About The Studio Journal
The Studio Journal was born during a sabbatical that became something much deeper, a turning point.
What began as a pause from routine turned into a journey of unlearning, rediscovery, and reconnection. I wandered, I listened, I wrote. I stepped into unfamiliar places, both on the map and within myself.
This journal is a space to share what I’ve gathered along the way. It holds reflections from the road, questions from the quiet moments, and the stories that shape how we travel, live, and grow. You’ll find pieces of my journey here, but also prompts, insights, and encouragement for your own.
Because transformation doesn’t happen all at once. It happens in the in-between. And this is a place for that.
What You May Experience Through Luontopolku — Back to Your Senses® method
✔ A renewed connection to your own nature
✔ Greater clarity about what truly matters now
✔ Deeper trust in your direction and inner guidance
✔ Courage to move forward with alignment and intention
Back in Time
Mirka Kristiina Bruun at Xaló Saturday Market in Valencia, Spain, reflected in a vintage mirror beneath an olive tree, exploring slow travel treasures during a mindful riverside market day in the Alicante region.
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
Love isn’t always grand gestures. Sometimes it’s a gentle pause, warm company, and the comfort of being exactly where you are: moments that remind me why I guide others back to themselves through The Journey Studio.
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
Between movement and stillness, I found myself smiling again. This is what transformative travel offers: intentional journeys that restore wellbeing, deepen self-connection, and bring you back home to yourself.
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
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