A Lovely Invitation from the Finnish Embassy

Lately, I've been overwhelmed by the amount of work at school- I thought that maybe after AP testing, schoolwork would gradually lessen, but nope! I'm slowly trudging through research paper by research paper!

Anyways, on May 22nd, I received a lovely invitation for a dinner at the Finnish Embassy in Washington D.C. from Ms. Anne Vasara!

I've been doing some research on the Finnish Embassy, discovering all its intricacies and quirks! Did you know that the Finnish embassy is the only embassy in Washington DC that has its own sauna in the basement?  Or that it is the first LEED certified, environmentally sustainable, green embassy in the United States?

Inspired by a culture that prides itself on a harmonious relationship with nature and the wilderness, the Finnish embassy is designed in a way that allows it to peacefully coexist with its natural surroundings. One of the most pressing global issues today revolves around energy efficiency and conservation of resources, and the Finnish embassy has definitely taken the 'LEED' (haha) in implementing progressive change.

Some images: (provided by Google Images, not me! But I'll be sure to take numerous photographs when I'm there in June!)

Outside the embassy 

Inside the embassy

Harmonious relationship with nature :)

Here is some more information if you're interested in the technical aspect of how the Finnish embassy was designed:

http://www.afsa.org/PublicationsResources/ForeignServiceJournal/FeaturedContent/April2014FinnsTaketheLEED.aspx


I am so incredibly honored and blessed to have this opportunity to converse with foreign diplomats and government officials, and I cannot thank the Finnish government and U.S. Senate enough for this (soon-to-be) life-changing experience!