When You Know, You Know

How I found my place—and how you can too.

I knew immediately I was home when I visited La Siesta, nestled along the green belt of Dénia. I had come to Spain with a quiet purpose: to find something of my own, something that would root me to this land and bring alive the feeling that had been quietly building inside me. Fear or winter Finland in the back of mind with my worsening Raynard syndrome.

I visited several places with intention. And then, on the last viewing of my last day in Spain—early December 2024—I stepped out of the car and felt it. Montgó’s mighty presence, the Elephant as they call it, stretched out over Dénia like a protective shield. Behind the blooming palms and bougainvilleas of the community garden, I saw the eco-park and its winding pine trails. From the rooftop terrace of the third floor, I could spot the Dénia Castle, wrapped in ancient fortress walls. The old town, the bustling marina, the ferries to Ibiza and Mallorca—all within walking distance. Yet the peace of this place held me.

From there, things moved quickly. One serendipitous moment led to another. Determined to begin this new chapter, I made it happen—I spent New Year’s at my new second home, surrounded by family. With the help of incredible professionals, what began as a bold step became the beginning of something bigger.

Since then, my bond to Dénia has only grown. My interior decorator and real estate agent have become close friends, hairdresser a riding companion, volleyball teammates collaborators. Together with the La Siesta community, we’ve started crafting transformative experiences that reflect the essence of this place.

Because Dénia is unlike anywhere else. Its layered history of Roman and Moorish influence still echoes in its architecture and soul. Since the beginning of tourism in the 1950s, new cultural layers are still forming as incomers arrive—the fortifications and towers now welcoming them in. The gastronomy here is award-winning—think red gambas, black rice, and Valencian paella savored on lively tapas streets. The city pulses with festivals, music, and joy. Cyclists cruise the trails, horses graze near mountain ridges, and the warm locals remind you to laugh at yourself.

They speak Valencian here (which sounds to me like Spanish with a French twist), but they answer you in Spanish—and expect a smile or a joke in return.

I immersed myself from the start. I bicycled the beach side, hiked mountain paths to hidden caves, tasted smoked calamari and local wine, and danced (very poorly!) at a Latin class where the instructor kept repeating “Con mando, mía!” I took part in festivals like the Three Kings and Fallas, visited maritime and archaeological museums, and walked the tunnel beneath fortress breathing it all in.

And perhaps most importantly—I met people. Remarkable people. What happens when you journey alone. Many of them finding their way back to themselves, just like me.

I’ve arrived. And now, I hope to inspire others to give themselves time—to pause, listen inward, and take one small step at a time toward their inner child.

In reconnecting with my own nature, I’ve created something to share: a weekly program of transformative experiences for La Siesta residents and holiday guests of Dénia. These offerings invite you to rediscover presence, joy, and the simple magic of moving through life with curiosity and intention while savoring the essence of the Costa Blanca’s natural beauty and deep cultural roots. From onsite Pilates and fun cooking and Latin dance classes to nature adventures, gastronomy afternoons, and visits to Dénia Castle and the vibrant Friday market, each experience is crafted to invite joy, presence, and reflection.

✨ Book Dénia Experiences here

✨ Want to discover Dénia with me through a curated 1:1 travel coaching journey or join the October retreat in Alicante? Drop me a message—I’d love to walk that path with you.

Nature Trailing

A Journey Back to Your Senses

My childhood summers always began the same way—by kicking off my shoes in June.

I spent those days wandering Finnish forests, following winding trails, collecting natural treasures, and diving into cold lakes. Many of us recognize the exact same things.

I’ve always loved the promise of a nature trail: it might lead to a blooming meadow, a blueberry-covered hill, or a quiet peninsula. At my Finnish lakeside villa, I cherish the short walk down the nature path to the shore.
The trail, woven with pinecones, roots, and soft moss, holds immense transportive power.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve followed trails—always toward water.

Walking helps us process what words cannot.

During my sabbatical, I found myself on many more nature trails—from the physically demanding climb to Machu Picchu to gentle, reflective walks through paths I once knew in my youth in Spain. I joined a group at Caminito del Rey and revisited familiar Alhambra paths, processing life as I walked.

I remembered how walking had always helped me think—sometimes running, sometimes foraging for mushrooms. Mostly alone.
In movement, the answers often reveal themselves.

The trail that changed everything

While walking and driving across Spain, reconnecting with myself, I realized how much clarity I gained simply by moving. I stumbled upon a real estate agency in a historic old town—because they had a hillside home for sale that caught my eye. It wasn’t the one, but the agent kept talking about the nearby hiking trails.

Eventually, I visited the green belt of Dénia, at the foot of Montgó mountain.
And I stopped.
There, right in front of me, were trails leading into and around the mountain.

Since then, my journey has continued—up the Montgó, across surrounding valleys, and deeper into the beauty of presence.

A new path opened at Castell de la Solana

One trail in Alcalalí led me to Castell de la Solana, a boutique hotel run by a Finnish couple. The moment I stepped onto the property, I heard running water. The olive grove, the mountain backdrop, the peaceful paths—it all transported me.

In another twist along this virtual trail, I discovered the Travel Coach Network, a global community of professionals helping others use travel for wellbeing.

As travel becomes increasingly tech-driven, so grows the desire for meaning—destinations and connections that truly nourish us.

Luontopolku

A Life Reconnection Program by The Journey Studio

I believe in the power of following nature trails.
My journey has taken many unexpected turns, and now as a transformative travel coach, I want to empower others to take their own first curious steps.

When we walk with awareness, clarity follows—and soon after, the courage to move forward.

What is Luontopolku?

Luontopolku means nature trail in Finnish.
It’s also the name of my signature program at The Journey Studio—a moving, grounded journey that gently leads us back to ourselves.

And it doesn’t need to happen in Finland.
Your trail is already there, wherever you are.
It’s simply waiting.

The program is for anyone ready to:

• Reclaim presence

• Navigate change
• Seek clarity
• Feel fully alive again

Whether it begins on a trail near home or at a retreat far away, I’ll walk beside you.

What you’ll walk away with:

• A deeper awareness of how your senses guide you
• Daily practices to root, soften, and grow
• A clearer connection to your direction and voice

Join us this October 9–12

I’m returning to Castell de la Solana to host our first Transformative Luontopolku Retreat in Alcalalí, Spain.

Together we’ll explore trails and villages filled with stories of reinvention, meet local entrepreneurs who have reshaped their lives, enjoy warm cultural experiences, and find peace in a deeply restorative setting.

The retreat blends nature, movement, stillness, and story—creating space to realign with what truly matters.

The nature trail is never a fixed route.

It begins the moment we take the first step.

If you’re curious about the retreat—or simply ready to begin your own intentional path—I’d love to tell you more.

Luontopolku Retreat Info -)

📩 Let’s connect: Contact The Journey Studio

From Alone to Aligned: How a Lakeside Cabin Taught Me to Listen

Not long ago, the thought of solo travel—or even a weekend cottage trip—made me pause. I was used to being surrounded: by people, work, responsibilities, the constant motion of a busy life. But before I even realized burnout was knocking, I sought space and solitude. Not just physical distance, but emotional space. Space to hear my own thoughts again.

I returned to something deeply familiar: the Finnish lakeside. A simple Blueberry Villa my father built in the 1990s. A silent forest—or so it seemed. I used to hate driving there alone, getting busy with the garden, treating the terraces and pier, or clearing the forest. We’re self-sufficient there: wood-burning oven, fireplace, and a lakeside sauna tucked into our own woods.

At first, I brought all my thoughts with me—the mental noise, the pressure to produce, the urge to fill the silence. But over time, the quiet worked its way in. While exhausting myself outdoors, I noticed the gentle fall of a pinecone, the texture of birch bark, the whisper of the lake, the humming of the tall pines on our land, a place we call the Pineman. The forest was not so silent after all.

I began to relax during my weekend getaways, becoming mindful of the path with its exposed roots leading from the villa to the lakeside, listening to the waves while sitting on the pier, simply enjoying the stillness. The traditional sauna ritual—throwing water on the hot stove, listening to the fire crackling beneath it, and dipping into the cold lake between steam baths—was profoundly calming. I swam in icy water, and something in me softened. I didn’t need to speak to belong. Nature welcomed me without needing me to be anything more than I was.

I realized I was alone, but I wasn’t lonely. I was part of nature—something bigger. I was beginning to feel again. I started journaling—not because I had to, but because my hands wanted to remember what my heart was trying to say.

Though the awakening during my sabbatical journey changed me, I realized I had already taken the first steps earlier. Transformation isn’t a single event; it’s a series of quiet, essential shifts. The times spent at our lakeside cottage reawakened my senses and kept me going. They gave me clarity—then and now. They reminded me of something vital: the journey back to ourselves often begins with the simplest acts of presence. Since I managed alone there, I could manage journeying anywhere. Everything beyond that only added to my contentment.

This experience became the foundation for my signature program at The Journey Studio: Back to Your Senses.

It’s a guided path to reconnect with what you may have lost touch with—your body, your emotions, your sense of wonder, and the clarity that comes from being truly present once you start to listen.

The program is built around five natural elements:

• Earth for grounding and physical awareness

• Water for emotional flow and softness

• Fire for courage and personal ignition

• Air for mental clarity and breath

• Space for stillness, intuition, and trust

You can begin with 1:1 coaching from anywhere in the world. Or, you can join me in Finland at a peaceful lakeside villa, embracing the roots of Finnish happiness—or in Spain, where we walk and reflect among mountain paths, citrus groves, and ancient watchtowers. Each experience is curated not just to inspire—but to help you listen.

Because when you start to listen, you start to return to yourself.

If you're navigating a life transition, healing from burnout, or simply feeling called to explore your next chapter more consciously, this program is for you.

Learn more about the Back to Your Senses Life Reconnection Signature Program or schedule a free clarity call at www.thejourneystudio.co