”My name is Ben. I’m a freelancer currently working with the European Commission. I’m doing it for a year and a half now in Finland.
I’ve come to Mesta because, well, the pictures were nice! I was looking for a flexible space outside of home, because I’ve been working from home a lot. So I was looking for a balance between work and home, and this seemed like a good place to go.”
”I work on a team which manages lots of websites for Erasmus+, it’s an international volunteering thing, and sports and culture and all the fun stuff. I coordinate some editors, so we make sure that everything kind of makes sense. One of the issues is that often in big institutions the people in those institutions think that other people understand them – so my job is to try and make sure that it does actually make sense.
My team is in Brussels, I’m the only person here. We moved here with my family a year and a half ago, because after COVID it became easier to work at a distance. We were living in Belgium, and it didn’t make much sense to stay there much longer with kids. We have family here, so it’s a good balance. I live more in the center of Helsinki, but come here by bike or by metro.”
"It’s just being at a desk again. I didn’t realize how important it was, having worked just at home for a long time. Like sitting at an actual desk, which isn’t where you eat. Makes a big difference to your mindset."
”I actually work much better here. It’s not just having like other people around. It’s just being at a desk again. I didn’t realize how important it was, having worked just at home for a long time, even before we moved to Finland. Like sitting at an actual desk, which isn’t where you eat. Makes a big difference to your mindset. And also the coffee is good and there are nice people to talk to.
I would definitely recommend the place just because it’s really calm, and it’s really well equipped. If your internet stops working then it can be fixed within five minutes! (Note from the editor: Right before the interview we set up an ethernet cable for Ben, as the network card on his computer stopped working :)) And it’s a nice area.”
