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

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!