Finnish Heaven

I feel like I just died. And went to Finnish heaven.

Why, you ask? Let me tell you.

So, I'm back in Finland and Christmas with my family means eating and watching movies. Eating traditional Christmas food, chocolate, gingerbread,... After the huge lunch and dinner last night and the big breakfast this morning, I was feeling a little bit... Hmmm.. Fluffy.

Therefore I decided to resume my training and go for a 8km run. Let me tell you, running in Berlin is a piece of cake. I mean there are absolutely NO hills there. Like you can literally look all over the city for a hill without finding one. Unlike here. I felt I was running up or down the whole freaking time... But I ran until I was tired and then I ran some more. After a while it got easier and even though I felt like dying running uphill, running down was no effort at all and I was ready for the next one up! After zigzagging around my old neighborhoods it turned into a 10K (!!) and I even sped up the last kilometer.

Needless to say after that I was pretty wiped. But, the best thing about being back home, lunch was right on the table waiting for me. I love being home. After (another) Christmas lunch and some coffee, I went for the sauna.

Oh my god have I missed the Finnish sauna. Even though there's one at my gym in Berlin, it just doesn't even begin to compare. At the gym, with random people, you just can't relax 100%. I mean us Finnish people like our personal space. Like really like our personal space. Even when it's super cold. Like you see here in the photo which has gone viral all over the internet; "Coldest day in Finland this winter and personal space is still not sacrificed." And yes, this is real. Welcome to Finland!

http://i.imgur.com/2JHN1hn.jpg

I can tell you, living abroad in more southern countries, I was first taken aback when people came to my face to talk to me. I mean, hello, personal space? I need an arm's length from you to be able to feel comfortable. But to all you Finns out there, I promise you get used to it after a while...

Back to the point. Every Finnish house has a sauna. Like when you have your own house you have a sauna. When you live in an apartment building, there is a sauna. Even some apartments have a sauna. So yes, we do enjoy sauna. I mean after all, it's one of the few Finnish inventions that everyone knows!

But nothing beats your own sauna. Absolutely nothing. Just lying there, having it just as hot as you want, no one disturbing you, almost falling asleep. Perfection. And the feeling after it...

Oh my.

The best combination ever is working out and then going to the sauna to relax and let your muscles recover, also known as lenkkisauna (either after running, skiing, cycling, etc.). I tell you, I'm in a borderline coma right now. And I might just take a nap. Or not. Who knows, I'm just enjoying the peace, quiet and relaxing moments.

And maybe some gingerbread... I think I earned it. ;)

Have a great, relaxing Christmas everyone!

xx,
sofia

1st Anniversary - Thoughts on My Journey

Wow. It's been exactly 1 year since I wrote my very first blog post (happy anniversary, blog!!). At the airport in Helsinki. Leaving Finland to embarque on my biggest adventure yet. With a clear vision of where I want to be in my life in 2016 but yet nothing concrete to hold on to.

So, what can I say about this year and my adventures so far? Was it worth leaving everything familiar behind and taking a leap into the unknown, not knowing whether I would fall right down a cliff of unemployment and misery in a new country?

And my answer is yes. Absolutely, positively yes.

But that doesn't mean that I haven't been through hell this year. Well, maybe hell is a exaggerating a little but there have been some tough, tough times. First of all, starting a life in a new country is tough. Without a job it's even tougher. Being unemployed, for the short time that I was, is definitely not my thing. I was going crazy not having something where I could develop myself, interact with other professionals and use my full potential.

My days consisted of applying for jobs, working out, exploring Berlin (not the best time to walk around when it's FREAKING cold...), taking photos, blogging and trying to figure out my new life here. Slowly but surely the pieces started coming together; I did an internship, started a new job and a German course, met new people and just enjoyed the exciting new life. I've travelled quite a lot and continued exploring this wonderful city that I now call home.

Although it has been tough at times, I'm glad it all wasn't just a piece of cake, because now I can honestly say that it has made me so much stronger and I've learned a lot about myself as a person. And I also want to thank the people who have been there for me, my family, old friends, and new acquaintances - you have made the hard times a little better and the good times amazing, and I'm grateful for each and every one of you.

The biggest lesson this year has shown me (as much as I dislike like clichés) is that 'life happens when you're busy making other plans'. As I came here, I had clear plans of what I was going to do and what absolutely not to do, but as life tends to, things didn't really work out according to the plans.

Some things turned out better than I could ever have imagined in my wildest dreams.

xx,
sofia

Throwback to Home

In July I went back to Finland again for the weekend. I know, this is a real throwback... But anyways the reason for returning home this time was a wedding. One of my oldest and best friends got married and there was no way I was going to miss that.

The wedding was incredibly beautiful, I might have gotten tears in my eyes (or cried like a baby) a couple of times. The bride was just so incredibly beautiful, the groom super handsome and everything was just perfect.

I was of course late for buying my dress but luckily found just the perfect one from my birthday trip to Mallorca a few weeks earlier.

And the funniest thing happened to me, which I think other expats might relate to...

I was at a shopping mall and I heard people talking Finnish. My first reaction - wow! Finnish people! I wonder what they're doing here, are they tourists or do they actually live here...?

Oh wait... I'm not in Berlin anymore but actually in Helsinki. Yeah. Nice one. And it was not the first time... Now I'm safely back in Berlin, only hearing German and Spanish! ;) And the occasional English of course.

I have to confess though that I might have gone to a Finnish café a while ago to show it to a friend, which was pretty much just an excuse to talk Finnish)! ;)

Till next time!
xx

Looking Back...

Do you ever feel like time runs too fast? Like you just keep running from one place to another and don't even have time to think? I sure do. For the past few months. Hence my looong blogging silence...

Getting to the point I wanted to talk about today; evaluation of your goals.

For me it's important to stop from time to time, consider my goals and evaluate whether I'm going in the direction I want or not. So, looking back, I've been in Germany for 9 months now. So far I've done an internship and gotten a job in the field I wanted, which was my goal and biggest reason for moving to Berlin. I'm doing things I've never done before and learning a lot - which is amazing. I live by the belief that you should never stop learning new things, whatever they may be, sports, languages, etc., which leads me to my next target: fluent German.

Back in Finland I studied German in school for 8 years but going to university I decided to give it up for Spanish instead. A few months after coming here I decided to really work towards this goal and registered for night classes in German. Somehow with a lot of luck (and a good head for languages I guess), I made it into a B2.2 course - which kind of changed my life here. Besides learning German, I met amazing amazing people and had so much fun...

After the course finished,  I was weighing my options whether or not to do the next one. After all, 3 hours of intense German classes twice a week after work is quite a lot. However, after some consideration and talking with a few classmates I decided to go ahead and do it - after all, stopping at this point would have been a waste.

So, now I'm working my way through a C1.1 course, which is a whole lot more challenging and I actually have to put quite a lot more effort into it. As I mentioned earlier, I happen to learn languages quite fast but it only helps you until a certain point, then you really have to work for it and that's where I am now... But I am very slowly but surely working towards my goal!

Also, not to make it too easy on myself I'm casually trying to retrieve my rusty Spanish on the side... You gotta have some challenges in life to make it interesting, am I right?! ;)

Have a great weekend everyone! 
xx

Homesickness.

Homesickness.

Something that normally doesn't affect me that much really got me a while back. I've been in Berlin for over six months now and until a few weeks ago I wasn't home sick at all, quite on the contrary.

It hit me a few weeks ago when I took a weekend trip back home to pack up my beautiful apartment and surprise my friend for her bachelorette party. The weekend was great, I saw old friends, old collegues (yes, I went to have lunch at my old office...) and my family - for once we were all in the same country at once which doesn't happen so often!

On a side note, I love Scandinavian, minimalist homes with black and white, just in case you can't tell... ;) 

And the theme of the party was 80's aerobics. Seems like stating the obvious again! We were quite a sight, 20+ girls straight out of an 80's home aerobics video wandering around Helsinki with a jukebox...

Getting back to the point - returning home to Berlin on early Monday morning turned out to be tougher than I thought. First of all, busses and u-bahn's were late and I was running to get to work early. Returning home there were a few set-backs and I was emotionally and physically exhausted, missing Finland and most of all my people there.

Although I haven't been in Berlin THAT long yet, I've met really great people and made some very close friends. But I also have awesome people who I really love back home and going back made me think of them more than ever. Also, since I was in Helsinki only for the weekend, which was fully booked, I didn't get to see any friends from different cities.

But back in Berlin, for the first time since I came, I felt lonely, just empty. Like all 'my people' were back home. Which was not true at all, since I have found people in Berlin who I really care about - but of course I wasn't able to concentrate on that.

After a week of making myself - and some others around me miserable, I decided that it had to stop. I'm usually a happy person and feeling down all the time was killing me. Realizing the difference between what I could control - what I concentrate my energy on - and what I couldn't - not having my family and my old friends in Berlin - brought me back to reality. I could concentrate on the present again and make the best out of my time and I did.

It's been about a month now since then - no more serious homesickness, although I do miss people back home. But it's more about remembering the good times and looking forward to more good times to come.

Now, with the summer - new challenges - new experiences - I'm just super happy. It took a case of homesickness to see that - but now it's cristal clear.

Great weekend everyone!
xx

Puzzle Pieces

Feeling like you belong is a good feeling.

As I mentioned before, for a while now I've had the feeling that I am exactly where I belong, where I need to be right now. Geographically and otherwise. But now it's really hit me that the puzzle pieces that are my life are finally coming together and I know exactly what I want to do (in the near future at least).

Maybe it's the summer, the warmth, the sun, but right now I just feel very, very happy.

EVEN though we lost to Canada in the Hockey World Championship last Sunday... Let me tell you, there was a bar full of very, very disappointed Finnish people in Kreuzberg when whistle blew (and Canada scored their last goal).

But as they say 'Hopee ei oo häpee' meaning 'Silver is not to be ashamed of' and at least we won the U20 (Juniors, under 20) Cup, so there is still hope for our little country! That's probably thanks to the Finnish 'sisu' (guts, resiliance, pretty much just that 'never going to give up'- attitude), which is something I'm incredibly proud of as a Finn and also see in myself. The tougher times get, the more I find myself fighting for what I want and doing whatever it takes to reach my destination.

But now, even though I think you are never quite at your destination (I mean, then you would just stop working for your goals), I can already see it in the horizon. And it's looking pretty damn good. ;)

As for incredible photos that follow, all thanks goes to my amazing and talented photographer friend Sonja. You can check out more of her works here.

I wish you all an awesome, sunny weekend!

Spring, where are you?!

I want to share something with you that I've learned about the spring in Berlin. 

"April, April - der macht was er will."

Translation - April does what it wants. In regards to the weather. And oh, is this true or what.

The weather was incredible the first week of April, temperatures soared up to 20°C and the sun was shining! Just like the Finnish summer! (When it's nice, I mean.) But sure enough the tables turned and the weather was right back to pretty s****, which lasted for a while, with rain, thunder, the works. And this Monday?

Snow.

Well, they say summer is just around the corner.

They say.

But I'm not complaining, could always be worse! At least we're seeing the light at the end of the tunnel that is the cold, weary, dark winter time, that lasts WAY too long every year. Can you tell that I'm a summer kid? ;)

Besides, everybody keeps telling me about summer in Berlin. No matter who I ask, it's supposed to be THE. Best. Thing. Ever. Well, I guess I'll just have to wait and see for myself...

I love the summer in Helsinki and I think it's (obviously) the best time to be in Helsinki since everything is green, everybody is outside and the sun is shining. Since the Finnish summer is an inspiration for all Finland jokes due to being so short (which it is) and cold (actually not unless you're really, really unlucky), us Finns have an unstoppable urge to be outside when the sun is out. Like the urge is so strong that you feel guilty for staying inside!

And just to give you an idea of what I mean;

http://www.memecenter.com/fun/3448651/summer-in-finland-is-disaster

https://cdn.meme.am/instances/62896264.jpg

Feeling an urge to visit Finland yet? You should!

However, recently I've noticed that Berliners are not so different - once the sun is out the streets are full, no matter how cold it is. Kind of feels like home. :)

Well, I don't know about you, but I'm SO ready for the summer!

Reconnecting with My Roots

I enjoy living abroad, encountering new experiences, learning new languages and meeting new people with interesting stories. However, sometimes I do get a little home sick and I want to talk Finnish and connect with Finnish people. You know, sometimes it's just fun to share your expat experiences and compare stories of culture shocks that you have encountered in the new country with people who know how things work back home.

Recently I discovered a perfect fix for the homesickness; Populus Café in Neukölln. It's owned by Finns and the best thing; you get to order in Finnish! And also chat with fellow Finns!

But oh my God... Talking at least two languages on a daily basis that are not Finnish and then trying to switch to my native language... Whoa... Not talking it for so long, my speech started out so slow, I forgot words... So embarrassing. Like trying to learn a new language again!

So, I guess the only solution is to go there more often. ;)

Also because the coffee is good and their filled sandwiches - absolutely delicious! 

Culture Shocks - Part 2

In January, shortly after moving here I wrote about culture shocks I've experienced here in Berlin. After writing the post I've encountered a few other interesting things that I'd like to share with you.

Women's parking

Spoiler alert, this is brilliant!

The other night when I once again hitched a ride to figure skating training from a friend, I noticed that the skating rink had a couple of parking spots for 'Ladies' parking. What, separate parking spots just for women? How are they different from normal ones, wider so we can actually hit them?! As you know, women drivers and all... Which I strongly disagree with!

But these spots are actually a great invention! They are always located near the entrance minimizing walking distance to increase safety and be convenient in case you are carrying heavy shopping bags, etc. I can totally understand minimizing the distance for safety since this particular rink is located in a little bit of an isolated, industrial area with very little traffic and a lot of dark, scary corners. Way to go Germany!

Feierabend

Which translates directly into 'party night'. But Germans have Feierabend every night after work?! I haven't see THAT many people drunk on the streets on a given week night... However, I discovered that this is just a term for the night after work.

I just wish someone would tell that to the crazy drunk outside our building every night...

GIANT Pillows

As I might have mentioned before, I've previously worked with home decór and am quite passionate about it... Being familiar with the standard bedlinen sizes in Finland and Eastern Europe, I was shocked to see the size of the pillows people have here!

Compared to the standard size of 50x60cm I'm used to, it seems crazy that the pillows here are usually 80x80cm... I mean how big are your heads?!

However I do have to admit they are quite comfortable for just laying around in bed (which I rarely do, if a few Sundays don't count) but for sleeping I prefer a pillow that fits my head, NOT my whole body!

Radio in the Bathroom

A while back I noticed a radio in the bathroom. Okay, someone might be storing the radio there because there is no room anywhere else? No, actually turns out people actually use it. I mean, if you shower for 10 minutes in the morning do you really need music?

Apparently yes. I hear it saves time if you listen to the news while you shower. Hmm.

But it's cool I guess, properly waking up in the shower while listening to your favorite beats. I just need to get a tutorial from someone on how to connect it to my Spotify account so I can blast Särre's Hesan naiset for a throwback to last summer.

And after having written this I'm sure nobody will show me how it works just to be spared of having to wake up to Finnish music... :D

Well, that's about everything that comes to mind right now, although it seems like I do encounter funny situations on a daily basis!

On a slightly unrelated note, one thing (among many others) I absolutely love here, that you don't see much of where I come from, is the street art. The quality, the variety and the amount is amazing! You see something on almost every corner and they are real works of art usually.

Till next time! 

What Is This Thing Called Home?

Sitting at the place where this blog first started, the airport (not the one in Helsinki, sadly) heading to visit family in the south, got me thinking about the meaning of home.

Home is a concept that can have a very different meaning for all of us.

Home can be the house you grew up in, the city you were raised in or the country that you come from. Some of us have such a strong feeling of home in the city they grew up in that they could not imagine living anywhere else. As for me, I've never felt such a strong connection to one specific place due to moving around in Finland and Europe. I have to admit that I do sometimes envy those people who have such a strong connection to their home town that it has become a part of their identity. But in the end I know that that's who I am and that's okay.

Home has become quite a flexible concept for me; I define home by where I live and where I feel I belong to. And right now Berlin is home. I feel like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be right now and after a time of feeling lost in life, I can tell you that it's a pretty great feeling!

The biggest reason why it has been so easy for me to feel at home in a new city is probably the fact that I adapt to new situations quite quickly. Also, having good people around you that you can share not only your happiness but all the difficult times with makes all the difference.

Skating is also something that helped me find my place here as I could connect with other people who share the same passion and help me feel like I belong. Although I was a little worried joining the training at first since I only everything in Finnish and wasn't sure if the trainers would talk English at all since my German is not nearly perfect yet... But as it turned out I was worried for no reason! Although I had some minor challenges in the beginning (who doesn't in a new country?!), I'm now learning the German terms AND have striven to speak only in German during the sessions.

Being able to feel like home in a new city doesn't mean that I don't miss my friends and family in Finland and I do still consider Helsinki home as well. I love the city and I feel at home there, being surrounded by my fellow Finns and a lot of my best friends. However, I don't think the strength of friendships is defined by your geographic location; I know that when I go back home and I'm reunited with my friends, it will be just like old times. I know that they're there for me when I need them and they know I'm here for them, whatever the case.

And this feeling is what makes it so easy to feel like home here. It's a good feeling.

How do you define home?

Stereotypes about Finns

Since I had fun sharing the culture shocks I've encountered here in Berlin, I thought I would also share some stereotypes of Finnish people that I've encountered here in Berlin. Crazy to think that I've been here over two months already! Time flies when you're having fun, right? ;) Well, here it goes!

1. Does the snow ever melt?! 

Well, the number one thing people wonder about is if it's ever warm in Finland. I usually tell them no, if we're lucky the snow will melt for July. I guess this is what we get for being known for snow and cold winters.

But on a serious note, yes, the snow does melt. Usually. The summers, especially in Helsinki, are pretty great and it can get really hot, around 30 degrees if you're lucky.

It's funny how people expect that coming from such a cold country I won't mind the cold in Germany. Quite the opposite though; although it can get much, much colder in Finland, we have excellent insulation when it comes to housing and it's actually warm inside. Kind of necessary for survival when the temperatures can dip to -30 (or more in the north)... Here though, with so many old and sometimes not so recently renovated houses, the heating and insulation is not always on point. Case in point, the window in my room only has a single glass, so when it's cold outside, it's cold inside. Also, as I mentioned in January when I got here, the cold is different as it's more humid here, it just goes all the way to your bones...

2. Finnish people are quiet

The thing you should know about us Finns, we might be considered quiet, sometimes even socially awkward but this has all to do with our culture. We simply don't have the concept of small talk. Like, we don't talk pleasantries. We just don't. This cartoon pretty much sums up our ability of small talk. So if we have nothing 'real' to say, we don't say anything at all. So, if you ever manage to get a Finn to talk, you better be ready for a real conversation!

This one is partly true, I mean our culture is what it is but with more international influences and opportunities the younger generation is already shaking off this stereotype pretty well.

3. Finnish (and other Scandinavians) are good in English

This stereotype might actually be true, Finnish people do seem to talk pretty good English. Although they will deny it when confronted due to their (too) humble personality. One big reason for this is probably that we don't dub anything on TV, we watch everything in the original language which usually is English.

4. Finnish people are into home decór

Yes. Big time. And now I'm talking also for myself. This probably goes for all Scandinavians as we are pretty famous for our minimalist home decór and do have some pretty great brands, including some of my favorites, the Finnish Balmuir and the Danish bynord. Also, I used to work in home decór purchasing for a big retailer, which kind of fed my love for design.

5. Polar bears as pets

When I met my German friend (who might have helped lure me to this amazing city I now call home) she asked me whether I had a polar bear as a pet. Since, you know, the north, snow, polar bears. All these things go together, right? She's still joking about this on a weekly, sometimes daily basis. I still don't know whether she was kidding the first time and at this point I'm not sure I want to know the truth... But to clear this up, no, no polar bears in Finland. Although they would make cute pets. A little hard to maintain though but cute nonetheless.

To fundamentally understand the exotic nature of us Finns, be sure to check out Finnish Nightmares! I guarantee that every single one of these is true!

So that's it for today, I will be back with more if (when) I encounter more beliefs of Finns!

Roommate Hunting

As I already mentioned in the Culture Shocks post a while ago, WG living (living with roommates) is a BIG thing here in Berlin. I myself share a flat with four other people, although the headcount is usually closer to 7, even 8 at times... :D But as life happens, people move on and move out and this is unfortunately the situation right now as one (+1) flat mate is moving out.

So, what do you do when someone moves out? Apparently, you host castings for a new roommate. Castings... Like casting actors for a movie, right...? Not being so familiar with this system yet, I decided to stick around and see what goes down at these events. But first I should give a little background into the whole search process itself though.

As you find yourself in a situation of having to find another roommate for the flat, the first thing you do is choose where you want to advertise your free room. There are a couple of different forums where this can be done, WG-Gesucht probably being the most popular. Then, you write up an ad, telling a little bit about the room and the WG as well as all the roommates to give possible applicants an idea of what kind of person the roommates are looking for. Photos are good to be included as well (at least I would like to get a glimpse first to see what I'm applying for). Applicants then respond to the ads via e-mail or phone and if they are lucky they get invited to castings.

For our castings the roommates had invited several people over at different times to talk to them 1 on 1 (more like 1 on 5) for a better chance of getting to know the person rather than having 10 applicants just browsing around trying to make small talk. All the applicants were of course given a tour of the apartment after which we sat down for coffee (I was forced to change to water after a few cups or I would have been up for 2 days straight...) and a little chat.

It was interesting to hear complete strangers tell their life stories over a cup of Joe in the hopes that this will be their new home. Never having had the chance to choose your roommates before, it was interesting to notice what kind of reactions the thought of living with different people brought up in me and what factors affected my opinion of whether I wanted to share an apartment with this person. As it turns out it can be really tough finding a good fit for the apartment and it might even take several castings to find the right one...

I've noticed that it's a tough market out there for people looking for rooms due to the sheer amount of other applicants, so when applying your application really has to stand out of the crowd somehow. A friend did a social experiment for fun while looking for a room; she made more 'official' applications and the same number of funny applications, just winging it. Can you guess which one got more invites to castings? ;)

However, I recently discovered a cool app that just might revolutionize the flat hunt by making it easier and more personal from the get-go. With flatts, WG search is done via video; people looking for a roommate post a video on the app and applicants apply for the room via video as well. Is there any better way to let your awesome personality shine through?! Just imagine how much time you can save when looking for a roommate by not having to go through all the e-mail applications and sometimes several castings to get an idea of the applicant? You can just browse through video applications in the comfort of your home, in your jammies (!!) and see which one could fit the best!

Pretty neat, huh? 

Weekend Recap

First of all, I'd like to apologize for the blog silence. Lost my blogging voice there for a second but I'm back, even better than before! I wish. Well, another weekend is behind us and a new week has started with completely new energy and excitement!

Returning back to Friday night though; it's 8pm on a Friday night and what does the Finn do? Goes to a bar, clubbing, gets crazy?

Wrong.

She goes figure skating! Until 10.30pm I might add... That's right, I finally found an ice skating club which I first tried out earlier last week and found myself right at home! As it happens, training takes place on Friday night. Until 10pm. And I actually ended up staying half an hour more since there was still a little ice time left and skating is just... well, love.

After training I got to talking with a fellow skater and turns out she is also in a synchronized team here and told me I should join the team. Tempting, we will see what next season brings with it... ;) I can't tell you how much I've missed skating and connecting with people who share the passion for it!

Anyways, getting home I took probably the fastest shower in the history of showers and fixed myself up a little to go out JUST shortly for a drink to the friendly neighborhood Kneipe (corner pub) with a few friends. Going out for a while turned out (surprisingly) being a few hours too long since we were having such a good time and after getting a few hours of the Zzz's I found myself sitting on the S-Bahn, on a Saturday morning, before 9am, heading for the ice rink yet again.

Die spinnen, die Finnen, I guess. Well, I gotta keep up the reputation, right? ;)

Saturday night was spent in the comfort of our own movie theater with a couple of room mates watching movies on a projector. The winners of our movie lottery turned out to be Trainspotting and Youth. I can't believe I never saw Trainspotting before, it being a classic and all. Youth wasn't exactly what I expected from the trailer and the plot was a little random at times but I liked it nevertheless.



Hope everyone is recovering well from a weekend of fun, I know I am! :)

My Latest Obsessions

I'm a person who gets (overly) excited about new things and I thought I would share my most recent discoveries that have made their way into my daily routines!

Well, as you know the best beauty tip out there is moisturizing and lately I've been all about avoiding chemicals and opting for natural solutions like coconut oil. Every blogger out there has been raving about coconut oil since 2014... But why?

Well, some amazing benefits of coconut oil include aiding weight loss, strengthening the immune system, moisturizing and protecting skin and hair as well as acting as a disinfectant. I've also been using my fair share of coconut oil as a sweetener in coffee, face and hair mask and also tried oil pulling, which is awesome by the way (and I just might be doing it right now ;)).

To explain shortly, oil pulling helps get rid of all the nasty bacteria in your mouth more effectively than brushing, flossing and using mouthwash (although you should do these as well)! It leaves you with the feeling of having your teeth professionally cleaned. Also, along with some great health benefits, it makes your teeth whiter over time!

How many of you are thinking of researching it right now?! More can be found here.

However using coconut oil as a makeup remover was something new! And sounds kind of strange, right...? But as I told you before, I'm one to try out everything, so I just had to give this a shot as well!

At first after using it for a while I had a few break outs in my skin, as toxins made their way out but having used it for over a month now, I can seriously say that my skin has never been better! As coconut oil acts as a disinfectant, it helps to clean your skin in a natural way while moisturizing at the same time. Just swoop up some of solid coconut oil with a cotton pad and gently wipe your face with it.

How great is this for travelling when you don't want to carry 1000+ beauty products?!

Also, I have been rocking yoga lately! I've never really been into yoga before since I prefer high intensity workouts more. But after being sick and still not feeling up to super intense killer workouts, I decided to give yoga a try. And maybe got a little addicted. I found the best yoga workout videos on YouTube, Yoga with Adrienne. Her workouts really kick ass and she's not the dead serious yogi you might expect but adds a little humor into it as well!



The new year is a perfect excuse for giving new things a chance, right? ;)

German, German and More German

Learning a new language is fun but it's also incredibly hard work. So, I would like to share some tips that have helped me with the language for any of you out there learning new languages!

Although I've studied German for 8 years, it has been several years and one other new language since then and therefore my German is very rusty at the moment. Fun fact though, when I lived in Spain a few years ago, I probably learned more German than Spanish since almost all my friends were from here!

Well, at this point I've been here for several weeks and I can say that I now understand almost everything (as long as people are not talking too fast)! However talking is still HARD. When I'm out I try to talk only in German but I still find talking with friends quite difficult as it takes me a long time to form a sentence in my head and by the time I'm done the conversation has covered another 5 topics!

And getting back to the topic, here are my best tips!

1. Read a book! 

On my first night here I raided my friend's bookshelf to find a book that is pretty easy to read. I have taken on a routine of reading in bed every night as it also relaxes me and helps me clear my mind off other things. At first I was a little frustrated with my unbelievably slow pace (I'm not the most patient person out there) but after a while I was happy to notice that I really picked up the pace. I have gotten more than half way through the first book and I already have another one waiting! Also, reading the news, articles, blogs, whatever interests you online is great!

The best part of these two books; I get to watch the movies after I'm done with the books to fill in any possible gaps! :)
























2. Listen! (and watch TV)

Listening to the language helps you get used to it and you start being able to tell the difference between words, sentences and the overall grammar structure. This is especially easy when you are actually living in the particular country and hear the language on a daily basis. Living in Germany it's great to learn by watching TV since everything is dubbed in German and therefore you have no other option (except Netflix, which can also be watched in German or at least with German subtitles).

My friend introduced me to The. Best. TV show EVER! Gute Zeiten, Schlechte Zeiten (or Guze!). It's a German soap that has been around probably as long as I have and everybody seems to have an opinion about it; they either love it or hate it, there's no in-between! The plot is really easy to follow even though the twists are pretty bizarre!

But the funniest thing about this series is that we have exactly the same kind of soap in Finland and it's on at exactly the same time (19:30) on week nights. Any Finnish readers out there know exactly what I'm talking about! Also, reruns are also shown at the same time on the weekend! Hilarious!

And the absolute most important tip; Talk, talk and talk. 

Talking is the most important thing for learning a new language. I'm really attempting to but I do have to admit I slip into English way too easily as I can't fluently express myself and I get frustrated. But it's a learning curve and while learning German I am also learning patience...

Talking about talking as I've been trying to talk more German with one of my room mates, the other day we went out for breakfast to Linds, the cutest little café in Schöneberg (which I for some reason keep saying in a Swedish accent...). The Kleines Veganes (Little Vegan) breakfast was truly awesome, containing bread, fresh hummus, ginger jam, vegetables and fruits.

Any other tips YOU might have on learning languages are more than welcome! 

Energy Suckers

I had a completely different post in mind for today but due to the light of recent events I wanted to write about something that has hit very close to home. I find the subject of energy suckers very intriguing due to my interest in psychology (and also my recent love of yoga and mindfulness)!

So, to start off I should explain. Energy suckers or energy vampires are people who with their relentless negativity drain all the (positive) energy and life out of other people. No matter how good mood you're in, they can manage to turn your mood upside down and leave you feeling exhausted. They spread their negativity by endless gossiping, badmouthing and/or their pessimistic attitude to absolutely everything. Therefore, relationships and friendships with these people can be very toxic.

I consider myself an optimist, some would say even to the point of annoying, always trying to find the positive in each situation and striving to believe that everything happens for a reason. Getting older (I know, I'm only 24 but it's been a long road and a huge learning curve from my teens) and getting to know myself better I have come to realize just how draining it can be to have energy suckers in your life. Looking back I now realize that at one point I had lost a little bit of the optimist in me.

It is very easy to become blind to this and the numbing effects energy suckers have on you when you are too close to the situation. Once you gain a little distance and are able to observe the situation from an outsider's point of view, it might become clear to you just how exhausted and emotionally numb interactions with energy suckers might have left you. You, like me, might have the tendency to sometimes put other people's need before your own and want to help other people be happy. However, trying to help an energy sucker can lead to them dragging you deeper and deeper into the hole of negativity they dug for themselves.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that they are bad people. They might not even realize what they are doing and how others around them are affected. I've learned that practising self-awareness and getting more in touch with who YOU are can help recognize thoughts and behaviors reflected from other people. Sometimes you need to distance yourself from these people or even cut the cord completely. A big realization for me was that I do not need the negative energy in my life and chose to concentrate on the positive.

So, if you are dealing with energy suckers, I found an interesting article on Psychology Today about how to handle these situations.

 Remember to concentrate on the positive and have a good Fri(yay)day everybody!

Life Changes, Reunions, Travelling... My 2015

I'm about to leave for the airport soon, destined to spend New Year’s in a land far, far away. Okay, maybe not as far as I wanted as last New Year’s I swore I would spend the next one in New York. Well, I didn't get quite that far but I'll tell you, this option is not bad at all. 

Reflecting back on the past year, I realized that for me 2015 was a year of changes and reunions. My life situation changed and for the first time in my entire life I was the master of my own household. Also, I started in a new, more demanding position at work. And this was only January. Oh, and we also did a little renovating and changed the floors of my apartment to the white ones I had been dreaming of for the longest time!

In April, a friend came to live with me for a couple of months due to completing an internship in Helsinki. I would be lying if I didn't admit it was nice to have somebody to gossip over a glass of wine with and somebody who was always ready to go out. In April I also took a trip to Sweden to visit friends who I hadn't seen in roughly seven years.Crazy, huh? We went to school together as kids back when I lived abroad and it was really great seeing them again!

As the summer was approaching, I knew I wanted to travel but I didn't know whom with (I'm not a fan of travelling alone for a long time). So I decided to ask around from friends I met in Spain during my university exchange and sure enough I found myself flying to Berlin to see a friend I hadn't seen since the exchange. Which ended three years ago! After spending a few days in Berlin (which I kind of fell in love with) we took off on a little trip visiting Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia. In September, a good friend from Spain came to visit me in Helsinki and we had the greatest time! With the exception of a little mishap at the end of her stay. 

The year has also been about growth; personal as well as professional. Being alone, you really learn a lot about yourself, at least that's what happened to me. Professionally, being at a fast paced position where you have to be on top of your game all the time has challenged me and taught me so much and I am so grateful for the opportunity and the responsibility I was given.

Despite the great times, the year has not been all roses and rainbows and I would like to thank all my friends who have helped me through tough times and listened to my endless wondering of what to do with my life. I can't say I have reached the absolute answer to this question yet but now I have an idea of what I want to do for the near future and a sense of direction where I want to go. And I will work my a** off to get there!

All in all, I've met and worked with some amazing people this year and I would like to thank everybody for making my year as incredible as it was! Now I'm off to spend New Year's in one of Europe’s coolest cities with some great company!

Happy New Year everybody and bring it on 2016!