“What makes you happy in the rainy and dark autumn days?” a fellow nature-lover asked on Instagram. She mentioned photography and creativity as examples, and we agreed to make a list of things that bring us joy during this season. Of course, there is no one way to “do autumn”. Some take a more stoic approach, running in…
Author: helenaja
"A designer, foreigner, mother and many other"
The many colors of the Sisu courage
You may have heard about the Finnish term/mentality called sisu – described as courage, grit and resilience. Like an inner force driving you to reach almost impossible goals. Sisu can be seen as a verb, it’s determination in action*. Sisu is often associated with toughness and masculine power but it also has a colorful and softer side that deserves to be shed some light on. A side…
Taking a swim for a fresher feeling + testing 17 outdoor swimming places in Zurich
Because I come from ‘the country of thousands of lakes’ = Finland, I’m used to swimming in natural waters. The water wasn’t often that warm but there were saunas for warming up when needed. The recipe for a perfect summer day in my childhood: First to the sauna, then to the lake, then back to the…
Day 2 in Engadin: The Lake St. Moritz and the UNESCO World Heritage railway trail
Join the two-days trip to the eastern Swiss Alps! Read the first day of the trip (if you haven’t already). After the breakfast and leaving the little hotel nestled in the wooded mountains, I almost jumped on the wrong train because my train was late – which is rather rare in Switzerland. The couple waiting with…
Day 1 of a trip to Engadin: Buildings full of stories and horse riding along the rivers
Join me on a two-day trip to the eastern Swiss Alps! The train travel from Zurich to Zuoz took about 2.5 hours, and was full of gorgeous views of mountains, rivers and towns. Lake Walen, Heidiland, Klosters and other places passed by, until the train turned towards the valleys of Engadin. I got off the…
Go solo – why some trips are better alone?
Traveling with family or friends is fun but sometimes it’s good to go to places alone too. Even a day trip can do wonders! Here you can read five positive perspectives of solo travel: 1. SIMPLICITY The trip will be simpler to plan and execute as you don’t need to negotiate with anyone. You are…
