There has been Äijälä lineage in Rantsila, Finland already in 1743. The oldest Äijäläs I could easily find were from Tyrvää, Finland, in 1677, but Äijälä was most likely already widely in use at that time. Other old places for Äijä/Äijälä families in Finland were: Paavola, Vihanti, Kiikka, and Kullaa. My relation to Äijälä is most likely through 1735 Johan Hendrickss: Äijälä at Alatornio (Tornio), Nedertorneå, and it will most likely be very difficult to build an evidence-based solid link between you and me through the Äijälä name.

I am based in Espoo, Finland. My ancestors rarely made a journey more than 50 km in a single generation unless when they were forcibly moved from their old places (that is, Russians stealing their land). Actually, my fffffffff lived just 10 km from where I spend my youth. My fffffffffff was already 60 km away from there, though. I am the first in my lineage to move a whopping 700 km down to Espoo. ;-)