“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…
Category: Wellbeing/Inspiration
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…
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…
Cherish your relationship with your country of residence
A new country is like a new relationship. Sometimes the chemistry is there right away, sometimes not. Like in relationships, getting to know each other helps to understand other one better. Your own attitude also affects the development of the relationship. Every experience of living in a foreign country is unique. How each person experiences…
Your energy is your currency – how to fill your spark account
There are many ways to fill our energy assets in addition to healthy nutrition, sleep and exercise. Make your own energy source list and check out 10 ways to boost your energy.
WOOP your wish come true. Wish-Outcome-Obstacle-Plan
The WOOP is a simple, easy and yet effective method to make your wishes come true. The abbreviation comes from the words W – Wish, O – Outcome, O – Obstacle and P – Plan.
Life Skill Souvenirs from Overseas
What can you learn from life abroad – when ‘sailing the seas of overseas’? In the beginning of this year – before this global crisis was on – I started listing things I’ve learned during my family’s* nine years abroad, and I’ve noticed that these qualities are helpful also in the volatile and restricted times…
The power of positive feedback
After one particularly long day, I noticed a review of my book ‘Greetings from Abroadland’ on (a Finnish) blog called ‘Kirjeitä Shanghaista’. It made me happy and humbled. How amazing that the book has made a positive impact! And that the blogger had taken time to write the review. It made me also to think…
The best teachers
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”– Pablo Picasso Every child is also a teacher. Here are things we can learn from kids: A child looks things from different perspectives and surprises in many ways. Kids can be delighted because of the rain, when many…
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