Be A Traveler In Your Home Town

My friend Nina thought me how rich in culture my home town is. She visited me from Canada a couple of years ago and when I showed her around I learnt a lot about The City of Turku. What if you spent a day as a tourist in your home town? Go to a museum, a traditional food hall and a medieval castle. Visit different small shops and boutiques you have never been to. Enjoy people watching in an outdoor cafe. And pick a city festival you don't normally go to.

How about a modern or a classical music festival, a circus or a performance festival or the traditional Ruisrock, festival in a middle of a national park and by the sea. There's also a medieval market, a city marathon, a new potato festival... just to name few.

I cycled around the city today and spotted many interesting things, see the pictures below.

Winter pale roses in our back yard.

A banana tree wellcomes residents and visitors at the back door.

Guess what fruit tree is this in our courtyard? It is a fig tree!

You can find this kind of atmosphere in our backyard, right in the city center!

This 5 cm tall lady was stretching by the riverside. I spotted many miniature statues along the river promenade.

This tiny bronze statue brings a smile in your face.

Knitted graffiti!

I hope this graffiti will stay to the end of the summer. 

Another kind of city art.

This elf is a bit scary!

This graffiti tells a story.

There is a story here as well.

Less Talk More Food

Somebody said that I am pondering things too much on this blog, he wanted to hear more about what I am eating instead... ;-) I guess he meant the exotic food in Asia... But in order not to get too philosophical, I'll share a recipe, how to make simple and tasty vegetarian food. Can't get any simpler than this!

Stir-fry onions, garlic, leek, red chili pepper and fresh mushrooms. Make plenty. Add ripe smashed tomatoes, season with black pepper and natural salt. Let the veggies be nice and crispy, avoid over cooking. Garnish with fresh basil. Enjoy with whole grain pasta. 

Precious Minutes

I can warmly recommend sabbatical for everyone. It is a great opportunity to do things you always wanted to do but you never seemed to have time for. Or just do nothing, depending on what you need. You can find new interests or even new talents you didn't know you have. You can find yourself.

When I came back home from my travels, I thought first not to bother unpacking my backpack, because I would do another trip anytime soon. But for my own surprise I don't feel like traveling anywhere right now. I am enjoying my time more than ever. Just here, right now*). And I am happier than ever. I wasn't unhappy before, but I just didn't see things around me and in me as clear as now. I needed this break to stop, breathe, look around and inside.

*) this blooming Summer may help in this... Would I have different tone of voice if it was cold and dark winter...? ;-)

When you feel it is too busy at work or at home and you don't have time for anything - take a break. Sit still just five minutes, eyes closed. Observe your breathing but don't try to change anything. What happened? Remember that those five minutes were precious, since you will never get them back.

Good Morning With A Live Porridge

I have started to make some live, raw food again. The previous time was 15 years ago. Raw porridge is easy to make, tastes good and is extremely healthy. Last night I rinsed the grains, buckwheat and millet and let them soak over night. I put some figs, chia seeds and sunflower seeds to soak as well. This morning I rinsed the grains, added one banana, blueberry powder and some honey, then ground everything together in a blender. And I ate the porridge with black currants, hand picked last summer. Yummy!

Years ago when I was more into raw food, I even sprouted the grains before grounding them. That would make your porridge even more living. The idea of raw, live food is that it is uncooked and unprocessed. But don't take it too seriously. Warm oat meal tastes and feels good, too.

In Search of Timeless Time

Do you remember the story of the Indian Chief who sat legs crossed at the end of the stairs in the airport? When the bypassers wondered what is he doing, he explained that his body has traveled so many miles so fast, that he has to wait his soul to come along. Right now, I feel kind the same.

When I came back home after my 6 months journey, people complained how fast time had flied. But for me, I felt like I had been away at least a year. My time did not fly fast, it went slowly instead, in a positive way. My time had been full. But - right when I returned back home here in Finland, I felt the hurry. And my time is flying. Fast.

The concept of time is interesting. I have tried to solve the mystery of that slowly and fully moving time when I was traveling in Asia. And why I feel now that time is flying fast. How have I ever had time to go to work?

One solution can be that when I traveled, I never really knew what I will be doing and experiencing the next day. I didn't do much planning before hand or worry about what might come up. I was very often doing, seeing, hearing and experiencing things for the first time. I was curious and had all my instincts open.

Now when I am back home again, things are familiar and I have expectations how to react and what to think about them. I can easily plan, speculate or worry. How easy it is to say, but so difficult in practise to just live in this moment, not yesterday or tomorrow. To be curious and experience things as for the first time. Any suggestions how to be able to do it...?

Go To The Woods!

I have the luxury to observe closely this oncoming spring now when I am on sabbatical. The first signs of spring are for example the motorcycles on the streets, headlines of the women's magazines: "how to loose weight", colorful spring jackets, restaurants opening up their patios, outdoor advertisements about the new cider flavors, summer fashion and - condoms. The best thing is that people are getting more open and smiling than in the winter time. It must be the sun!

And the nature is awakening! Like a new beginning. We spent hours in the forest this weekend, walking and mountain biking. We saw small buds in the trees, heard birds singing and smelled the spring. Wonderful!

Did you know that according to the scientific studies, forest experience normalizes your blood pressure and pulse. Just twenty minutes in the woods reduces the tensions and balances your mind. Lucky you who live near the forest, or even in the forest!

Go to the forest

Go to the mountains

Go to the far off sea

Let loneliness

Caress you

Until your skin is thin enough

So thin that your heart

Sees me through it

That I was the one

Who caressed you,

Who caresses you

Go, go.

Tommy Taberman

 (English translation Börje Vähämäki)

Spring is already here! Summer is on the way!

Spring In The Air

It is here again. The First of May. May Day. Labour Day. Workers Day. Students Day. Festival of Spring. This is the time when we, reserved Finns get wild after the long winter. People party all night and day, have picnics, wear masks, wigs, funny costumes and of course old white student caps (or maybe not so white anymore). It is a carnival with balloons and sparkling wine.

My husband and I visited two different parties last night. I loved meeting many old friends and was happy to hear that so many of them are following this blog. It really means me a lot.

I am happy if this blog has given you a little break from everyday routines. It may even have inspired somebody to make changes in life, when that is needed. Taking a sabbatical year or traveling alone is not for everyone, you have to find out what works for you. Thank you for Traveling With My Mind. I keep updating this blog, because as you know, Life Is A Journey...

I felt tired after the parties, but not so tired that I wouldn't try out my new mountain bike!