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.
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.
To the Lovestories
A small group walks joyfully through an olive grove bathed in soft Mediterranean light. They pause to pick ripe fruit, their laughter mingling with the hum of nature. Hands brush over herbs and silvery olive leaves, feeling textures, scents, and connection. Surrounded by the garden’s calm rhythm, each step on this Luontopolku walk becomes a moment of presence of discovering beauty through touch, scent, and togetherness.
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.