With the world and internet full of bloggers and content creators, do we really need a new one? Well, I think the best way to learn is by doing, and perceiving what others do. Most importantly, we learn by listening to what others have to say. We may even find ourselves getting inspired, thinking about stuff we've never thought about before, or discovering new perspectives that challenge what we currently believe in.

Let me introduce myself a bit: I'm Stiina, an almost 26-year-old gal from Finland. I grew up in a very small town, basically in the middle of nowhere (just the traditional story of a small-town girl I guess). At the age of 19, I moved to a nearby city where I studied business economics for 3,5 years. When I graduated I already had my pockets full of experiences in both, professional and personal life: I had traveled in Asia, Europe, the United States, and Canada, worked in several companies and dated several people, and was in a loving relationship at the time. I also had quite a clear picture of what I wanted to do in my life.

However, turned out the picture wasn't that clear after all and there would be many challenges, obstacles and turns on the way. I never signed up for an ordinary life, as I had never been ordinary myself, nor had I ever been treated as one. This is what leads us to today and the beginning of this blog.

Why am I blogging and what will for the plot be about?

I have always had a thing for compiling stories. Even when I was a kid I used to want to tell my own bedtime story instead of having my mother read me one. Later, when I actually knew how to write, I then wrote stories (terrible ones now that I'm older and I've read some of the pieces) but they were my way to channel creativity and imagination which I had plenty of! As a teenager, I started photographing, bought my first GOOD (SLR) camera, built my first blog, and kept blogging on and off for years. I had thought about getting back to it for many years, but until this point, I didn't feel like I had anything to write about (false). But even still now I don't and can't know whether the things I want to say are something anyone is interested to read about. I guess that remains to be seen!

Last summer (2022) I went on my very first solo trip traveling to Barcelona in Spain. My trip was short but felt like a rescue to a desperate need after such a long time of staying still because of covid (the word that now seems like a curse word and I don't wanna read it anywhere, I swear this is the last time you'll read about it in my blog).

Traveling opens up one's mind unlike anything else, and it sets our imagination free. I've always experienced a little bit of a plateau coming back home from a trip but this time was different, the feeling was much stronger and it never vanished. Prior to my trip, I had been feeling restless about my life and I felt like everything was just simply standing still. I needed something new but I wasn't exactly sure what that was.

After Spain, I ended up taking another trip to Norway. This is a story for the plot for sure. I had met a Finnish-Norwegian guy on Tinder about a month earlier, we quickly bonded and wanted to meet up. So we then ended up spending 5 wonderful days in his home town in Norway, staying at his family's beach house by the ocean. His view of life and his extremely free and locationally unbound life made me more and more confident about the need to change my life once and for all.

I and the Norwegian didn't end up becoming a thing, but I still to this date cherish the memory a lot. It was a turning point for me. Returning home I decided it was time to do something I had dreamed about my entire life: move abroad. I had never thought I would move to a country like Spain, but I fell in love with Barcelona at first sight - one thing led to another, and suddenly I am living here, partially and for now.

This blog will be about my life in Finland, Barcelona, and wherever I might find myself next! It's about finding freedom and my place in this world, and living life by design - not by default.

If you're experiencing similar feelings as I described above, or if you're maybe looking for inspiration, information, or a new angle for making the most out of life, health & nutrition, traveling, relationships, and yourself - it might be worth it for you to stay tuned with what I have in for the plot!