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.
Courage is Everything
Mirka Kristiina, a transformative travel coach sits atop a mountain in Cusco, Peru, embracing the vast landscape below. The moment captures reflection, presence, and the courage to embark on transformative journeys, connecting deeply with self and surroundings.
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.
Humans Travel For—and With—Humans
Training in harmony: Me guiding horse and rider through a peaceful golden-hour session under the trees in Dénia. Riding has always been one of my personal ways to reconnect with presence, rhythm, and trust—both in myself and in the moment.
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.