About The Studio Journal
The Transformation You Can Expect from Life Reconnection Signature Program — Back to Your Senses
✔ Reconnect with your true self
✔ Gain clarity on what to focus on
✔ Feel empowered to make bold decisions
✔ Take aligned action toward meaningful change
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.
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
Read more about:
All the Roads Lead to Yourself
Mirka standing at a Lisbon viewpoint at sunset, smiling against the backdrop of the Tagus River and the city’s iconic red rooftops. A sign beside her reads “Yes, life is good” perfectly capturing the spirit of slow travel, gratitude, and the quiet joy of being present on the journey.
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.