Horse Energy

There are things that pull us, quietly, yet powerfully, drawing us closer to see, explore, and experience.

For me, that pull has always been horses.

My earliest memory is of holding onto the leg of an old workhorse, hugging him with complete devotion, to the horror of my grandfather, from whom I had escaped. A few years later, I climbed from that same leg onto the back of that great Finnish breed. From there, the path continued naturally: riding school, working at trotting stables, and eventually owning my own mare.

Growing up with a horse

As a teenager, growing up with a horse was an education in responsibility but even more so in relationship.

It meant learning nuance, presence, and trust.
Learning to understand another being beyond words.

My mare became a grounding force in my life. A companion on nature trails, a quiet friend I sometimes even slept beside. We learned to read each other, to respond to the subtle shifts in energy that each day brought.

A thread that follows

Life later took me across the world from studies in the United States to family and work across Asia and Europe.

And still, horses remained.

Sometimes close, sometimes more distant but always there, gently calling me back.
A western saddle, a dressage lesson, a bareback ride by the sea.

Back in Finland, returning to my lakeside summer place in Vitsai, I connected with a neighbour’s horses and began a long relationship with a gentle thoroughbred I rode for fourteen years.

The dream

For years, I had a recurring dream.

A horse in a barn; hungry, thirsty, waiting to be fed.

Each time I woke from it, I felt a quiet urgency. As if something in my life had been left unattended. A responsibility not fully met. A connection not fully seen.

Only later did I understand.

Returning after burnout

After my sabbatical travels following burnout I found myself once again close to horses and their owners. This time, I gave space to riding in a different way.

The more I responded to their presence, the clearer their “voice” became.

I remember guiding a tinker horse who seemed to long for movement beyond the stable. Together with his owner, we returned to the forest trails. It was a quiet triumph for all of us.

Since then, I have continued working with both horses and people supporting courage, presence, and the connection between them.

Horses in the Luontopolku® journey

As my coaching deepened, horses naturally became part of my Luontopolku Back to Your Senses® experiences.

From this, an opportunity emerged to co-create horse holidays with Pegasus.

It felt like a natural progression to bring together:

• slow travel

• Finnish nature

• and the presence of horses

At my lakeside home, Blueberry Villa, built by my father in the 1990s, I now welcome guests to experience this way of being.

Here, on Taipalsaari island by Lake Saimaa, life slows down.

In Finland, horses spend their summers on green pastures. During our 5- and 7-day retreats, we collect our horses from the nearby field, walk together to the stables, and set out onto gently curving trails through birch and pine forests.

There is no rush.
Only presence, rhythm, and connection.

Feeding the inner horse

The dream of the hungry horse no longer returns.

Somewhere along the way, my inner horse was fed.

And perhaps this is what draws people here too.

Not only to ride but to reconnect.
To listen.
To respond to something within that has been waiting.

I hope to meet you there, by the lake, and to gently support you in feeding your own inner horse.

After all, it is a time to trust your energy and follow where it quietly leads.

If something in this story resonated, you don’t need to leave it here.

Each summer, I host Slow Travel Horse Holidays at Lake Saimaa, where you are paired with your own horse and guided through nature-based reflection using the Luontopolku Back to Your Senses® method.

This is not just about riding.
It is about reconnecting with nature, with the horse, and with yourself.

→ Discover upcoming Horse retreats at The Journey Studio
→ Or book a discovery call to explore if this experience is for you

Walk the walk, talk the talk

Coming from Finland, I know that talking is not always easy. We may find ways to explain things to others, but being honest with ourselves can be the hardest part.

When I guide reflective walks, there is no pressure to share anything. We simply walk. The trail invites us forward.

And yet, something interesting happens.

After a gentle opening and a moment to set a personal intention, I often suggest a short silence. It doesn’t take long before something begins to surface. A small observation along the path. A thought that follows. A quiet question that leads to another.

As we pause to take in a view or stand in a clearing, we breathe for a moment. Then we continue. One and a half hours passes quickly in nature when the mind is calm and gently engaged. And often, people feel drawn to return again.

Walking opens space

We are naturally drawn to others with whom we share something, even if we cannot immediately name it. There is often a thread somewhere in the fabric of our lives.

I hear often how easy it feels to talk while walking. And how easy it is simply to be.

This is not a formal setting where something is expected of you. There is no performance. Just a gentle walk, following a path at your own pace. You choose what to share. You look ahead, touch what surrounds you, pause when needed.

Walking and talking, like you would with a friend, is a natural and non-confrontational way to explore what is on your mind. Slowly, step by step, clarity begins to form when you set out with an intention.

Nature brings clarity

There is research on what nature, especially forests, and walking outdoors can do for us. It calms the mind, slows the heartbeat, fills the lungs, and clears the head.

There is an American saying, talk the talk and walk the walk, often referring to responsibility. On my walks, there is also a quiet responsibility: to guide your thinking toward greater gentleness with yourself. Many of us carry expectations placed on us by others, or by ourselves.

In Bangladesh, I learned a beautiful expression: eat some wind. A simple way of saying, step outside and refresh your thinking.

In Finland, we have long returned to the forest for calm and wisdom. Sitting on a tree stump, facing nature, and ourselves. Trees share with each other. And when we join them, they share with us too.

Returning to your own nature

I have traveled far and started over many times, yet I always return to my roots, to my own nature. It continues to teach me what becomes clearer with time.

I am happy to invite you to take an intentional walk as well.

You can walk on your own using my reflective guide through The Journey Studio. You can book an online session and take me with you on your walk. Or we can meet in person.

• Winter & Spring: Montgó and Benissa Ruta Ecológica, Spain

• Summer & Autumn: Lappeenranta, Lake Saimaa, Finland

You can also join a slow travel retreat and immerse yourself in Lakeland life at Blueberry Villa, where time softens and you can simply be as you are.

Take a walk

Sometimes that is where it begins.

Get your Reflective Walk Guide or book Your Reflective Walk in Spain or in Finland.

What is your worth?

What I am doing, proving all the time.

What is my worth?

Is it what I do?
What I achieve?
What I prove, again and again?

And what happens when I am no longer performing?

The Value We Learn to Prove

In Finnish culture, worth has long been connected to doing.

Preparing for winter.
Taking responsibility.
Being ready for whatever may come.

This way of thinking is not unique to Finland.

We grow up learning to prove ourselves to our parents, our supervisors, our organisations.
We show that we have done our share.
That we carry responsibility.
That we are capable.

We seek recognition.
Affirmation.
A sense that what we do matters.

And it does.

But somewhere along the way, another question begins to surface:

Who am I beyond all of this doing?

When Doing Is No Longer Enough

What is my value when I am not achieving?
When I am not producing?
When I am not being seen?

Would I still matter?
Would I still be interesting?

The truth is, often we become more interesting when we stop trying to be.

When we step out of constant doing, something else emerges.

A deeper layer.
A quieter voice.

Turning Inward

There is something within us, an inner movement, sometimes almost an itch, that asks to be noticed.

Not solved.
Not performed.
But listened to.

When we begin to turn inward, we start to understand:

• why we react the way we do

• what truly matters to us

• what is ready to change

• and what is quietly calling us forward

This is where clarity begins.

How Change Really Happens

We often change through:

• powerful encounters

• unexpected life events

• intentional travel

I have lived through environments that force perspective, moving across cultures, witnessing instability, navigating situations where safety is not guaranteed.

Those experiences shaped me.

But they did not bring me peace.

It was only when I slowed down, when I travelled on my own, without performance or expectation, that something shifted.

For a long time, I performed.
I proved myself.

It is something I now recognise in many of the people I work with.

Finding Calm Through Nature and Reflection

There is another way.

A quieter one.

Through reflective nature experiences, we begin to notice what is happening within us.

Not by forcing change, but by allowing space.

On a trail, in silence, through observation,
we begin to hear ourselves again.

And in that, a sense of calm begins to emerge.

From Experience to Guidance

Through my own journey, and supported by my work as a certified transformative travel coach, I now guide individuals and teams who are seeking:

• clarity

• balance

• direction

• and a deeper connection to themselves

Because in the end:

Everything begins and ends with the individual.

And when we understand ourselves more clearly, we shape not only our own path but also the teams and environments we are part of.

A Final Reflection

Your worth is not only what you produce.

It is also who you are when you pause.

When you listen.
When you are no longer performing.

That is where something more honest begins.

Continue the Journey

If you feel the need to explore this further, you are warmly welcome to continue the journey with me.

Through Luontopolku Back to Your Senses®, I offer guided reflective walks, coaching, and small group experiences in Finland and Spain.

You can explore more and book your experience via the services section at the Journey Studio.

Learnings from the Finnish Forest

How Nature, Sisu, and the Luontopolku® Method Guide Us Back to Ourselves

Finnish forests are more than meets the eye. They protect, restore, and provide, but above all, they reveal.

There is a Finnish saying: what you shout into the forest, the forest answers back.
Yet it is not the forest that has the voice.

In the silence of nature, you begin to hear your own thoughts,
the echo of what has been waiting within you.

The Forest as a Leadership Mirror

This week, beneath tall pines and across frozen ground softened by the first signs of spring, I guided participants through the Luontopolku® Back to Your Senses journey at Lake Saimaa.

In unfamiliar surroundings at the eastern frontier of the EU something shifts.

When we step outside what is known, we are invited to draw not only from experience, but from our connection to nature and ourselves.

Working in teams, we explored leadership not only as guiding others, but as managing ourselves under changing conditions.

Because every organization, every team, is built from people.
And everything begins there.

Understanding Finnish Sisu Through Experience

Through the Luontopolku® five-step reflection process, we explored what Finnish Sisu truly means:

Pause
Sensory awareness
Threshold recognition
Integration
Forward direction

Sisu is not force.
It is not performance.

It is the quiet decision to continue with responsibility when conditions are not ideal.

Nature supported this process in its own way, through the rhythm of the landscape, the stillness of the forest, and the long, winding trails around a slowly melting Lake Saimaa.

Crossing Thresholds – Personal and Shared

As I shared my own story of crossing borders both physically and emotionally, I was reminded again of the power of thresholds.

Stepping into my grandmother’s home in lost Karelia.
Meeting the current owners in her old kitchen.
Bringing my own family to safety in Finland from a military takeover.

In these moments, I recognised something deeper:

Adaptability is not only survival. It is a strength.
And sometimes, what we carry as loss becomes a hidden gift we are only later ready to embrace.

Redefining Leadership in the Forest

After a long day in the terrain, our integration session brought new insights.

We reflected on our need to:

• prove ourselves

• perform

• be the fastest or the strongest

And what happens when we let that go.

Leadership revealed itself differently in the forest:

• knowing when to step forward

• knowing when to step aside

• giving space to others

• adapting when conditions change

• showing compassion when performance is not possible

This is self-leadership.

Returning to Ourselves Through Nature

In today’s world, we have in many ways become disconnected, from nature and from ourselves.

But when we pause, when we step intentionally into nature, something begins to shift.

We begin to hear ourselves again.

Through walking.
Through silence.
Through presence.

And sometimes, through the shared quiet of a sauna at the end of the day, we let go of what we no longer need to carry.

We rest.

And in that rest, clarity begins to emerge.

Why Finnish Nature Is the Source of Happiness

Finland has been named the happiest country in the world multiple times.

One of the reasons lies here:

In the forest.
In the relationship with nature.
In the ability to pause and return to oneself.

Luontopolku® – A Path Back to Your Senses

Through my Luontopolku® Back to Your Senses method, I guide individuals and teams to reconnect with themselves through:

• reflective nature walks

• coaching

• slow travel experiences

• retreats in Finland and Spain

This is not about escaping life.

It is about meeting it more clearly.

A Final Thought

The forest does not give you answers.

It gives you space to hear your own.

And often, that is where everything begins.

I can guide you there.

See more here.

Does your team have Sisu?

Experience Finland this summer.

When Nature Becomes a Mirror: A Reflective Walk on the Ruta Ecológica in Benissa

Have you paused lately, I mean truly paused, taking yourself out not to perform, achieve, or respond, but simply to listen within?

On the Ruta Ecológica in Benissa, the landscape quietly reminds us how time reshapes everything.

Walking along the cliffs, you pass old sandstone quarries. Places where stone was once extracted and landscapes were capitalized on. Today they are protected nature areas. We walk through them gently, observing rather than taking.

Time has shifted their purpose.

Small yellow flowers grow through dry soil and rocky ground. Fragile yet persistent, they slowly reclaim the terrain. Spring approaches quietly here. Nature does not rush, but it always finds its way forward.

Watching this, it becomes difficult not to reflect on our own inner landscapes.

Just like the land, our inner nature also moves in cycles. Some seasons are productive and outward-facing. Others ask for restoration, protection, and listening.

We have learned to protect natural environments: to leave them as they are given to us.

Perhaps we need to offer the same care to ourselves.

Pausing, keeping ourselves close, staying in conversation with our inner voice. Noticing what might be quietly sprouting within us again; an idea, a direction, a courage that had been waiting for the right season.

Nature has a remarkable way of reflecting what we carry inside.

When we walk slowly and intentionally, the landscape begins to mirror our own thoughts. A question carried quietly in the mind often finds unexpected clarity along the path.

This is the foundation of my Luontopolku® reflective walk practice: creating space where nature becomes both guide and mirror.

Along the Ruta Ecológica in Benissa we slow down, observe, and listen, not only to the sea breeze, the pine trees, and the rhythm of the waves, but also to what is stirring within.

You may arrive with a question, a transition, or simply the feeling that it is time to pause.

Nature has a way of answering in its own quiet language.

I offer guided reflective walks at the Ruta Ecológica in Benissa for individuals and small groups through The Journey Studio.

If you feel the need to pause, listen, and reconnect with your own direction, you are welcome to walk with me.

Reflective Walk Experiences
📍 Ruta Ecológica, Benissa – Costa Blanca
Solo sessions or small groups

Read more and book your walk through The Journey Studio.

Space, Time, and Clarity

When Vision Returns

A friend of mine had eye surgery this week. Finally, after gathering courage for a long time. It was high time; his vision had greatly deteriorated. As the procedure is done one eye at a time, he removed the bandage with hesitation. What would he see? Would he see?

And he did.

He saw colors. He saw the world in hues he had forgotten existed. He was so moved by his restored vision that he wept. Now he cannot wait for the second eye to be treated and prefers to rely only on this newly opened eye in the meantime.

We cherish what we regain — especially something as precious as eyesight.

When Life Comes Back Into Focus

There are moments when I feel the same way about my own life. Sometimes I have tears in my eyes from the simple happiness of where I am today. I feel I have my life back; no longer waiting for vacation, for a break, for “someday,” but living fully in each moment.

There is a life waiting for each of us. We sense it. We work toward it. Or we quietly feel that something more is possible.

Things are not always clear. But when we pause, truly pause, and begin listening, reflecting, and gently examining our thoughts, a path starts to appear. When we voice what is within us — to ourselves, to a friend, or to a coach — we begin building forward movement.

The Power of a Pause

There are many ways to pause and reconnect. To understand what brings us joy. What we might release. What we might refine. What we might add.

I believe in slow movement, not performance but presence. Nature helps. So does stepping into new environments. When we expose ourselves to unfamiliar surroundings, we step out of autopilot. We become someone without roles to perform. We see more clearly.

For me, living part of the year in another country creates that space. I cannot control everything. I do not master the language fully. I move through daily life with curiosity rather than certainty. I follow selected news, chosen podcasts, and the rhythm of the place.

Years ago, when I lived in Bangladesh, we experienced long hartals; citywide strikes when driving through Dhaka was not possible. At first, I felt frustrated. Then something shifted. I had no power to change the situation. I could not fix it. I could only stay. And in staying, I relaxed.

There was a profound calm in simply being present with family and neighbors. No urgency. No movement. Just time.

I experience something similar at my Lake Saimaa villa during summer. Days stretch. Nothing demands. We sit on the pier. Time hangs. There is nowhere else to be.

Bringing the Island Home

When I coach people, they often mention Bali, the feeling they had there. I gently ask why. And then why again. And again. What exactly did the island give you?

My intention is not to send them back to Bali. It is to help them bring that feeling into their everyday lives. The calm of the summer cabin. The clarity of a faraway island. The surrender of a moment when you are no longer in control — and it is enough.

To make that clarity last.

To integrate it into daily living.

To return to it whenever needed.

A Gentle Invitation

Clarity does not arrive through force. It arrives through space.

If you feel that something in your life is waiting to come back into focus, perhaps it is time to create intentional space for it, whether through a reflective walk, a slow travel experience, or a structured pause guided by Luontopolku Back to Your Senses®.

Sometimes all it takes is one clear step to begin seeing differently.

Walk gently. Listen deeply. Return to your own nature.

Back in Time

A Saturday at Xaló Market

I return to the Xaló Saturday market every so often.

Sometimes I go searching for something particular. Most often, I go simply to wander along the riverside; to enjoy the music, the hum of mixed European languages, and the possibility of unexpected treasures.

In sunny February, when spring quietly breaks winter’s spell and almond trees begin to bloom, the village feels especially alive. Cyclists move through the narrow streets. Conversations flow in Spanish, Dutch, German, French, English. The market becomes a meeting place of seasons and stories.

A Gift of Time

This week my son is visiting with his friends. I asked him to find a birthday gift during our Xaló day; something I would buy for him, a small reminder of time spent together here.

I wasn’t looking for anything myself. I was simply following the young ones, enjoying their reflections, their laughter, their rhythm.

And yet.

It didn’t take long before I found myself standing before a stack of vinyl records. Ever since restoring the old record player at Blueberry Villa, these records have been quietly calling me.

Recently back in the western saddle with a new quarter gelding as a coachee, I instinctively picked up My Country – Songs, die dir Freiheit geben, with voices like Johnny Cash and Kenny Rogers.

Two euros later, “Country roads, take me home” accompanied me along the riverbank.

Treasures That Carry Stories

There is something about touching and even smelling objects from the past.

They carry lives lived.
Dreams pursued.
Time that has passed and yet lingers.

I have never felt lighter than I do now. Owning less. Needing less.

I admire the handbags I once collected. I smile at the Tiffany lamps I once searched for. Letting go has brought me closer to what truly matters.

I bought one more thing: Jules Verne’s Viaje al Centro de la Tierra in Spanish. It feels like a promise. This will be the first full book I read in my chosen language.

And then, a simple green glass jar for the stones I collect during my walks. It has been empty for a long time. Now it waits again.

The Village That Holds Stories

Our final stop was the Xaló vintage store, always worth visiting. Its owner, a photographer, once captured Finnish band Hanoi Rocks in the 1980s. The shop feels like a museum disguised as a boutique.

Whenever I bring people here, we rarely leave empty-handed. This time, my son found a shirt that felt right. Not because it was needed but because it resonated.

What Is Calling You?

During my retreats, I bring guests to this market at the end of their stay.

Before we begin wandering, I ask them to pause.

To listen.

What is calling you here?
What do you want to carry forward, not just in your bag, but into your life?

It is always meaningful to hear why they choose what they choose.

Often, the object is small. The shift behind it is not.

Choosing How We Spend Our Days

We all choose, every day, how we spend our time.

Slow markets.
Shared afternoons.
A record.
A book.
A jar waiting to be filled.

I have become ever more mindful of how I spend mine.

And if you ever feel called to wander these riverbanks, listen to what is asking to be noticed, or experience the rhythm of this valley more deeply, you are welcome to join me.

Sometimes a market is just a market.

Sometimes it is the beginning of something quieter, and more meaningful.

You can explore further here.

Happy Valentine’s Day to You

A different kind of love story

It’s a day we may love or hate, celebrate with friends the Finnish way or with someone dear to us.

Over the past year, I’ve often spoken about a love story when sharing my path of leaving and returning with purpose. Not the kind of story we usually expect, but the one that changed everything.

For years, like many of us, I gave and gave. I handled, managed, waited.

Until one day I realised: it was me who had to let something go.

Choosing time

When I took my sabbatical travels, I gave up a lot. Income, yes. Certainty, maybe.

But time? That was priceless.

There was no other way I could have bought the learning, clarity, and courage that came from travelling solo. I needed that time out.

And the love story I found was the most profound one of all: finally choosing myself.

Doing what I had long wished to do.
Investing in my own wellbeing.
Getting a little lost, only to find my way back home, within.

That journey was the best wellness retreat I could ever have given myself.

From travel to transformation

It’s been a year since my sabbatical ended, and so much has changed. Clarity has formed.

Travel gave me new insight, not only about the world, but about ourselves. That curiosity led me deeper into my Travel Coach Network studies.

Once a travel director, I now design experiences that don’t just take you somewhere, they take you deeper into yourself, into place, into culture.

Once a manager and supervisor, I now guide people to pause. To listen inward. Whether travelling far or simply walking a familiar forest trail.

Sometimes we look at ourselves in the same mirror for too long. We swim in the same fishbowl.

But when we step into a new environment or meet someone who truly sees us, our vision clears.

Reshaping life gently

Last year, I gently reshaped my life. Not overnight, not dramatically, but consciously. I built a structure that supports a lifestyle “on a journey every day.”

I started telling my story. Asking for help. Preparing ahead.

And interestingly, when we speak from the heart, the right people appear.

Not everyone needs to change their life completely, move countries, or leave their job.

But everyone deserves more peace. More balance. More small moments of happiness.

Courage looks different for each of us

Sometimes it’s a sabbatical.
Sometimes it’s a mindful morning.
A new hobby.
A quiet weekend trip.
Or simply a gentle pause.

Small acts of self-love, repeated throughout the year.

If you ever feel the call to create space for yourself to reflect, reset, or redesign your path, I’m here to walk alongside you and share what I’ve learned.

We don’t need to carry heavy bags.

Awareness leads to courage.
And courage grows step by step.

With love

Sending love to you this Valentine’s Day.

The Circle Closes

This January 2026, I am returning to Helsinki Matka Nordic Travel Fair an altogether different role: as a fellow traveler.

Once a travel executive and promoter of the Lake Saimaa region, I now stand here to tell how travel can take us to places, but more importantly, how it can bring us back home, within. When we travel intentionally, paying attention to ourselves and our surroundings, connecting with people and places, we also journey deeper into ourselves. Travel shows us how else life could be. It takes us off autopilot, sometimes even out of our comfort zones. In doing so, it resets us, supports our wellbeing, and invites reflection: are these new experiences something we want more of in our lives?

Travel as a Counterbalance

While the world speeds ahead and constantly pushes our boundaries with its demands, travel becomes a counterbalance, a resetting force that allows us to slow down and return to something that calls us. A feeling. A place. A moment where we see ourselves glowing again. As travelers, we are free, at our purest. When nobody knows us, we can shed our masks. We no longer need to play roles. We can simply be.

And we do not need to travel far. Or for long. We only need to turn our ear inward and allow ourselves the moments we truly need.

Nature as the Way Back

For me, nature has always been that place of return. It has echoed my answers back to me, allowed me to be alone in safety, and reminded me of who I am. Solo moments in nature; walking trails, slow rituals, quiet reflection, inner conversations bring us back to our own path. The more often we return to nature with a question in our hearts, seeking clarity, the clearer the picture becomes. Our breath softens. Our direction sharpens.

I believe it can be that simple.
Our nature is calling us all.

Listening Instead of Performing

We do not need yoga or breathing techniques, although I know they are wonderful and do much good. We can simply begin by giving ourselves time. By walking. By listening. By allowing what moves us to guide our choices and, in time, our travels.

A Year of Transformation

Last year marked a profound turning point for me as I founded my own business as a transformative travel coach. It has been a year of change, of reconnecting with wonderful people, both familiar and new, and of building wellbeing-focused travel experiences in Finland and abroad.

Returning to Helsinki Matka Nordic Travel Fair

At Helsinki Travel Mart this year, I am speaking as the founder of The Journey Studio, sharing my story and my Luontopolku Back to Your Senses® method. I am also honored to represent my dear partner Aktiv-Resor, speaking about how travel can bring wellbeing into our lives through experiences such as our “Appelsiinipuut kukkivat jo Valenciassa” retreat.

I will be available to meet from Friday 16 January to Sunday 18 January, and on Saturday 17 January from 13:00 to 14:30 you are warmly invited to join us at the Aktiv-Resor stand 7p128 for a connecting hour with my inspiring friend Saimi Hoyer.

Back Where I Belong

Travel and taking time for myself brought me back to where I belong: happy, present, and on a journey I now build consciously, day by day.

I look forward to meeting you at the fair, later this year, or wherever your path may take you. I would be honored to walk alongside your journey.

Happy travels,
Mirka

Read more about:

Appelsiinipuut kukkivat jo Valenciassa retreat.

Plan your own journey.

Pohdi omaa matkaasi kanssani.

A Threshold Between Years

We stand at a quiet threshold between the old and the new, with 2025 turning into 2026 in just a couple of days. This moment invites reflection. There are no New Year promises, no quick fixes, no self-help shortcuts that truly carry us forward. No one else can walk your path, pave the way, or take the steps for you.

There are practices: yoga, meditation, breathwork, deep massage that help us arrive in the present moment. There are also walks we can take, forests we can return to, places where we can finally hear our own thoughts again. These are invitations to turn our gaze inward and listen to our bodies, our intuition, ourselves.

Looking Back at 2025

I walked a long path in 2025. As the new year approaches, it feels natural to look back at the highlights that shaped me. During my sabbatical travels I knew I needed to change something, and in January I felt the earth shifting beneath my feet. After journeying far and walking far, I was finally ready; ready to feel, stand on my own and to understand the inner movement taking place within me.

A Defining Moment in Bernia

One of the moments that comes to mind from 2025 is a hike in Bernia and a powerful question asked atop ancient ruins overlooking the Mediterranean valley. A question so simple and yet so profound, one we all wrestle with:

“Will this make me happy?”

That conversation on the mountain stayed with me. It nudged me deeper into presence and into trusting my own senses. In 2025 I finally understood that letting go is an act of courage, and trusting myself is an act of love.

The Healing Potential of Travel

I also think about the power of travel, its quiet ability to heal and reveal who we are. Sometimes we set out without fully understanding why, only to discover the meaning step by step along the way.

My travel coaching, studies of transformation, Finnish heritage, raising two beautiful adults, and years living across continents have all given me a gentle trust in the world. When we slow down and return to presence, we begin to hear again the world around us, and our own inner voice.

Shared Moments

One moment I cherish this year is riding beside my coachee and her horse after a year in a new country. She had been too afraid to take that first hike with her beloved companion. But she stepped up, and so did I. She faced her fear, and something shifted in both of us.

Another beautiful moment this year was welcoming the Aktiv Resor team and a dear friend into a special collaboration, a holiday that will not end. Our Appelsiinipuut kukkivat jo wellness retreat is already taking shape as the orange trees begin to bloom. This meaningful journey will take place in April 2026, and you are warmly welcome to join us.

I trust the moment now. I trust stillness. I trust the process of working with groups, showing vulnerability, and finding our way together.
I believe in imperfection. I believe in us.
I believe in you.

My Path as a Transformative Travel Coach

Today I live as a transformative travel coach and journey designer, on a journey every day. I have taken my originally author family name as my official name. I design meaningful journeys and help you map your own way. Yes, I have my certification but more importantly, I have done my walk, and I continue to walk it.

I am here for you. I walk beside you, as close as you feel comfortable, listening to what you share as the path begins to form in front of your eyes.

Luontopolku: Returning to Nature, Returning to Yourself

I simply take you to Luontopolku, the nature trail. I guide you to nature so you can reconnect with your own inner nature. You don’t need anything special. No specific equipment, no particular practice, no performance. You simply relax and step out.

You are already enough, carrying the answers within you, moving toward harmony.

There is magic in the silence of nature.
Walking unlocks the mind’s potential.
Science has shown how walking brings clarity and creative breakthroughs.

Nature begins to reflect answers back to us in shapes, patterns, and moments only we can interpret.

One walk won’t solve everything. But it offers gentle aha-moments that open the way. When we return intentionally to reflective walks, we continue to process, to understand, to move toward what is calling us next.

The Horses That Returned to My Life

My love of horses has deepened this year as they returned into my life ever more. I hear them, seek to understand them, and myself better. Hipico Oliva, the place I visited on my very first solo day in Spain in November 2024 has become part of my working landscape. And my home stables, Vitsai Village’s Kannuskylä Stables is now a partner in mindful horse holidays beginning in summer 2026.

Welcoming the Year of the Fire Horse

Happy New Year of the Fire Horse, 2026: a year symbolizing renewal, bold energy, and transformative momentum. A year of unexpected developments, personal growth, and dynamic change.

And yet, while the world may accelerate around us, the most important thing remains the same: Slow down.

Turn inward.
Take yourself into account.

You mean the most.

May 2026 be a year of presence, clarity, courage, and a return to the path that is truly yours.

I am here for you.

Whether you are in Finland seeking a spring reset under blooming orange trees, or anywhere in the world longing to reconnect with yourself through the silence of Finnish nature, your journey has a place here. Let’s find the right path for you.

Read more about Your Journey or join our Appelsiinipuut kukkivat jo wellness retreat.

Whycation to Youcation; From Another Level to Gravity

While listening to morning news podcasts, I’m bombarded with advertisements about how to capitalize on the transformation AI is bringing to businesses: reducing costs, elevating customer and entertainment experiences, making 3D mainstream, promising leverage to grow.

I shiver a little. I am no longer walking those endless corridors or joining meetings where I was already thinking about the next one unpresent in the moment, and unpresent in myself.

I had another glimpse into the state of today during a sustainability communications training I recently attended. Suddenly our group found ourselves in a shared room, tasked with solving a problem together to be presented in 15 minutes.

I was the only one with my video on, introducing myself and asking for input.
Silence.

I suggested an approach. One voice, calling from a car, said: “Great, and sorry, I’m barely able to participate.”

I solved the issue, shared it with the group who remained quiet, busy with other tasks or unable to face others, and then presented it to the full class.

Today, I am in a privileged position: I choose where to be present.
Not necessarily financially, but mentally and emotionally.

We are expected to grow businesses, utilise the newest tools, and take experiences to “the next level.” But with all these loops, hurdles, and levels, we begin to lose our ground spinning like whirling dervishes.

Presently in Bangkok, between executive speeches about growth and market insights, we heard the Tourism Authority of Thailand share how, in just one year, they shifted from cultural experiences and parties to a new theme:
“Luxury of Healing.”
Soundless nature escapes, singing bowls, natural spas, stories, and sustainability.

Again I was reminded of the balance we all need.
There is a gravity pulling us back: a craving for nature, for simple ways, for nostalgia.

When transforming and growing businesses, we should not lose the most important factor:
ourselves.

Companies and people should invest first in wellbeing, inner connection, and personal growth.
Machines still need humans to learn from: people who can think for themselves and for others, after first taking a deep breath for themselves.

Whycation to Youcation

There are deeper reasons we travel.

Why means more than where.
You mean more than anything.

I walk alongside you, observing and listening. I offer my ear so you can shape the solution you already carry within you, once you start listening in.

You might be amazed by how much you have inside when you lend yourself an ear and quiet the noise.

It may be Thailand, Finland, or another land entirely that wakes something in you, but you are the one who takes the learning home and integrates it into daily life.

My gentle solution is simple:
listen to yourself when you step intentionally into nature, wherever you are. Pay intuitive attention and begin to notice what your inner self is whispering together with a trusted coach, next to you or online, present.

Take a leap, and allow yourself to land for a moment.
You will be happy you did.

Schedule a Complimentary Discovery Call

Your nature is calling you. Luontopolku Back to Your Senses® and I are ready when you are. Book a complimentary call.

Seeking Answers

I still get lost sometimes and need to return to my nature trails to reconnect. Even in the excitement of building something new, there is a mountain of tasks waiting, not always favourites, yet necessary.

What Is Weighing on Me?

This week, between pitching competitions where I got to speak about my Luontopolku Back to Your Senses® method, the way to Finnish Happiness, to the finals and receive supportive feedback from wellness-tourism leaders, I found myself wondering: What is weighing on me?

There is the pressure of things undone, the constant whisper to do more, the old feeling, shared by so many of us, that we still need to prove something. Even after letting go, the echo returns. In conversations this week, we explored that balance: how to stay engaged without losing ourselves, how to understand what is “enough,” and how to find a renewed sense of meaning and direction.

When I Return to the Trail

Every time I return to a trail intentionally and start listening to the nature around me, something shifts.
The stormy waves inside quiet down.
A pigeon lands and meets my gaze.
A poster on a wall brings back a memory of who I used to be.

When I note down the intuitive thoughts that arise, I begin to see what is missing, why I feel the way I do, and what needs to be released or added to feel whole again.

Nature Shows Us the Way

Nature shows us the way if we choose to listen.
But when we are burned out, overwhelmed or moving through transitions, we often don’t hear anything at all. We operate in a trance, not fully present in our own lives.

We need to break that cycle. Step out.
Travel helps awaken the senses and shift perspective, but we are not always able to travel far. In the end, it wasn’t the height of Machu Picchu that changed me. It was the depth I needed. Myself I sought.

About Luontopolku Back to Your Senses®

The Luontopolku Back to Your Senses® method I developed during my Travel Coach studies doesn’t require distance. It requires listening.

In Finland, we say:
“The forest answers what you shout into it.”

Luontopolku Back to Your Senses® is a nature-based transformational wellbeing and travel method that guides individuals back to clarity and inner balance. Rooted in mindful presence, nature practices and reflective guidance, it offers a structured yet intuitive pathway toward emotional renewal and meaningful change.

Finnish research shows that even 10 minutes in nature calms the heartbeat. Nature walks lower cortisol, support burnout recovery, prevent depression and increase mindfulness.

Luontopolku, nature trail in Finnish, draws from ancestral knowledge, Finnish science and global wellness insights, including the principles of Japanese forest bathing.

Slowing Down to Listen

Meaningful change happens when we slow down, tune in and allow nature to support our inner journey. Through movement, reflective exercises, sensory awareness and meaning-centered travel coaching, Luontopolku becomes a gentle companion toward self-understanding and inner clarity.

By following the steps in the Luontopolku® guide, you begin by asking what you wish clarity on. Then you step into nature, holding the question lightly.

Magic happens: answers appear in leaves, patterns, symbols.
You pause. You listen.
You write down the intuitive thoughts that surface.

The more intentionally we return to nature, the clearer the inner voice becomes.

A Path You Always Walk With Yourself

At 54, I gained the courage to change my life.
And so can you.

You are always journeying with yourself: listen closely to know when to stay on your path, or when it’s time to turn.

Wishing you a wonderfully slow weekend.
Take a mindful walk.
And if you feel called to explore your personal journey through a guided session, online or as a reflective Luontopolku Back to Your Senses® walk, you’re warmly welcome to make a booking.

All the Roads Lead to Yourself

Traveling in Different Ways

We are different travelers at different times and need different trips for different moments in life. I’ve learned to travel in many ways: with family, with friends, and alone. Though I’ve always needed my own time, it took me a while to embrace solo travel. It began with trips to visit friends until it grew on me. I’ve discovered the most about myself while traveling alone.

While we all need a friend by our side, it’s equally important to pause, ask questions, and reflect on our own.

Winds, Sunlight, and Self-Discovery

After experiencing winds that bring tears as well as the sun’s gentle caress, I now find myself in a new place of understanding; knowing better who I am and what I enjoy. And once you’ve arrived, it’s precious to find dear travel companions: old friends in new destinations and new friends showing you their favorite places.

Impressions from Lisbon

Last week I explored Lisbon. As an authenticity lover, I asked my copilot to suggest what I should see when my travel companion, a Lisbon aficionado, asked what I wished to explore.

My happiest moments were spent visiting the world’s oldest bookshop and the candle store Caza das Vellas Loreto (where photos aren’t allowed indoors). The dark wood interiors and glass cabinets filled with tall, imaginative candles are imprinted in my mind.

We also wandered through the front and back streets of Chiado, Alfama, and Belém, tasting flavors and returning to the best viewpoints. We don’t always need photos of views, but rather meaningful mementos and images within. My trip continues now for as long as my beautiful candles burn.

Turning Toward Spring

This week I glow as I turn my gaze toward spring, where a new joyous way of traveling awaits. With a dear friend, I’m happy to open our arms to welcome new travelers to begin their own journeys and join our Orange Trees Are Blooming Already in Valencia mindful travel package (Appelsiinipuut kukkivat jo Valenciassa merkitysmatka) this coming April.

We’ve both traveled our paths, left and returned, each time stronger. Now we embark on a new journey together.

A Journey Home Within

This is an opportunity to connect with supportive, spirited fellow travelers amid the blooming surroundings of Valencia. As we gently explore the Mediterranean valley, we also begin a journey that takes us to a home within.

✨ Read more about Appelsiinipuut kukkivat jo Valenciassa (in Finnish).
Explore your own personally coached journey.

Live for Yourself While Being There for Others

I had a meaningful encounter this week while called to a particular trail. Walking along the hilly Montgó side street, I stopped under a tall eucalyptus whose scent filled the air. As I admired its wide, textured trunk, an elderly lady appeared as if invited to the same spot.

In the golden setting sun, we began to talk, a blend of English, Spanish, and German unfolding between us. I learned that she had recently lost her husband of decades and was now alone in his country, far from her own circle. I listened, feeling that my role was simply to be there, assuring her that community and connection would return if she reached out.

Before parting ways, we hugged, she with her little dog, patiently waiting. Two strangers meeting under an old tree, both reminded that we are never truly alone.

Choosing Ourselves, Too

We are fortunate when life grants us long partnerships that shape who we are. Yet while we choose our partners every day, we must also remember to choose ourselves: to nurture our own paths, friendships, and independence.

One day we may stand alone, and if we’ve never practiced it, solitude can feel overwhelming. For me, learning to let others care for me has been just as important as learning to stand on my own. When we’re too used to someone else arranging things, it can take time to rediscover our own rhythm.

Solo hobbies, short trips, or longer adventures benefit both ourselves and our partners, offering space to reflect on who we are and what we seek in each other.

Redefining Our Roles

This week’s conversations reminded me how universal these transitions are; losing a partner, separating, or watching children move out. Each change reshapes our lives and redefines our roles.

That’s why it’s so vital to pause and ask:

Who am I beyond these familiar patterns? What still defines me?

Nature as a Way Back

For me, nature walks have always been my way back: sorting thoughts, reconnecting with myself, and grounding in the moment. Movement in nature unlocks emotions that words often hide.

Set out intentionally with a question to yourself. Walk in silence. Reach for a tree, feel the wind, notice the scent of the earth. When we engage our senses, emotional truths unfold, and sometimes they make us cry, sometimes laugh.

Have a wonderful weekend. Step out, even for a short while, and let the path remind you of yourself.

If you are interested in try the Luontopolku reflective walk guide.

To the Lovestories

Autumn means learning to let go after holding tightly to the lingering morning mists, marvelling at the gorgeous hues, and rising onto your toes as migrating birds glide overhead at the pier.

A New Chapter with The Journey Studio

This year, after finishing my work in Finland, I emptied my drawers, packed my bags, and took off myself. My year of transition reached its final turning point as I embarked on my full-time journey as an entrepreneur at The Journey Studio.

Upon returning to my newfound second home in Valencia, I was privileged to welcome a dear friend, a soulmate from my Lake Saimaa woods, along on a journey that has no end. I returned to a haven I had once discovered on a mountain hike through the surrounding valleys. Together with the gentle owners of Castell de la Solana, we hosted a partner team for an unforgettable, meaningful long weekend.

Stories Around the Long Table

As we gathered around the long table, I sensed it would hold the many stories that would unfold there during our first lunch. The heartfelt tales of finding a place, a purpose, each other, and courage all spoke of love — as did mine. Love for oneself, the courage to step out, move on, listen deeply, and embark on one’s own path. My divorce, fittingly, also became final that very day.

Transformation Through Travel

Travel is a beautiful, powerful tool, a path to wellbeing and connection when pursued with intention. The sense of belonging and embrace we felt among the olive groves during the Luontopolku reflective walk, in that valley where the storm gave way to radiant daylight, reflected transformation itself. In the days that followed, we shared our souls, roamed the nature trails with the wind in our hair and the sea whispering its greetings, turning the moments into a beautiful metamorphosis.

Who Are You, Beyond Your Title?

I often ask a simple question: If not defined by your position, who are you?

The intuitive answer is deeply revealing, one only needs to understand it within. I am a connector, now surrounded by dear friends who also know who they are, and that shared awareness brings assurance and clarity beyond the norms of this world.

Freedom, Connection, and the Home Within

I am humbled to have created the trust that allowed us to come together to experience something beautiful and carry meaning home. Wet with rain and tears, we hugged one another, carrying the knowing that this was only the beginning. There are journeys yet to unfold; journeys that take us beyond trips, to the home within restoring and healing us beyond wellbeing as we know it.

I have been told that I create a sense of freedom simply by being myself. Feeling free has always driven me: moving me from one country to another. Now, I no longer need to move to feel free. With my concept of life: traveling every day, I am free within myself.

As part of this transition after my divorce, I am now officially taking my author’s name, Bruun, as my registered name. My grandparents’ name carries deep meaning for me, a return to my roots and to the family pillars that have supported me throughout my life.

Would you like to embark on your own lovestory?

Drop me a note or read more at Life Chapter Reinvention or Travel Coaching in Finnish at Mukana matkallasi.

Care for Yourself

We often feel responsible for everyone but ourselves. We take care of children, family, spouse, parents, and work. At work, we leave nothing unfinished and ensure others have answers; at home, we make sure everyone else takes their breaks.

It’s admirable to be reliable, the person everyone can turn to but who do you turn to? Who allows the leave for you? There may even be the option: adequate holidays, understanding supervisors who won’t push you for yet another achievement—but do you allow yourself to take it?

Fear Wears Many Faces

Fear can appear as being unheard, missing out, becoming left out, forgotten. Perhaps the hardest: facing yourself without structure, after so long taking care of others, managing responsibilities, following routines.

Being alone with your thoughts can feel bewildering, yet it’s here you can start listening. You can question the weight in your backpack and ask yourself:
“Do I really need to carry all this anymore?”

Start Gently

Care for yourself a little at a time.
Pay attention. Turn your ear to the journey waiting. Accept that you also need time, space, and peace.

Allow yourself to unwind in ways that feel natural. Travel and leisure trips are not challenges to conquer, achievements to measure, or races to win.

Beauty lives in the moments in between, in the truths hidden under ordinary stones. Mindful walks in nature, strolling through an unfamiliar street on a work trip, turning your gaze inward all can spark small aha moments, giving depth and clarity to your reflections.

Time is precious. Connecting with yourself begins the journey toward your natural calling. It may smoothen your experience where you are or eventually lead you somewhere entirely new but the most important thing is that you are steering.

Walking Together

As a certified travel coach and fellow traveler, I walk with people who are questioning the weight of their backpack and what to carry forward.

The journey is yours, and I’m here for the moments you need. I’ll walk alongside as you map where you wish to go using travel as your vehicle.

Pause. Reflect. Consider what you truly want.

Together, we can plan your journey back to your senses whether it’s a personal reflection path, a solo adventure you long to embark on, or a wellness retreat where you wish to immerse fully. Just book a discovery call to chat about your desires.

Courage is Everything

Taking the Leap

A year ago, on 31.7., I took a leap: a sabbatical that would change my life.

I grew up believing anything was possible; my father encouraging, my mother cautioning. I had moved abroad for studies and work, traveled across the world when I got married, and started my own business. Yet after living through a military takeover and a real estate collapse, courage felt far away.

For years, my children, my calm hometown, and my work in the municipal sector provided a safe haven. I embraced Finland fully and gave all the creativity I could to my employer.

Getting Stuck vs. Moving Forward

It’s easy to get stuck in the rhythm of daily life, sucked into work, only thinking about the next weekend. Work trips and holidays were my windows to the world, my moments to explore and discover new paths.

As the kids grew up, the older I got, the scarier the thought of making any changes became.

Until staying put became the scariest thought of all.

I’m still scared every day. But that tingling on your skin when you’re alive? That’s worth everything.

What I Gained

My sabbatical came with a price, but I don’t count what I lost. I count what I gained: myself.

The most precious thing I own. And you can find that too.

Looking back, I hardly recognize the person I was: anxious, exhausted, a tired bureaucrat. Reading the cover of my novel All That is Yours still makes me shiver:

“Anna wanted to turn away from the path, even briefly. The independent Finn longed for a new kind of freedom before finding herself organizing already organized affairs in some central headquarters in Central Finland.”

It’s Okay to Be Scared

It’s okay to be scared. But don’t be afraid to listen to yourself.

Even a single intentional walk can spark clarity.

A short trip outside your usual circles can reconnect you to yourself.

A holiday should leave you empowered, not just until the flight home, but beyond into your everyday life.

How I Can Help

I guide people to reconnect with themselves, awaken their inner calling, and experience journeys that strengthen well-being. I’ve navigated many changes in life, and I’ve never felt more alive.

If you’re ready to explore what drives you:

• Fill out an Exploration Session Questionnaire

• Book a Discovery Session

• Join our Autumn Special, available until the end of the month

For Readers Curious About the Story

And if you’re curious about the story that inspired part of this journey, my novel All That is Yours is available as a paperback or eBook on Amazon.

Horses Can Talk

How Jack the Irish Cob and a walk in nature led to courage, connection, and healing

We should walk the walk—not just talk.
I believe our steps can lead us intuitively to where we are meant to go.

Since I began walking—literally and metaphorically—serendipitous events have kept unfolding. I started my sabbatical tour of Spain by driving to Oliva beach in the autumn of 2024. Soon after settling in, I found Centro Hípico Oliva and went riding the very next day.

By January, I had moved to Dénia and, through booking a hairdresser, discovered she kept her horse at the same stables. I returned to ride with her. The natural beauty of Oliva's nature reserve—with water bodies, birds, and wildlife framed by mountains—soon became a grounding space for me. Alongside Montgó, it offered peace.

Meeting Jack

This July, a curious Irish Cob named Jack caught my attention. Observing me with his stablemates, he seemed to seek connection. He was talkative, a little cheeky, and clearly eager to do more. I suggested to his owner that I ride him out, but she was hesitant—terrified, in fact.

Jack had lived in Spain for a year but had never gone out on a hack. His owner only rode him in circles, gripped by fear from a fall when Jack was younger.

A Coaching Journey in the Saddle

Anne-Marie, Jack’s owner, had also recently acquired Novela, an 18-year-old Spanish mare. Longing to ride Jack outdoors again, she agreed to a one-week plan that combined intention setting, coaching, and gentle progress.

I rode Jack while Anne-Marie rode Novela. The horses sensed her nerves, and Jack, being a spirited soul, added a dose of macho energy to our first ride. We rode several times together, gradually increasing the distance, adding gaits, and building confidence. Anne-Marie and I also had one-on-one sessions to ensure everyone—horse and human—felt safe and seen. Jack responded beautifully—curious, expressive, and engaged. On day seven, Anne-Marie rode Jack confidently by my side, a moment she called a triumph.

Walking Toward Courage

Anne-Marie’s dream was to ride Jack to their new home in the countryside. But until we met, she hadn’t found anyone to support her in that journey. Yesterday, she did it—with me walking beside her.

It was exactly what she was meant to do, and she did it with pride. She's now smiling, glowing, and enjoying her horse—and herself—more freely than before.

Let the Journey Lead You

I don’t know how these things unfold—but they do. Since I’ve been walking my walk, staying connected to my senses and inner nature, I move lighter every day.

Would you like to dare something new for yourself?
Don’t let fear hold you hostage. You can walk around it.

Send me a note. Let’s see where your path can take you.

🌀 — Mirka Kristiina
Transformative Travel Coach | The Journey Studio

Humans Travel For—and With—Humans

Travel is all about wellbeing, and we are different people on different journeys. Whether traveling together or solo, we are always seeking something deeper: space, time, togetherness, distance, or connection. But these are not the words we typically hear when booking a trip. Instead, we see the glimmer of well-known destinations with iconic sights and sunsets flashing at us online.

Yet often, it’s the offbeat trails, the smaller towns, the cobblestone villages that leave a lasting imprint. Cultural immersion, nature connection, and authentic human encounters—these are what turn a trip into something truly transformative.

What Is Calling You?

It’s good to ask ourselves why we want to go somewhere. What is calling us? Sometimes we feel the urge to do something, to be somewhere—but don’t yet know where or why. Maybe there’s a way of traveling we’ve never tried, or a destination we’ve held back from because of what we’ve heard or assumed.

Maybe there’s more we could bring back from our holidays—insight, peace, presence—if we started with intention and allowed ourselves to follow the deeper cause behind our desire to journey. Maybe it’s finally time.

My Journey to Solo Travel

Looking back, I’ve progressed from family trips to traveling alone with my children to meaningful destinations. It took years to realize I didn’t need to wait for someone else’s availability.

Solo travel, for me, began as a way to meet someone—my own quiet escape. But somewhere along the way, I realized I didn’t need a reason or a person to justify going. I could simply travel for myself.

As I began following my own interests—horseback riding, nature trails, slow mornings in unfamiliar places—I found something surprising: serendipitous encounters, spontaneous joy, and a renewed sense of self.

It’s Not the Destination

It’s never just about the destination. It’s the journey—the transportive moments along the way—that remind us who we are. These experiences have the power to reconnect us with our inner compass and support us in becoming fully empowered, content individuals—wherever we happen to be.

Fast-track search engines and AI can get you the ticket, but not the clarity you’re looking for. That comes step by step: through conversation, reflection, presence, and paying attention.

Travel Can Be Your Tool

Helping others find clarity and confidence has become my calling—especially when they don’t yet know the exact direction, only that it’s time.

I hope you find that time for yourself too.

Use travel as your tool. Not just for escaping, but for returning—to your self-esteem, your rhythm, and the connections that nourish you.

🌿 Begin with intention:

Download my intentional travel guide:

Luontopolku – A Nature Trail Back to Your Senses

📞 Feel something calling?

Book a free discovery call to explore how your next step might look.

🧭 Want to travel solo—together?

Join us for a transformative retreat in Alicante, October 9–12.

Limited spots available.

Alma de Verano

How we find our way.

Traveling solo is often easier to begin when you have a destination, a program, or a friend to meet.

At least for me, it was a kind of crazy idea to drive to see my friend now residing in Mijas while traveling through Spain during my sabbatical. It’s a bit of a drive from Oliva, Valencia, where I was staying—trailing the mountains and seaside, basking in Mediterranean November.

Excited to get on the road, I planned my route to reach my dwellings by nightfall, stopping to see places and visit cities along the way. Anxious about the highways at first in my tiny stick-shift Fiat, I gradually settled into road trip mode—lunching, navigating parallel parking in narrow streets, and staying in small hotels.

Walking alone at the beach on the third morning in Nerja, I noticed people smiling at me. Sitting down with a coffee and churros, I realized it was me smiling wide while strolling along—attracting smiles in return.

The Detour That Wasn’t

That afternoon, I navigated my way to Kristi’s panoramic villa.

We had been colleagues-turned-friends for over a decade, and there was the typical laughter, memories, and reflections on where we both were in life. But there was something more.

The two days we spent walking, sharing meals, or simply sitting and gazing at the sunset over the sea became a turning point in the trip for me. Without realizing it, I kept repeating something—which she gently asked back to me. Hugging each other warmly, I continued my journey toward another destination: a hike at Caminito del Rey, reflecting on our conversation in the back of my mind.

My road led me to Alhambra in Granada by accident, and the walk there felt as meant to be as the earlier legs of my journey—each grounding the pebble stones under my feet, helping me carry on. As I grabbed the wheel and drove back to the Montgó mountainside, I felt I needed to continue being here.

By the time I returned to Oliva, I had one day left for sightings yet to be seen.

Coming Full Circle

Now developing my own transformative travel coaching services for travelers and destinations, I come across the same limiting beliefs I also once carried.

I see the dreams, the aspirations, the urge to do something—to live the life we are called to lead. But we often carry a backpack full of unresolved issues that quietly weigh us down.

I now notice others repeating themselves—and I gently ask their words back to them, just as she once did for me last November.

The journey is always traveled a step at a time, without knowing the destination.

There are transportive moments along the way—moments that bring you back to yourself.

Alma de Verano

Next to me now hangs Alma de Verano, a painting I ordered from my mentor Kirsti.

It did its own winding journey, trailing through Estonian and Spanish post offices, before I finally collected it at the Denia post point and had it locally framed.

My gaze turns toward the light shining above the flowers.

Begin Your Journey

Follow your soul’s calling—whether it’s faint or banging loud—and begin taking steps toward your inner self.

Empowering solo journeys grow on you, leading you to bold decisions when the time is right.

And before that? It’s a good idea to travel to a friend and vocalize your aspirations.

Sometimes, it’s not the closest ones you say them to first.

Sometimes, it’s the person you’ll spend the rest of your life with—yourself.

Because you, too, deserve happiness.

✨ Book a free discovery chat to explore how to start your journey.

🌿 Travel to meet me or join the October 9–12 retreat in Alicante to look at your life from another angle.

🌿 Want to reconnect with yourself through nature?
Sign up for my newsletter and receive Your Luontopolku Personal Exercise — a guided reflective path back to your senses.
👉 Subscribe here and begin your intentional journey.