I never actually seriously considered pursuing a doctoral degree before the opportunity presented itself. But I'm so glad I did. I want to thank my parents, Simo-Pekka and Leena, for always encouraging me to further educate myself. Thanks for always having the time to share your advice, even if I didn't think I needed it. I want to thank my sisters Laura and Krista and my brother-in-law Risto, who have always supported me (and kept me grounded!) in my endeavours. Lukas and Tomas, you are still too young to read this, but I'm so happy for having such awesome nephews in my life. Finally, thank you Tuuli for always being there for me and seeing the best in me.