American Mom in Finland

 Do I speak Finnish? No. Omg no. I speak just enough that I can mostly keep up with what my 3 year old brings home from school. I usually can buy something without revealing my ineptitude. I can read many signs with context. But at the same time, I have come a CRAZY long way. Let me demonstrate. 2015 (trip to Finland) I cannot hear sentences, words, or even basic sounds. I cannot hear the difference between y and u, and I can’t keep a/ä straight in my head.  I regularly think people speaking Finnish are speaking Japanese. 2018  (initial move to Finland) I have studied some words from America. Ironically, this will mostly be unhelpful in the long run because I learned to pronounce them incorrectly. I put the accent on the wrong syllable, thanks to my years studying Spanish, and I can’t keep a/ä and o/ö straight.  I am super proud when someone says anteeksi (excuse me/sorry) and I know to move out of their way. I cannot pronounce the name of our neighborhood in a way t...