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28-year-old Finn swaps stable career in Europe for Brazilian dream, goes viral on social media and exposes differences in ambition, welcome, and quality of life
Siina Matihaldi, 28, swapped her career in the European financial sector for an attempt to build a new life in Brazil after being fired during her vacation in Salvador, a decision that went viral by exposing contrasts between stability, ambition, welcome, and quality of life.
Firing during vacation changed the course
The Finn Siina Matihaldi received the official notice of her dismissal via email on the first day of her vacation in Salvador while working in the financial sector of a North American multinational based in Europe.
The unexpected dismissal caused a deep shock that lasted a week. After that period, she went to the beach, looked at the sea, and concluded that this moment served as a sign not to return.
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The choice turned into reality a joke repeated among colleagues. Before her dismissal, Siina used to jokingly say that she would move to the beach in Brazil if she lost her job.
The phrase, once treated as a joke, became a concrete decision. She summarized the turning point in a video posted on social media, where she introduced herself as a Finn with a CPF who decided to pursue the Brazilian dream.
The account quickly opened discussions about priorities, work, and well-being. The post highlighted that she had lost her job in finance in Europe two months prior while on vacation in Brazil.
Searching for work and residency in Brazil
Now, Siina is trying to secure a formal position in the Brazilian financial market to establish herself permanently.
The goal is to work in Rio or São Paulo, earn in reais, and formalize permanent residency.
She claims to have four years of experience in the financial area and a master’s degree obtained in the Netherlands.
With this background, she is looking for an opportunity that allows her to turn her stay in the country into a lasting project.
The preparation for this new phase includes intense and daily study of the Portuguese language. Siina is dedicated to the Portuguese proficiency exam for foreigners as part of her professional and personal adaptation process.
The learning routine appears as a central part of her attempt to build the Brazilian dream with stability. For her, mastering the language is an essential step to operate in the market and communicate without barriers.
The contrast between Finland and Brazil
The repercussion of the story grew also because it involves Finland, a country that ranks first in the World Happiness Report published last month, for the ninth consecutive time, based on global research and the Cantril scale.
In the same ranking, Brazil appears in the 32nd position. The report indicates differences between the foundations of this satisfaction, highlighting institutional stability in Nordic countries and social support and affection among Latin Americans.
Siina acknowledges that Finland offers an excellent structure. The daughter of a welder father and a mother who works in the social sector, she says she was the first in her family to earn a university degree, a feat attributed to Finnish state support.
Still, she describes difficulties in social relationships and emotional welcome. For her, although the country is safe, has little corruption, and receives government support, making friends there is very difficult.
The young woman also says that Finnish culture discourages personal ambition and individual prominence. With a vibrant and expansive personality, she felt a constant need to downplay herself to fit into local society.
According to her account, personal victories and professional achievements are often hidden to avoid jealousy or negative feelings in others. In Brazil, she sees space to be ambitious, vibrant, and visible without fear.
What the Finn calls the Brazilian dream
For Siina, the Brazilian dream reverses the logic of the American dream. Instead of concentrating life on the accumulation of material goods, the idea would be to work to preserve quality time and enjoy everyday life.
In her view, this model appears in simple habits, such as going to the beach, having a barbecue, and enjoying a juice with friends. The central value would be less in possession and more in the use of time.
She states that in Europe, people only live during vacations. In Brazil, she tries to enjoy ordinary days, even with swims in the sea before starting her routine, something she considers a true luxury.
This rhythm includes bathing in the waters of the capital of Rio de Janeiro at 4:30 AM. The routine reinforces the image she has built of the Brazilian dream, based on the possibility of living everyday moments with lightness.
Adaptation, privilege, and sense of community
Siina states that Brazil is far from ideal. She cites bureaucracy, security, and social inequality, also acknowledging comments about privilege and admitting that life changes according to financial condition.
Even so, she says that what she values most in the country does not depend on income. She prefers to focus on positivity, opportunities, and the economic future she believes she sees in Brazil, where, she claims, all eyes are turned.
Her connection with Latin American culture began at 17 during an exchange program in Ecuador. In 2019, she lived in São Carlos to study at UFSCar and interned at a non-governmental organization in Curitiba.
This bond continued over the years. She participated in a funk dance group and prepared typical Brazilian dishes to feel closer to the culture she admired even from a distance.
The adaptation gained new momentum in sports. Enrolled in the triathlon to compete in Ironman Florianópolis, she noticed in Santa Catarina a support network that, she says, does not exist in Finland.
After missing training due to illness without notice, she returned and found about twenty people wanting to know where she was and if she was okay.
The gesture, combined with individual greetings, made her feel important, welcomed, and part of a community.
On social media, her routine as a foreigner in Brazil also attracts followers with videos about food. Among the most viewed reactions are pizza pastel, coxinha with catupiry, avocado smoothie, sugarcane juice, and soursop juice.
With information from UOL.
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