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.

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.

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:

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Luontopolku – A Nature Trail Back to Your Senses

📞 Feel something calling?

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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.

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