Philip Besonen, a second generation American-Finn living in Arkansas, recently built a mökki, a traditional Finnish summer vacation cottage.
Like many Finns, Philip finds satisfaction in solitude, but he resisted the traditional Finnish notion that summer cottages need to be at a significant distance from one’s primary residence. This is why he built a cottage in his backyard.
Joan, Philip's wife, says she rarely ventures into the simple log cabin.
“It's his. I rarely go in there,” she says.
Philip doesn’t mind Joan's disinterest. He says every married couple needs space sometimes.
"Her province is there,” he says while pointing at the couple’s house. This cabin is mine, and I think it's good for a marriage because I don't think you should be together all the time."
Both husband and wife have, however, noticed that their backyard mökki is missing a crucial component – a sauna.
Philip grew up in a large Laestadian family in Minnesota, where many Finnish immigrants first planted roots.
He says his Finnish heritage infused him with sisu, a special brand of Nordic perseverance.
"Oh, well, I call it being stubborn,” says Joan.
