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! 

(Almost) Guilt Free Brownies

Since the time between Christmas and New Year's is the time to stuff your face with turkey, chocolate and whatever, I thought I would do a little post about a healthier treat.

I like to try baking sugar free things (I think try is the correct word here). Some of you have been victimized by my not so successful experiments of sugar free goodies, maybe even traumatized to the point of not wanting to eat anything I make. Well, I will let you in on a little success story (there are a few, believe it or not!) that I whipped up for Christmas; sugar AND flour free brownies!

I bet that right now you're thinking; a success story, yeah right, there's no way those can be any good. Well, I would suggest to give them a try before judging! I first made these for my friends on my birthday. Due to my not so successful baking in the past, I had also bought a mud cake that I hid in the freezer but I'm very proud to say that I didn't have to break it out! Or my friends were lying when they said the brownies were good. I guess we'll never know.

The reason I like this recipe is that it's natural ingredients and no artificial sugar or other bs. Oh and they are also raw.




(Almost Guilt-Free) Raw Brownies

1 dl pecans/walnuts
> 1 dl fresh dates (remove stones)
2-3 Tbsp of raw cocoa powder
1 Tbsp liquid coconut oil
a dash of salt

Frosting

0,5 dl dates 
1 Tbsp raw cocoa powder
1 Tbsp coconut oil 
~ 2 Tbsp water 


Blend the nuts into small pieces using e.g. a blender. Mix the nuts, dates, cocoa powder and coconut oil together and blend it into a smooth mass. If you want it to be sweeter, you can add honey or stevia but note, the dates make it quite sweet already. Spread the mass into a dish (rectangular if you want squares) and press to make it compact.

Make the frosting by mixing all the ingredients together with e.g. a blender. Spread the frosting over the brownie and place the dish in the freezer for about an hour to let it set.

Enjoy!

--

We definitely did NOT have an entirely guilt-free Christmas since Lindt chocolates belong to the Swiss Christmas (I'm guessing).


Any other sugar-free baking enthusiasts out there? :D

On Top of the World

I thought I would do a post that some of you might have been waiting for... About THE BEST sport I know... Ice skating!

As some of you might know, I'm a little into figure skating... And by a little I mean it's the best sport ever and I'm so in love and all I could do is skate if I was given the chance. Okay, maybe not all but you get the point. I did synchronized skating for several years as a kid and a few years ago I rediscovered it and fell in love. So I was at the top of the world (literally on the top of the world) yesterday as we took a little trip to Mürren on the mountains to go skiing.

Once we got there, we found out that unfortunately almost all of the slopes were closed due to the lack of snow except for a few black ones. The last time I was on skis was about ten years ago and it's been about five years since I snowboarded so we decided to pass. Instead, we found an ice skating rink! I mean skating, on the top of a mountain? THE best thing ever?! That's some ice skating goals right there if you ask me...

Look at that smile! That's true happiness right there. On a side note; no, I did not buy into the whole Mom Jeans- trend, I am actually wearing my mom's jeans... Ski pants were a little big for skating ;)

After a while on the ice I noticed two little girls giggling and getting closer and closer to me. Finally, they got up the courage and came over to ask something in German. I told them my German isn't that good (the Swiss dialect is especially hard to understand) and they switched to perfect English! They were wondering if I can do the flip and begged me to teach them. I was happy to show them how it's done step by step and they were over the moon!

Looks like I figured out a plan B for Berlin; skating instructor for kids! Haha. Not totally sure if I'm actually kidding or not...

Getting to skate after way too long (it's been over two weeks!) I wanted more. I googled ice skating in Bern and found an outdoor rink at the PostFinance Arena. So instead of a run this morning we headed for the rink! It's open almost all day every day from October till March so if you're in Bern and into skating, I highly recommend stopping by to do a few rounds! They also have skates for rent if you don't have your own.

Got in a good two hours on the ice and oh my god, it was so much fun! I plan on going again tomorrow. Besides being so much fun, skating is also such a good workout. You burn off a lot while having a blast! What's better than that?! And I hear that skating gives you the best... look in jeans, if you know what I mean. ;)

Here's a little video today's skating sesh.

Can't wait to get back to properly training! I'm currently researching where to train in Berlin. OH and I hear there's the Adult Skating Competition in March, I will definitely go watch! I'm expecting to see some familiar faces there!

Anyone have tips for skating in Berlin? :)

The Big WHY?

Since the turn of the year is always a time for reflection and looking back on the past year, I thought I would let you in the on the big WHY. Why in the world someone would come to a decision to leave everything and head for the unknown with no guarantees? Well, there are many reasons but I guess it all goes back to my past.

I’ve grown up being a bit of an international kid as we moved abroad for a few years when I was 11. At that age, having your parent drag you out of the country where all your friends are into one where you don’t speak the language is probably the worst thing that can happen. It was. I left kicking and screaming and I was not happy (to put it nicely) with my parents’ decision to move. However it didn’t take me long to make new friends and learn English that was spoken in school. I can proudly say that I have been fluent in Finglish (crazy mix between Finnish-English) ever since!

Looking back on it now I can honestly, without a doubt, say that it was (one of) the best gifts that my parents could ever give me and I am SO grateful for it. Learning to adapt to a completely new environment and new situations as well as learning new languages have been such big advantages. I wouldn’t be here right now writing this and having the guts to go for what I want if it wasn’t for them.

So if you are wondering whether to move abroad alone or with your children, I would say do it! You will gain amazing experiences yourself and from the experience of being that kid that got dragged to another country against her will I can tell you; they will thank you later for it. Besides having lived abroad then, I've also lived in Spain for some time later on in life but more on that another time.

Getting back to the present, now I had the opportunity of a lifetime. For over a year now I’ve been dreaming about going abroad again but the dreams were put on hold for a year when I managed to score a really great job at the company I was working at. So when the contract came to an end, I had the perfect chance. I had also been feeling a little stuck, in a rut. Like I was going nowhere and definitely not towards what I wanted in life. I know is mostly my own doing but I felt like I was not being challenged enough. I guess I like to thrown myself out of my comfort zone from time to time to keep things interesting.

I’ve also come to realize that I need projects in my life. When I don’t have one I become extremely frustrated. Whether it’s renovating my apartment or planning a trip, I need something. I'll tell you this much; it took me a whole hour between leaving work on my last day and getting to the airport that I already started writing this blog. And why so long? The drive took a while and I was forced to spent some time hassling with my luggage!

So all in all, the opportunity was just too good to waste so I went for it. Some might call that crazy but I call that the opportunity of a lifetime!

To be completely honest with you, sometimes I do wonder if I’m making a huge mistake. But then I remind myself that I really have nothing to lose giving this a shot. Chances are that this will lead to something amazing and I do believe that whatever happens will be worth the it.

The higher the risk, the higher the reward, right? ;)

Finding (Winter) Wonderland

Since us Finns just can't seem to get enough of the cold and the snow (haha not me though, see the size of my jacket! I'm pretty sure I was latina in my previous life...) But getting back on the subject, we just had to head for the mountains to get some fresh air. And we got a glimpse of a white Christmas meanwhile in the town of Adelboden! Switzerland really is a wonderland, at least during Christmas time.

On our way back stopping at the city of Thun for some hot lattes was necessary and it turned out to be an awesome idea! Speaking of lattes, here's a tip; when in Italy, make sure you order a 'CAFE latte' and not JUST a 'latte like you might be used to. Otherwise you end up getting just a hot milk accompanied by a weird look from the barista... This might be a true story which might have happened to me. Should have realized a liiiiitle sooner that 'latte' is Italian for milk... Duh. Getting off the subject again so back to Switzerland; Thun really was a wonderland!

After sipping the lattes we walked around and explored the town. It was pretty quiet due to all the shops being closed for the holidays, only a few coffee spots and bars were still open. I'm getting in a real meditative state of mind here which is SO good after all the stress of trying to figure out what to do with my life while trying to finish everything up at work before I left.

Hope everyone is having relaxing and peaceful holidays as well!

Till next time!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas

Hyvää Joulua

God Jul

Frohe Weihnachten

Feliz Navidad

Buon Natale

Joyeux Noël

Mixing it up in Milan!

It has been a while since my last post partly due to the trip I mentioned previously but also because I've spent the day in bed, defeated by some virus I guess... Well, here goes the recap of my trip to Milan!

I had never been to Italy (shame on me, I know) and let me tell you, it did not disappoint! Early Monday morning we took a train to Milan and stayed there for one night. Although two days in Milan seems like a short time, we did see quite a lot! And walk. A lot. As for accommodation, we were recommended to stay at Navigli area due to its nightlife and aperitivo culture. And it was THE place to be. Our hotel was right next to the canal, which was surrounded by cute little wineries, restaurants and bars.

Fun fact: Apparently in Navigli, happy hour means that you pay for one drink and get to eat your way through the buffet! That was a pretty good choice for dinner since they had a lot of salads, cheeses and of course pizza and pasta. But having studied and been employed in business, I just had to wonder how is that profitable...?

Before the trip we had googled some must-do things in Milan and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II came up. Even if you were not into fashion I would recommend seeing the mall just because of the architecture. It was impressive enough from the outside but on the inside, just amazing! All the luxury brands were present and naturally, they just had to have a Swarovski Christmas tree.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

The Duomo could of course not be missed, it was pretty breathtaking. The magnitude of it is just impossible to capture on camera.

All in all, Milan was an amazing city, full of history and so, so much more to see. I will definitely want to go back some day. 

Until next time,

Arrivederci!

Palm Trees and Churros ?!

Today I spent the day walking in the shade of palm trees and eating churros. And no, I'm not in Spain.

We took a road trip to the town of Montreux by the Geneva Lake or Lac Léman as they say in French. The town is famous for its annual Christmas market, which proved to be a pretty big thing. They really put some effort into it!

Some cities just have something, something that just clicks with you. Montreux clicked for me.  The atmosphere was laid back, almost Mediterranean like, which is right up my alley. People were in good spirits doing last minute Christmas shopping, enjoying Glühwein and spending quality time with each other. I am too slowly but surely getting in the Christmas spirit!

It was rather strange though, taking a trip to a city close by and everything seemed to change from the atmosphere to the language. Talking five languages more or less, I'm used to understanding at least something. Sadly, French is not one of them and I felt a little lost. But luckily my travel companions had that covered.

Among all the little tents and cabins, I spotted something I fell in love with in Spain; churros! It was a must to try whether they were as good here as the authentic ones. And yes. Totally worth it.

This view though! Amazing, right?
Now I'm off to do some packing for tomorrow's trip, more will follow shortly!

Au revoir!

From the Land of a Thousand Lakes to a Land of (half) a Million Cows

Before heading out to Berlin, I arrived to Bern, Switzerland to spend Christmas here with my family. And holy cow is this the place to be during Christmas time!

Hiking in Grindelwald during my Eurotrip earlier this year

Firstly, let me say a few words about the weather; the Finnish summer is not always this nice. I don't even remember when was the last time that I saw the sun! We took a long walk in the morning by the river and I discovered something very unexpected about the Swiss people. As you probably know, Finnish people are widely considered as, oh well... different? There's a saying in German; "Die spinnen, die Finnen", which loosely translates to "the crazy, the Finnish". Mostly because of our peculiar habits such as ice swimming, which is basically going down to a frozen lake, drilling a hole in the ice and taking a dip. But what I discovered today made me question whether the saying is rightfully earned. Because as we were walking by the river which, from what I hear is not even warm in the summer, I noticed a woman stripping down to her bikini. A bikini. In the middle of December. And going in the river. And she just sat there at least for five minutes, in the freezing river?! I guess now I know why some Finns really take a liking to Switzerland, feels like home, huh?

Walk by the Aare river

The city of Bern

Besides the weather and the people who make us Finns feel like home, there are the Christmas markets that make Switzerland a desirable destination this time a year. The markets are so adorable with handmade clothing, soaps and crafts of all kind. As it got a bit chillier, sipping on some Glühwein (mulled wine) was the obvious solution. Which also made me feel close to home as it tasted somewhat similar to the Finnish glögi traditionally drunk at Christmas time.

Christmas decorations in Old Town

Berner Weihnachtsmarkt in the center

The weather called for some Glühwein.

Also, as the land of so many cows, the cheese and the chocolate you might ask? Oh so good and OH so many options. Can't wait until Christmas Eve! ;)






Bis bald!

Baby Steps or Taking a Leap

As I'm sitting at the Helsinki airport waiting for my flight, I'm wondering what I'm getting myself into. Just a while ago I said goodbye to my dear friends and colleagues, some who I have worked with for the past three years and now I am heading into the unknown. I might have shed a few tears (cried my eyes out) as it really hit me that I won't be returning to the office any time soon. I sit here contemplating whether I am completely out of my mind, batsh*t crazy taking a leap into the unknown with no guarantees or just courageous, going after my dreams one (baby) step at a time. I guess it all depends on the perspective.

But that being said as incredibly cheesy as it sounds, I'd rather pursue my dreams than sit still and complain about not getting what I want in life. And while on the subject of cheesy, below are some farewell cards to help me keep on going on this very, very emotional day.

Two clovers for doubling the good luck.

Many spend half of their time dreaming of what they could have as others head out to the world and fulfill their dreams. 

Good luck with conquering the world.

You will surely accomplish your goals with that attitude and courage!

All the emotions from leaving the office behind was replaced however with irritation as soon as I got to the airport and discovered that my bag was overweight. Oh well, some re-arranging and a random security check, I'm boarding soon. And facing a race against time with my connecting flight but thankfully I run fast.

Keep you posted!