Category: Travel

Reflecting On: Traveling and Healing

So today I’m writing this while sat in a train in the middle of Europe. I thought that it would be great to take a long weekend off and start seeing Christmas markets earlier this year. And it’s been super cool! And what better place to write this than in a 2h night train, with all covered in snow and full of mist. So I’ll start putting my words out here and – hopefully – they’ll start making sense by themselves by the end of the post!

I love Christmas, and I’ve been dreaming of visiting Christmas markets since I was little, watching these Christmas TV movies at home, hoping to be there one day, in all that crowded christmasy atmosphere. And to be honest, I didn’t know what I could really find there, but I just wanted to be there and experience it!

And it’s really been like that since forever. I’ve always been in love with the idea of travelling, getting to know new places, taste new food and meet new people. So the first opportunity I got to travel abroad, I took it. I was about 20 years old, and I had never been outside my country ever before, so you can imagine with all that anticipation, how getting to my first destination felt like.

I was surprised by everything I saw. The buildings, the nature, the people, the food, the smells, even the air! Everything felt brand new and exciting to levels I hadn’t felt before. And I enjoyed my first abroad stay so much, that I had a hard time going back to my routine back at home. I was thinking all the time about the next trip, and working towards it! That’s what I really worked for, my motivation really.

And don’t misunderstand me – it still is in a major way. I love to travel, meet new cultures and bring open to new experiences! It’s one of my biggest motivations to this day. But lately it feels different – in a healthier way, which I’m very proud of.

My latest trips have been great, but the thing is that now I don’t feel that feeling of rejection when the time to go home comes, and I believe it’s because I feel more comfortable with where I’m at in my life and with the responsibilities I have at home. I link this mostly to where I’m at with my professional life, ‘cause it’s something that used to haunt me in the past. I felt anxious about it, I was procrastinating around it as much as I could, and – basically – trying to avoid the thought of it.

But that has changed recently apparently! I feel great in my current position. I also feel great in my personal life, which just adds points to this feeling of comfort.

In summary, I felt like sharing this piece of my mind, where traveling doesn’t feel like escapism anymore, but more like a way to extend and enrich my day to day life with new experiences, findings and ways of thinking, all this by getting to know new places, people and ideas!

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year” – Andy William

I think I’d name it something like “Mindful travelling”, but I don’t want to enter the culture of mindfulness and peace of mind gurus, but I think it’s the best term to define the idea of traveling I want to share. An idea of you travelling because you want to actively learn about new cultures, ways and ideas, starting from the curiosity and aiming for self-growth. The idea of leaving a new place being a slightly different person than when you arrived there. Probably with more questions and doubts, but because you learned something new!

I hope you liked this post, and if you did, just leave a like or a comment, cause I’d really like to know about what you really enjoy about travelling and if you went through similar like me!

PS: checkout the main page for my all time favorite travel song! 🫶🏻❄️

December 1, 2025
Reflecting On: The Beauty Of Stillness

There’s a certain comfort in the moments when life becomes quiet.
Not silent — just warm and gentle in a way that makes you breathe a little deeper.

Some time ago, I found myself wrapped in my scarf on a cold morning, sitting on a wooden bench by the water.
The air smelled like roasted coffee drifting from a nearby café, and the light had that soft Nordic morning glow that makes everything feel calm and familiar.

I didn’t have anywhere I needed to be.
I didn’t have a plan.
Well, I did have one. Buying one of those coffees and a cinnamon bun.
But it felt like it was just me, the crisp air, and the slow rhythm of the city around me.

And in that tender quiet, something inside me softened.

A Quiet That Feels Like Home

There’s a kind of stillness that doesn’t feel empty —
it feels full.
Full of warmth, of presence, of the simple beauty of just being.

I watched a few people pass by:
someone walking their dog wrapped in a knitted sweater,
an older couple sharing a thermos of something steaming,
a cyclist who rang their bell not to rush anyone,
but simply as a friendly hello.

Everything felt… right.
Peaceful in a way that made me feel safe —
the same way a soft blanket feels when you pull it up to your chin on a chilly evening.

The Kind of Stillness That Stays With You

There’s a softness in moments like these —
a quiet that invites you to notice things you usually overlook:
the way the light dances on the water,
the sound of distant footsteps on wooden planks,
the comforting smell of cinnamon coming from a bakery you can’t see but somehow feel.

Stillness becomes less about pausing,
and more about returning.
Returning to yourself,
to your senses,
to the gentle truth that presence is its own kind of warmth.

A Small, Cozy Realization

When I finally stood up,
I carried something with me —
a peacefulness that lingered,
like the last sip of a warm drink on a winter afternoon.

Maybe that’s the beauty of stillness:
it doesn’t demand anything from you.
It simply reminds you of what’s already there.

A Warm Reminder

Now that I’m writing about that quiet morning in Stockholm,
another kind of moment comes to mind —
one that couldn’t be more different,
yet carries the same emotional warmth.

Those summer evenings at a beach bar with friends,
beer in hand,
the smell of espetos drifting through the air,
the sound of the grill crackling,
and that golden light that makes everything feel suspended in time.

Moments where you don’t have to try.
Where you don’t have to think about being present —
you just are.
Moments that feel like home,
no matter where you are or who you were five minutes ago.

It’s funny how stillness can look so different.
Sometimes it’s a cold morning wrapped in a scarf,
sometimes it’s a warm sunset with salt in the air —
but the feeling is the same.
A gentle sense of belonging.
A quiet warmth that settles somewhere inside your chest
and reminds you that life is full of small pockets of peace,
if you let yourself fall into them.

November 16, 2025
Tastes of: New York Burgers

Today I bring you a personal review on the best burgers I had while traveling in New York recently. To be honest, these were great. And I know, I know… some of my fellow Europeans might say that they are too greasy and they are cooked differently that we’d do here in Europe. But hey, being honest, they were absolutely amazing. Let’s dive into them.

Shake Shack

Delicious burgers and crispy fries served with refreshing drinks. Thanks AI for writing this footnote.

The only fast food place in this post and the first restaurant I visited. Straight for a borgir after an eight hours flight.

The menu surprised me, as they had all the kcal per item (burger, drink, sauce) written down, and they had “healthy options”, which resumed to a burger with an avocado slice. Okay, good.

We had the Avocado Bacon Burger (left), the Shack Stack (left) and Spicy Fries, which were delicious. Look that melted cheese. Geez. I’m getting hungry as I’m writing this.

We went to the restaurant located in the 8th Ave – Theater District. Recommended for a good fast American burger experience.

Ellen’s Stardust Diner

Delicious burger topped with crispy bacon, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and served with waffle fries.

Ellen’s Stardust is one of those unique places that you need to visit at least once in your life if you are ever traveling to NY. The place is always packed but the queue moves fast. The ambiance will take you to a 50’s American Diner, and the music and mood of the waiters will make you feel welcome and will have you singing while you wait for your food.

Honestly speaking, our experience was a 10/10. The burger was good, the nachos we had were also spectacular and the waiters singed like angels straight out of a Broadway show. Totally recommended.

Burger Joint

Savory burger topped with bacon, pickles, lettuce, and tomato, ready to be enjoyed.

Apologies for the picture, not my best photo, but I was hungry. Very hungry.

Allocated inside a luxurious hotel in Manhattan, its unique underground atmosphere and graffiti walls make Burger Joint a hidden gem. Its burgers are fantastic. Beast patty meat I have tasted in this list.

We also ordered some fries and they gave us a bag full of it – great experience. Important note: pay only in cash.

Hard Rock Cafe – Times Square

A delicious burger topped with crispy bacon and served with French fries.

The Sweet & Smokey Burger was surprisingly good! The best combination of ingredients and flavors in this list with a croquette on the top – what else could you ask for?

The Hard Rock Cafe NY is one of the best Hard Rock Cafes I’ve ever been to. It was huge, the decoration of on point – as always – and it even had a theater inside of it. Imagine being a live performance while having one of these burgers. Awesome!

August 18, 2025
Wandering Through: Signs of New York City
How cool is that adoption event poster? I would easily become the crazy cat lady from The Simpsons in that event.

I was recently in New York City for the first time, and it surprised me in ways I couldn’t have imagined. The streets and the subway were way cleaner than expected, more than in some European capitals, New Yorkers were super nice and open, and it was not all burgers and dollar pizza slices! It probably sounds cliche, but I think most people have that image of the Big Apple.

The only thing that shocked me at first, was when I got out of the airport transfer a couple of streets next to Times Square, and a wave of smells hit my face. It didn’t smell bad, or good. It was a strange mix of smells coming from all the fast food stands in that area: pretzels, hot dogs, donuts, burgers, falafel, gyros, kebab, and so on, mixed with smells from the cars, the heat and water vapor coming from the underground. You just get used to it in a couple of minutes really.

One of the things that really stood out for me were the signs I’d find all over the city. Let’s check them out.

GET. MORE. REST.

Street sign urging people to ‘Get More Rest’ with eclectic stickers.

Straightforward and clear. What else could you ask for. May this serve as a reminder to all of us to prioritize self-care in all areas of our fast-paced life.

Work and learn how to take a break from work. Exercise and learn how to treat your body with quality rest and recovery. Socialize and spend time with friends, but don’t forget to book some me-time during the week to read, reflect on events or whatever activity that makes you reconnect with your inner self.

Going Home To Your Family

A safety reminder emphasizing the importance of prioritizing family and loved ones over work.

I was impressed to see this. At a construction site. Totally unexpected.

I wish all workplaces had this level of self-awareness. You can love your work, get obsessed over it, but it should never come in the way of those people cheering and caring for you back home. Even the most office-based corporate jobs can create this fake illusion that you are irreplaceable at it, but where you really are irreplaceable is at home.

I might expand on this in future posts.

Be Yourself
Remember to always be yourself. Because as Timothée Chalamet once said in an interview, “you need to realize that life comes from you and not at you”.

Read it again and give it a second thought.

Bonus track
To end, I would like to highlight these two posters. One from a cat adoption event and another from the 5th Avenue Lego Store.

Just enjoy.
August 5, 2025