We are Finns currently living in Kotka, Finland. Kotka is a beautiful small seaside city about 130 km (or about 80 miles) east of Helsinki, not far from the Russian border. We both love the summers in Finland, but hate the long, dark, and cold winters.

We met through the internet in the year 2000, and soon our email and chat friendship blossomed to love. Riia moved back to Finland around 2002, after having lived in the USA since 1978 when she went there as an exchange student - and stayed for college, grad school, and work. We got married (registered) on October 17, 2005.

We moved to Kotka in 2006 from Helsinki, when Tepa applied for, and got, a job as a lab technologist at the Central Hospital of Kymeenlaakso. Riia has a degree in social psychology and has worked as a research associate and consultant for the University of Michigan.

Both of our moms now live in Kotka, too - Riia's mom moved here in 2007 from Lahti, and Tepa's mom in 2009 from Helsinki. Tepa has a son who lives in Helsinki and a daughter who lives in Seinäjoki, and all together 5 grandchildren. Riia has a brother and a nephew who live in Bulgaria. To see pictures of our family, friends, and travels, click here.

See us also at (click on the logo):   

And see Riia at:  

Below are more "facts" about us:

Year born

1953

1962

Occupation

Lab technologist

Research consultant (Currently not working)

Ride

Likes

vacations/time off from work
evenings at home
chocolate
early mornings with my own time
weather (following it in different places)
children and grandchildren
summers

sleeping & dreaming
being able to do things I want & when I want
courageous people who are who they are and make a positive difference in the world
honesty and directness
love, hugs, smiles
eating (good food!)
shopping
lots of free time

Dislikes

snakes
cold
having to go to social functions with lots of strangers

lying & pretentiousness
wars & prejudice
'better-than-thou' attitudes that translate to actions that are harmful to others

Most desired travel destinations (mutual)

 Central & South American countries
Thailand
Mauritius
Cruises almost anywhere: Caribbean, Greek Islands, etc.

Favorite musical genre

 Musicals

Favorite musicians / groups

 The Osmonds, ethno-retro pop, and a variety of others

HIIPHOP: EMINEM, Jay-Z, Xzibit, Redrama, Elastinen - IsoH - Fintelligens, Mariska, Cheek, Signmark, Lil' Kim, Ludacris etc ...  ROCK/POP: Meatloaf, ELO, Eagles, Holly Near, Janis Joplin, John Mellencamp, Bryan Adams,  ... and a lot more.

Mutual Interests

 travelling
TV & movies
reading
digital photography
computer games

Individual Interests

weather
maps
web cams
reading the newspaper in the mornings

card games (Lupaus, Pinnochle, Bridge, Spades, Hearts, Euchre, Cribbage, Poker)
graphics (making them with Paint Shop Pro)
making simple web pages
manipulating digital images
cooking
interior decorating
shopping

Some of our

Favorite authors (mutual)

Val McDermid
Nelson DeMille
Harlan Coben
David Morrell
Keith Ablow
Dan Brown
Jonathan Kellerman
Joy Fielding
Chelsea Cain

Favorite TV shows (mutual)

lots of reality shows (e.g., The Apprentice; Hell's Kitchen; Big Brother; Top Chef; Survivor)
anything that Ellen DeGeneres does
Medium
In Therapy
Dexter
Criminal Minds
Comedies such as Friends, Frazer
psychological and biographical documentaries

Favorite TV shows (individual)

House
Sairaala and other reality-based hospital shows

The Bachelor/Bachelorette, Temptation Island, and other silly 'reality TV' dating etc shows
interior decoration and house-buying shows
true crime shows
poker (e.g. World Series of Poker)