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The trip that made Europe stop being a maybe.

One summer school in Finland, five countries solo, and more trains than I can count. I went to learn machine learning and stochastic control. I came back certain about where I want to do the rest.

Map of northern EuropeNorway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Estonia and Latvia around the Baltic Sea, with lakes, and the route of the August 2025 trip traced between its stops. The same stops are listed as text below the map.

Field log

9 stops · 5 countries

  1. Helsinki01

    Finland · August '25

    Landed here first, with one thing on my mind: Jyväskylä, still a train ride away.

    Maitreya in a red jacket at night under the illuminated Helsinki Airport sign, on arrival.
    Market stalls of Finnish berries: blueberries, raspberries and cloudberries, each punnet flagged with a small Finnish flag.

  2. Jyväskylä02

    Finland · August '25 · anchor

    Two weeks at the Jyväskylä Summer School, studying machine learning and stochastic control. I was nervous about coming. By the end it felt like home. Jyväskylä has my heart.

    certificate of attendance ↗
    Blue and orange University of Jyväskylä flags flying against a clear sky outside a campus building.
    Maitreya taking a selfie with a group of international summer-school students outside a brick campus building.
    A summer-school lecture in progress: a laptop and notebook in the foreground, 'Machine learning and stochastic control' on the projector screen.

  3. Baltic Sea03

    Helsinki → Stockholm · August '25

    My first overnight cruise. Falling asleep in one country and waking up in another is still an odd feeling.

    Maitreya standing on the open deck of a ferry with the Baltic Sea and evening sky behind him.
    A large Silja Line overnight ferry docked at the quay.

  4. Stockholm04

    Sweden · August '25

    First stop in Sweden, and the first day of the trip with nothing scheduled. Just walked until I'd seen most of the city center.

    Maitreya at a waterfront railing with Stockholm's old-town rooftops rising across the water behind him.

  5. Gothenburg05

    Sweden · August '25

    West coast, and a childhood dream finally checked off: the World of Volvo museum. Worth the detour for anyone who grew up caring about how things are built.

    Maitreya beside a vintage Volvo car on display in the wood-lined World of Volvo museum in Gothenburg.
    Maitreya beside a rally truck exhibit inside the World of Volvo museum.

  6. Oslo06

    Norway · August '25

    The vibe here was unmatched. Walked up the sloped roof of the Opera House and just stood there a while, looking out over the water.

    Maitreya on the Oslo waterfront in front of the sloping white marble Oslo Opera House.
    Maitreya on a bridge in front of the tall dark tower of the Munch museum in Oslo.

  7. Sandefjord07

    Norway · August '25

    A quiet coastal town that kept me up all night anyway, and I don't regret a minute of it. Still think about those views.

    A pink and blue dawn sky over an empty roadside and fields near Sandefjord.
    The control tower of Sandefjord Torp airport at first light, before an early departure.

  8. Riga08

    Latvia · August '25

    First Baltic state on the route, and it didn't feel like a stop between other stops. Riga's Old Town is genuinely beautiful, worth slowing down for.

    Maitreya standing among lavender beds in a Riga old-town square, medieval gabled houses and a church spire behind him.
    An ornate carved wooden door set in the stone facade of the Bank of Latvia in Riga.

  9. Tallinn09

    Estonia · August '25

    The last stop, and one I'd wanted to see for years before I ever had a reason to book the flight. A good way to close the loop.

    Maitreya standing at the medieval twin towers of the Viru Gate at the entrance to Tallinn's old town.
    The D-Terminal ferry building in Tallinn on a grey morning.