“Moving back to Kainuu was one of the best decisions of my life.” – Paula’s story

“Once upon a time there was a girl from the country who thought that the big world was somewhere else. She thought that if she wanted to achieve or do something in her life, she had to leave Kainuu. Because everything happens in the big world there.” These words could begin my career story, and in the same breath I can immediately say how wrong that girl from the country was.

I was born and raised in Kuhmo, in the countryside. Nursing has always been my dream profession, and I couldn’t even imagine any other fields for myself. I graduated as a psychiatric nurse in Kajaani in 1999. I worked as a nurse in Kainuu for a while and my dream was to continue my studies. I wanted to develop myself and learn more. I was interested in gerontology, and through the entrance exams I got a place to study at the University of Jyväskylä. I graduated with a Master’s degree in Health Sciences in 2003. I completed my studies and my master’s thesis in a fairly tight schedule, which I remember the professor being a little surprised about. I answered his questions by saying, “I want to go back to Kainuu as soon as possible.” What better motivator for progressing in my studies.

After graduating with a master’s degree, I worked in project work, as a responsible nurse and a nursing teacher at Kainuu Vocational College. Fortunately, during that time I also tried living + working in Southern Finland and within a very short time I realized that we were not made for each other. I am not suited to the busy, hectic lifestyle there. There would have been many work assignments available, but everything else in life didn’t seem like our style. Longing for the countryside, for a peaceful and more relaxed atmosphere led us to move back to Kainuu. With the idea that “life will carry us”, we came here, even though we had no idea where we would get a job.

Moving back was one of the best decisions of my life and life has carried me. I have noticed while living in Kuhmo, in the countryside, that anything is possible. Dreams can come true when you work towards them. Modern digitalization makes it possible for the world to be open, regardless of where you live. Education is possible and I think my own dissertation process is an example of this. I defended my PhD in Health Sciences from the University of Oulu, Faculty of Medicine, in 2022. I did my dissertation in Kainuu, and I didn’t have to travel to Oulu very often for my studies. This has been one of the highlights of my career and I am truly grateful to have had such an experience.

Lentua Mind Oy was born from blue thoughts.

Writing and poetry have always been close to my heart. I have been writing in a drawer since I was younger and during the dissertation process I clearly needed a counterbalance to scientific work. So I wrote poems and took photographs. I dared to publish my first thoughts on social media in 2016. This was very exciting because I was afraid of how they would be received. Since that moment, I have come a long way and currently my thoughts on social media are followed by over 83,000 people. Over the years, my poems have been published in calendars, books, cards, magnets and obituary addresses. This has been successful thanks to collaborations and I finally came to the conclusion that it would be worth it for me to start my own company and online store. Lentua Mind Oy was founded in 2023 and my poetry products can be found in my online store lentuamind.fi. Through my company, I offer various training courses and lectures, which have been ordered in particular by work communities. Digital technology makes this possible too.

From a small to a large university – Kajaani University of Applied Sciences

I am currently working as a project manager in the Moninainen Kainuu project, co-funded by the European Union. Kajaani University of Applied Sciences is the main implementing agency for the project. When I saw the job advertisement for this position, it resonated with me a lot. I felt like I was reading my own story in some way. I think Kainuu is the best place to live, be and be alive. Education, career advancement, self-development and building cooperation networks are all possible – even here in the Kuhmo countryside. It is proven that you can turn a hobby and interest into a business. I could never have imagined what writing poetry, for example, can bring. When I look out the living room window now, I see Lake Lentua and a landscape of fields and forests. Everything is here.

“So that you don’t miss out on life, but walk towards what makes your eyes shine.”

Text and photos: Paula Piirainen