Helsinki, Finland’s capital, has proved the ideal starting point for my trip. Notwithstanding the semi-language barrier and the fact that this is my first time in Scandinavia/Northern Europe, the city feels quite familiar. After only a few days, I’ve been able to traverse most of the city, including some suburbs, and feel completely comfortable wandering around without fear of getting lost. A decent-sized and digestible city, Helsinki reminds me a lot of Philadelphia. It has history and tourists, waterfronts, architecture—both historic and modern, lots of students, and cobble-stone streets. I’m pleased to say, with a little help from Google Maps and CityMaps2Go (available OFFLINE!), I’ve had no trouble navigating the streets. And while the public transportation is reliable and relatively cheap, I’ve done my best to walk everywhere I can, hills and all.