---

When Finnish journalist Anu Partanen moved to the US in 2008, she quickly went from being a confident, successful professional to a wary, self-doubting mess. She found that navigating the basics of everyday life - buying a mobile, filing taxes, education and childcare - were more complicated and stressful than anything she had encountered in Finland. As Partanen got to know Americans better, she discovered that they shared her deep apprehension and to learn why she looked closely at the differences between life in Finland and the US.

---