between Australia and US, and strengthening our ties in the region would also positively impact our national security.

Conclusion

The peace and stability fostered by a solid Australia-US alliance would benefit the Indo-Pacific region and the rest of the world. Ultimately, the obstacles many current and previous leaders have not faced are raised for future generations. Hence it is inevitable to engage more and more young people in policy development. Harnessing young people's positive energy, enthusiasm, and innovative ideas would further strengthen the Australia-US alliance. The opportunity for me and other young Australian leaders of the Canberra Youth Advisory Council to present a policy pitch to the US Deputy Secretary of State and the US Ambassador to Australia was a great example of such positive youth engagement. Such engagements indicate that the future of the Australia-US alliance would only grow stronger. I am beyond thankful for the whole public affairs team at the US Embassy in Canberra, as well as my team of council members who contributed to crafting and presenting the policy pitch. It’s a day I will never forget and is the absolute highlight of my career!  

The Best Spontaneous Trip to Finland

On 21 December 2021, as it was leading up to the Christmas and New Year holidays, I was contemplating where to travel. With all the COVID-19 restrictions throughout the year, I could not make any solid plans. But after a long year of work and with the recent ease of travel restrictions, I was ready to make plans to travel even to the other side of the world. So after doing a bit of research, I decided to travel to Finland! This was mainly due to the desire to spend Christmas and New Year in winter, and Finland was one of the few countries in the northern hemisphere that I could travel to from Australia with minimal COVID-19 travel restrictions.

Two days later, I came up with an itinerary and booked flights for 30 December 2021! I used expedia.com to find a relatively cheaper flight and some of my other itinerary items. At this point, to say I was excited about this trip is an understatement. Mainly because at this point, I hadn’t travelled overseas from Australia on my own before, and the destination was a perfect winter wonderland for Christmas. I spent a few days in Melbourne with friends watching the Boxing Day Test and relaxing by the beach before boarding the first of many flights from Melbourne Airport on 30 December 2021.

Given the COVID-19 travel restrictions were still in place and having spent time in large crowds in Melbourne, I was somewhat concerned about the COVID-19 test that I had to take just before the flight (a negative test result was mandatory to board the flight). After nervously waiting for two hours, I finally got a negative test result and was cleared to board the flight! ✈️

As my first layover was in Singapore and the second layover was in Germany, the flight was a Lufthansa 9775 flight operated by Singapore Airlines. Once I boarded the flight at 4:40 pm Melbourne time, I was ready to relax and soak in the fact that I was off on my first spontaneous overseas travel experience. I was pretty happy with the in-flight experience, and after 7 hours and 40 minutes, I landed in Singapore for my first layover. As it was nighttime and given the Singapore Changi airport was quite big as well, I went straight to the connecting flight’s gate, even though I had 2 hours and 30mins layover time. I boarded the Lufthansa LH 779 flight from Singapore to Frankfurt, Germany. To my surprise, the Premium Economy service from Lufthansa was incredible (almost as good as a business class). Given this second flight was 13 hours and 50mins long, I appreciated the premium service. The flight crew was really friendly, and the food was excellent.

After a long but pleasant flight, I landed in Frankfurt, Germany, at 6:45 am on 31 December 2021, my last layover before Finland. I spent some time at the Frankfurt airport’s duty-free shopping centre, which was an experience itself with heaps of things to choose from, especially chocolates! Before I arrived in Germany, I was under the impression that Australians could not visit Germany without quarantining due to the COVID-19 travel restrictions. However, given I had 6 hours and 45mins in transit to spend in Germany, I thought I should double-check the most up-to-date travel restrictions - albeit 2 hours and 30mins into my transit period. So I checked the official websites and asked the border control officers at the Frankfurt airport as well. Again to my surprise, the restrictions had been lifted for the Australians at the time, and I was able to leave the airport and visit Frankfurt! I was told that given the next flight was only about 3 hours away, it might not be wise to leave the airport, but I did some research and realised that it was doable, especially since Frankfurt city was only a 20min train ride from the airport. So I took the plunge, took a train to Frankfurt city, and spent a couple of hours sightseeing. It was brief but a great experience for someone who has not visited Europe.

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I then returned in time to board my connecting Lufthansa LH 850 flight to Helsinki, Finland, at 1:30 pm from Frankfurt. It was a relatively short flight with only 2 hours and 25mins flight time. So after a total of 33hours and 15mins, I finally arrived in Finland on 31st December at 5:00 pm! I can tell you all that travel time was well worth it. I took a train straight from the Helsinki airport to Helsinki city, where I had my hostel, Hostel Diana Park, which I booked through booking.com. The staff members warmly welcomed me at the hostel, and I found that the room facilities and the location were excellent for the price. Walking to the city centre and the central train station was a luxury!

I spent the rest of the 31st night wandering around, exploring and getting acquainted with Helsinki city. At night the city was wonderful with Christmas lights, especially around the Helsinki train station.

01 January 2022

After a well-spent 31st December night, I checked out from the hostel and went straight to the city centre to pick up my Helsinki Card, which I had pre-ordered through expedia.com. This 24-hour pass provided me with free access to 25+ attractions around Helsinki, including free public transport and various discounts. After having brunch and coffee at Espresso House City centre, I started the day by visiting Amos Rex, a fantastic art museum. Museums are a must-visit in Helsinki as there are many museums to choose from, and there is bound to be a museum that’ll grab your interest. Examples include the National Museum of Finland, the Finnish Museum of Photography and the Design Museum.

I then visited the market square, a famous market located next to a harbour bordering the Baltic sea. It had a great variety of souvenirs and spectacular views. After a bit of wandering around, I visited Senate Square in Helsinki! By the time I left, it was freezing with the heavy wind around this area, and despite that, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Helsinki Cathedral -
Senate Square in Helsinki

Helsinki Cathedral is one of Finland's most famous and photographed buildings.

I then visited the Suomenlinna, a must-visit UNESCO world heritage 18th-century sea fortress. It is spread across six islands off Helsinki and can be accessible by a ferry service from Market Square. It was a unique experience visiting a sea fortress in winter via a Ferry at night. After catching the Ferry back to Market Square, I had dinner at a nearby restaurant. I then visited the famous Frazer Café in Helsinki City, one of the world’s best chocolate and sweet heavens. At this point, my phone’s battery had died due to the freezing weather (which was a common occurrence throughout my trip), but the staff at the Frazer Café was kind enough to find a charger for my Android phone (despite most of them having Apple phones). While the phone was charging, I indulged myself with various chocolates. The chocolate was so good that I brought some of it back to Australia. I ended the day by visiting Sibelius Monument, which was quite interesting given it was at nighttime. I felt extremely safe walking to all of these places, although I was in a foreign country under extreme weather at night by myself.

02 January 2022

Having spent a whole day walking around Helsinki, it was time for me to head to Finnish Lapland! Exploring Finland is an unforgettable experience, but visiting the Finnish Lapland makes it even more magical. There were few ways to travel from Helsinki to Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland. But the Santa Claus Express train was by far the best option. The Santa Express double-decker train is a perfect travel option for anyone who wants to immerse themselves in a real-life fairy tale. I had a whole sleeper cabin on the train to myself with two spacious and clean beds and a private bathroom. After about 8 hours and 22mins travel through snow-covered Lapland, I arrived at Rovaniemi around 4:30 pm. After taking a minute to soak in the excitement of arriving at the official home of Santa Claus, despite the freezing weather, I walked towards the Rovaniemi train station to pick up the car I had booked for two days. It was pretty surreal to wander around a train station filled with snow.

The process of picking up the car was relatively smooth, and I was ready to explore this fantastic city. Despite my love for driving, having never driven in these extreme weather conditions, I was nervous about driving, especially in a foreign country with unfamiliar routes and road rules. But I was soon acclimated to the weather and driving conditions. I drove straight to my hostel, Hostel & Café Koti, a friendly and cozy hostel right in Rovaniemi city. It was such a great option considering the price, facilities and location. After checking into the hostel, given my excitement to explore the Santa Claus Village, I drove to the village soon after, despite being late in the day. Briefly exploring the magical town and wandering around Rovaniemi city for the rest of the night was an excellent way for me to spend the rest of the night.

03 & 04 January 2022

During my time at the Hostel & Café Koti, the friendly staff treated me to some excellent breakfast options, which were already included in my booking. After enjoying breakfast on both days, I spent most of the two days exploring and doing various activities at the Santa Claus Village. Of the several activities, taking a husky ride and a reindeer sleigh ride were the highlights. With the husky sledge ride, I was in the same sledge with another family, and there was a sledge driver. Huskies were all busting with excitement to start riding the sled, and it was such a fast-paced and enthralling experience. The reindeer sleigh ride was no different; it was just as enthralling but at a slower pace. Both were unique and unforgettable experiences I booked on booking.com through the Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park tour operator.

Having dinner at Santa’s Salmon Place Restaurant was one of the highlights of these two days at the Santa Claus Village. The restaurant is located inside a traditional Lappish teepee with an open fire, and despite the long queue to get in and the cold weather, safe to say, it was the best Salmon I have ever had! While at the Santa Claus Village, I visited Santa Claus’ Main Post Office. Every year, the post office (hence the Santa) receives about half a million letters with good wishes from 200 countries worldwide. It was fascinating to see several letters from Australia too. It’s the only place you can get an Arctic Circle postmark stamp! Before I said goodbye to Santa’s village, I made sure to go and say hi to the real Santa himself! Overall, it was a wholesome experience to be surrounded by tourists, families, kids, people from different countries and cultures, and staff members in this one winter wonderland full of joy, excitement and happiness!

Check out more photos from the Santa Claus Village on my Instagram!
While I was sad to leave the village, I knew that perhaps the trip’s highlight was yet to come. Before that, I did a quick visit to Arktikum, which is a beautiful science museum in Rovaniemi. It was the perfect way to learn about the people, northern nature, culture and history of the Rovaniemi area, and the architecture of the building was fascinating!

As it was now getting late in the day, it was time for me to try to see the northern lights, the trip's highlight! I pre-booked a northern lights tour through Nordic Odyssey as they had excellent reviews, and their office was right next to my hostel! That’s one thing you realise in Rovaniemi city; everything is so close. They picked me up from my hostel and started driving up north of Finland. It was quite a long drive as it was hard to find a good spot to see the northern lights, and we even had to stop a few times to find a suitable place. But it was still an exciting experience going through the Finnish Lapland, and the group in our van also had such a great chat amongst ourselves. We drove all the way close to the Finland-Sweden border, which was somewhat exciting but also nerve-racking as the COVID-19 border restrictions wouldn’t have allowed us to cross the border and that would have meant I wouldn’t have gotten the chance to see the northern lights. Since I had plans for the rest of my trip, this was my only chance! But thankfully, after a longer-than-expected drive, we finally found a good place. The northern lights were far from perfect, but still, as you can see by the photo below, I was fascinated by the experience!

05 January 2022

After the high of experiencing the northern lights for the first time, I woke up the next day to get ready for yet another unique activity, this time an Icebreaker Sampo Cruise! I had a full-day trip ahead of me to the frozen sea in the town of Kemi. After having my last breakfast at Hostel & Café Koti, at around 8:30 am, I went to the pickup location for the cruise, which was only a short walk from the hostel. The shuttle bus arrived on time, and I was so ready to go. After just over a two-hour ride, we arrived at the venue at around 10:45 am, and before onboarding the cruise, I also got the chance to visit the Kemi Snow Castle, which was incredible. This was topped up with a fantastic lunch at the Snow Castle Resort, all of which were included in the cruise ticket booked through Experience 365. Now it was time for the cruise!

The sea in the town of Kemi stays frozen for more than six months every year, enabling such an incredible winter adventure. The Sampo is an actual icebreaker ship that operated in severe arctic conditions from the 1960s to the late 1980s until it was converted into a tourist attraction. I was so fascinated throughout my time on the ship. I spent it wandering around and soaking in a real-life icebreaking experience, the sound of the ice-breaker, learning about the history and, at times, relaxing inside the ship with a cup of coffee. Before returning to the harbour, we all had an incredible opportunity to swim in the frozen sea wearing survival suits! Initially, the ship took its time to create a hole in the ice, and we all got our turns swimming in the frozen sea wearing our survival suits, which I never thought I would be doing. We then returned to the harbour, and I was dropped off in Rovaniemi at about 7:00 pm to return to my hostel. After having dinner at a nearby restaurant, I prepped for my flight back to Helsinki early morning the next day. Safe to say, at this point, I was ready for a long sleep. This whole Icebreaker experience was one of the most memorable, exciting and one-of-a-kind experiences!

06 & 07 January 2022

After that fascinating Icebreaker cruise experience and a long sleep, I woke up at 4:00 am on the next day for my flight at 5:25 am back to Helsinki, which I had pre-booked through Kiwi.com. I said farewell to my hostel, Hostel & Café Koti, took a taxi to the Rovaniemi airport, and ended up having an interesting conversation with the driver about living in Finland and how hard it can sometimes be to make ends meet being a taxi driver. The Rovaniemi airport is probably one of the smallest airports I have seen; hence the onboarding process was relatively smooth. The flight only took just over an hour, which was great considering the long distance between Rovaniemi and Helsinki, and the train travel time is well over 8 hours. After arriving in Helsinki, I checked back into my first hostel, Hostel Diana Park. Given that I had such a good experience the first time, it made sense to book that place again for the last two days I was in Finland.

These last two days in Finland were spent mostly exploring and wandering around Helsinki and trying different cuisines and food options in various restaurants. Having had a jam-packed few days prior, this was also an opportunity for me to take a breather. But I visited several museums, including The National Museum of Finland, the Parliament of Finland and Temppeliaukio Church. Temppeliaukio Church was an exciting experience as the church is directly built inside a rock. I also visited the Kaisaniemi Botanic Garden | LUOMUS, which added to my breadth of experiences in Finland. As with many places in Finland, the architecture of all these places was unique and fascinating. Despite the extreme weather, I mostly walked to these places, allowing me to explore and sightsee different locations along the way. While these last two days were less fast-paced, I certainly enjoyed them.

I learned a lot about Finland's history through the visit to the The National Museum of Finland including all the way back to the start of Finland’s history!

As it was getting closer to my return flight home, I ensured that I arrived at the Helsinki airport well before my flight at 5:55 pm on 07 January. I had also completed all the pre-flight COVID-19 requirements, such as a COVID-19 test and the Australia Travel Declaration, and I was ready to onboard. While leaving Finland at this point was sad, I was grateful to have had the opportunity to even travel overseas at a time of a global pandemic. I was grateful for the best travel experience I have ever had and to experience it all without catching COVID-19. Especially considering the number of connecting flights I had to take to get to Finland and the number of places I visited in Finland. It helped that this was the winter season in Finland, and most places (except for Santa’s Village) were sparsely populated.

I had two layovers on my way back to Australia: Germany and Japan. The flight from Helsinki to Frankfurt, Germany, was delayed quite a bit due to extreme weather, which was frustrating. Initially, I only had about 1-hour layover in Germany, but given the flight delay, I now only had less than 10mins left in my layover. This meant I had less than 10mins to offboard the plane and walk (or run) all the way through the Frankfurt airport to catch my connecting flight to Japan. The connecting flight was aware of the Helsinki-Frankfurt flight delay, but I still had to run as fast as possible to catch the connecting flight. Safe to say, I was only about a minute away from missing the flight. Thankfully I managed to onboard the flight, but unfortunately, my luggage was placed on a later flight. I did not have the bags to collect when I arrived at Sydney Airport, but they delivered them to my home in Canberra the next day. All in all, I arrived safely at my home in Canberra and honestly, sprinting through all the passengers in such a massive airport like Frankfurt to catch a flight and catching it at the very last minute was somewhat stressful but also kind of fun! 😂

While I had so much fun with all the highlight activities in Finland, all the little experiences, such as having interesting conversations with a taxi driver, the tour guide or other tourists, made this trip even more memorable. What I liked the most about Finland was all the friendly people I met, whether the café staff, restaurant staff, tour guides or a stranger I met in the street. They all had such happy and cheerful demeanours, and it’s no surprise that Finland has been ranked as the happiest country in the world for five years now. This might not be the best itinerary for a trip to Finland, and there’s certainly so much more you can do in Finland, but I hope you enjoyed reading about my experience. If you ever have a chance to visit Finland, I would 100% recommend doing it. It is an amazing country to visit and truly a winter wonderland! Sometimes the best adventures are spontaneous, and I’ll end with this quote I saw at Amos Rex museum - “To come to the knowledge you have not, you must go by a way in which you know not” - St. John of the Cross.