Snow, Sea & Ice

Good evening!

It is 10:39pm here. I have a candle lit in front of me and pasta in my belly. I am slowly winding down for sleep with a cup of rooibos tea. I am so relieved the jet lag has passed, but the fresh air and short daylight hours make me want to sleep longer. This morning, my body woke up naturally with the sun at 8:30am.

Today I felt a little sad because most of the snow had melted. I had been hoping to capture some beautiful snowy shots. I woke up to the sound of ice rain hitting the windows. I was getting ready to return the rental car at Gothenburg Airport, but then the snow came. I was filled with joy at the sight of it. The feeling of snowflakes landing on my cheeks and knowing I had snow in my hair made me feel so free. I love the sound of crunching snow under my boots. It brings me so much happiness. I was also relieved that I did not have to drive to Gothenburg, so I will return the car on Thursday.

All day the island has been covered in a white blanket. I barely ate breakfast because I was so excited. I threw back some muesli and half a banana before running outside with my camera. It was snowing heavily, and I am still not one hundred percent confident with my big, heavy camera. Plus, I knew there was ice underneath the snow, so I did not want to bring too much gear.

I spent all morning by the water taking photos and filming. I felt like the only person on the island. There was not a human in sight, and the silence was so calming. I have not heard silence like that in many years. I felt so incredibly free that I called out to the big rock across the water where orca whales have previously been spotted. I heard the echo of my own voice, which felt amazing. I felt alive again for the first time in forever. I felt connected to nature and to myself.

After capturing the beautiful surroundings and enjoying the gift of my own company, I filmed a little talk to share on YouTube. When I got home to upload it, unfortunately there was too much wind interference. I need to sort out my microphone. I have one; it just needs a battery.

I spent the rest of the day cozy at home. I had some warm soup and spent the afternoon on my computer playing around with video creation. I love it. I lose myself in creating, and the hours fly by. That feels like a good sign. I know I am on the right track now.

I also feel like I am falling behind on all my editing because I have so much footage. I will challenge myself to share something. Something is better than nothing. Here are some photos and an Instagram post from today.

Enjoy ♥︎

I hope the sun is out tomorrow so I can capture the golden light and snowy sparkles. I wish you a beautiful Monday evening.

Goodnight from this magical, snow-covered island in the North Sea ꨄ

Smögen ♥︎
Snow, sea & ice
Your potential is endless. Dream big ♥︎
Resilience
Ice covered rocks
Life finds a way
I have the northern winds styling my hair. This is the winter island look hehe ♥︎
Back home
Happy!
The north winds are the best hairdresser
With my new hair style
It's still snowing as I'm about to hit publish ♥︎

Where The North Winds Meets The Sea

Happy Sunday!

I hope you’re having a wonderful weekend filled with love and compassion for yourself and the world around you.

I’ve been sitting for about four hours editing a YouTube video. I’ve dabbled with YouTube in the past, but never in a way that I considered making it a career. I love filming and creating videos. When I edit, it feels like a game where all the puzzle pieces must fit together to evoke an emotion and tell a story. I love it.

I studied film and photography in high school, and it felt like falling in love. I lost sight of it over the years, but now I feel stronger in my ability to pursue film. I think I could really be good at it. Self-belief is a powerful thing. When I lacked it, I never pursued the things I loved. I allowed self-doubt to rule my life, and life is too short for that kind of thinking. I feel more empowered and motivated than ever to create.

I cannot wait for the wind to ease so I can go out and capture more winter landscape shots with my drone. This drone was the first big, expensive gift I gave myself. It came from my first paychecks at a digital marketing agency in London. I had recently graduated with my Master’s degree and wanted to treat myself to something special. I studied digital media and entrepreneurship, and storytelling was a big part of my course. I’m so glad I can translate everything I learned into my own creative work.

I want to create more YouTube videos, even though editing takes forever. I admire all the YouTube creators and filmmakers out there.

Speak to you soon! Thank you for supporting my artist dream.

Puss och kram ♥︎

Icy Winds and A Day in Pictures

Good evening!

Another headache today, so I have not spent much time at the computer screen. It is 9:18pm here, and I wanted to write a quick hello before going to bed. Today I went grocery shopping at a larger supermarket on the mainland. I forgot it was Saturday, so it was quite busy there. I got everything I needed, and the checkout lady was lovely.

After leaving the supermarket, I was greeted by icy winds. I have missed the feeling of cold, though the windy, icy particles hitting my face are not so fun. Driving home, I was mesmerised by the way the snow moved with the wind. It almost looked like an earth spirit of some kind.

I have some film footage I would like to share with you. Simply some beautiful moments on the island. Eventually, I would like to make more professional-style videos. I am sure with time my craft will improve. I do not want my perfectionist tendencies to hold me back from sharing and connecting with you.

I ran out of coffee yesterday, so I was so happy to stock up on beans. The smell of fresh coffee is one of the most delightful scents in the world, especially when I have a headache.

It looked so beautiful outside with the ice and snow on the rocky landscape. As you saw from the pictures, I decided to go out to take some photos with my Nikon D850. It is a new camera, and I have not used it much. I snapped away, but when I got home to edit the photos, I realized there was no sim card in the slot. A hard lesson learned today. I am sure every photographer has done this at least once in their life. I did get some footage on my video camera and iPhone, and I am looking forward to editing and sharing it with you.

After a cozy night with some warm soup, I am now ready to snuggle in for the night. I hope a good night’s sleep will cure my headache.

Sleep well, my friend.

Puss ♥︎

Driving across the "bifrost" bridge to the mainland

On my way home

Back home again

Coffee bliss!
I wonder what the rest of the day has in store for me
I love seeing the rocks under the ice
The promise
Happiest outside
Home and feeling alive

The horror of no sim card

Bohuslän fisk soppa

The Land of Sea & Ice

Hello my friend!

Today has been wonderful. I have been outside hiking the rocky, icy landscape. Just me and my camera, with the North winds styling my hair. It has been really cold today. The lower half of my body was definitely not dressed for these icy winds, but it felt so good to get outside.

Here are some photos from today. Enjoy the ambience of this magical Nordic island in the North Sea.

Happiest when the wind styles my hair
Follow your dreams
Life finds a way
Captivated by the beauty here
Land, sea & ice
Where land meets sea
Happy happy happy
Time for a fika
The Swedes know how to "Njut"
Beautiful when the water freezes on the rocks
Smögen's water tower
The way home
Sunset Cotton
Feeling alive with the north winds greeting me once again

A sleepy soul
Healthy soup for dinner

Evening Reflections

Things move much slower here on this sparsely populated island in the North Sea. I am away from the city noise and light pollution I have lived with for the past fifteen years.

This slower pace of life is teaching me that not everything needs to be focused on hyper-productivity all the time. Since arriving on this small Nordic island, I am learning to enjoy the silence, the pauses in my day, and to simply be still. I also find power in reflecting positively on my past, learning the lessons, and visualising the brightness of my future.

When I think about my past, there was no room for silence, peace, or solitude. I felt like I was on a hamster wheel, keeping up with the rushing nature of others around me. I often felt like I could not breathe because I was doing everything to make others happy, only to be blamed, criticised, and judged by people who never truly took the time to get to know me. This way of living had to end. My life and happiness depended on it.

Coming to Sweden is the first time in my life that I have made a decision purely for my own happiness. I quickly learned who celebrated my return and who did not.

My life before Sweden left me feeling burnt out, lonely, and unhappy. These moments of silence and solitude are deeply healing. In these moments, I do not feel alone. I am learning that taking a pause in my life and in my day to rest and just be is not a weakness. It is a strength. It is a courageous commitment to myself, a chance to check my inner compass and recalibrate if needed. It is in the silence that we can truly sink into our own hearts and hear their gentle whispers.

Most nights have been spent like this. A cozy candle with the wind howling.

My Wish to this World

I truly hope my presence online offers something beautiful and healing to this messy world. Today, I have reflected deeply on what I want to share with the world and how to stay true to myself through every decision I make along the way. Now that I am here in Sweden, it feels more important than ever that I do not fall into the old trap of creating art or content to please others. My work has to be authentic and come from the heart to genuinely help people in their lives.

I plan to do this by sharing my story rather than masking pain with “how-to” videos or presenting myself as an expert on living life. I am not an expert. There is already too much of that “expert advice” on YouTube. All I can do is influence through healthy inspiration, helping others reconnect with their authentic selves. That is the journey I am on. I am a true believer that personal stories heal. Stories are the bedrock of our humanity, and they help others find the truth of who they are. This is my contribution online, and I am curious to see where it leads.

My choice to come here and start this journey was entirely for me, and I intend for every decision I make while I am here to come from my heart. That is a promise and commitment I make to myself. I also promise to share my personal growth story with you, dear reader. I need to be mindful every day of this promise because I believe that authenticity can inspire the world to heal.

So much of the pain in today’s world could be alleviated through self-acceptance and unconditional love. On my life journey, I have learned that we can truly make a difference by embracing who we are, accepting our unique qualities, and letting go of what we cannot control.

Thank you for being here ♥︎

Childhood Trauma

If I have children one day, I will teach them that they matter, that they are enough, that their feelings count, and that they should follow their hearts.

We are fortunate enough today to be armed with knowledge and inspiration to nurture ourselves and our children.

I am committed to ending generational trauma through my own healing work. I am doing this by exploring trauma-informed best practices, mindfulness, art therapy, and energy healing. Let me know if you are interested in hearing more about this.

My Values Have Changed

I know I am on the path to healing because money no longer drives me the way it once did. Of course, I still need to make a living, but my motivation has changed. Now it is about enjoying a life in nature, cooking healthy food, laughing with true friends, spending time alone in nature, and creating art. I no longer feel the need for material things to show off or to be liked by people who value material things.

It is wild to think that I once lived my life this way. I never felt good enough if I didn't have the latest designer handbag to fill my inadequancy. But the feeling would always wear off, and the cycle would repeat. On top of that, all the consumption that harms the environment made me feel even worse about myself. I felt guilty and disconnected.

Today, I am so happy that my values have shifted. I am now driven by my internal need for creativity and self-expression, by connecting with people and animals, building a sacred home that reflects my inner world, learning to become self-sufficient, being kind to the environment, and giving back to the world. The lesson I have learned is that the ego is the root cause of a lot of destruction, not only within ourselves but also in the world.

How did I arrive at this healthy realization? Inner child healing. I understand that it is not for everyone, but reconnecting with my inner child helped me get back on track by doing the things I loved as a child. I truly believe that inner child work is a path to authenticity. By sharing my story, I hope to contribute to a more authentic world.