All these conversations we have with ourselves

This is a very much unrelated picture of a beautiful flower I photographed in Istanbul last spring. 

Flowers are pretty and remind us of the frivolity of time and how change is constant though, 

and those are always good lessons to keep in mind. 

I've been doing a lot of self-reflection and trying to figure out what all kinds of things mean to me and how to deal with the life I have now. In addition to that I've also been crazy busy actually living that life, seizing the moment and living it to the fullest.

So, I was very happy when I stumbled upon the Conversation - Honest Talk with Amanda de Cadenet the other day, through a blog I'm sorry I can't remember just now. (That often happens if I'm busy, I just open the interesting links to a new tab and then go through them when I have time, sometimes even days later.)

Anyway, the thing that amazed me about the show/videos was how very refreshing and inspiring watching through the episodes was (and yes, you can watch them overseas like me!) and how interesting conversations Amanda was able to have with these super celebrities that often say nothing for wanting to protect their privacy (and there's nothing wrong with that!). But anyway, I was tremendously interested and inspired to see what people like Olivia Wilde and Gwyneth Paltrow had to say about relationships and getting through tough times. So if you're interested in hearing (and seeing) some very thought-provoking and honest(!) conversations, check all the episodes out here. There's actually a whole community built upon this, which I also find very interesting and inspiring.

Interesting and inspiring, my two key words for today it seems.

Well, I also happen to think that those (interest and inspiration) are the two driving forces behind many beautiful things, together with passion and wonder. Combine all of these and you're set for life.

One of the questions Amanda asked her guests/interviewees/conversation partners (as well random people on the street) was what advice they would give to their 14-year-old selves. I find that a very good and thought-provoking question; I think I'll try to answer that in my next post!


Listening to: Regina Spektor - Patron Saint (Though the whole 'What We Saw From the High Seats' album is very, very good.)

Looking forward to it

Last night, I had a trouble sleeping, because ... well, I'm not even sure why exactly, but I knew one of the sources of the can't-sleep-angst was the upcoming fall and all the choices I have to make and live with. So, I took my beautiful little notebook, just perfect for the lists, really; and wrote some goals down.

The timeframe varied from one day up to a year - even though I was tempted to write a five-year-plan, because I'm a sucker for long-term plans, but I also know it's much harder to actually stick to those promises in such a long timeframe. Because life, you know, happens.

But I thought I would share the lists in all their crypticness (that's what you get for writing lists at 2 am.!), ad maybe they'll inspire you to think about where you're planning on going with your life in the next day/week/twelvemonth or so.

Things I want from my life (gotta love a pompous title, yes?):

Tomorrow (this being TODAY) I want to...
- go aqua jogging with Paula (done!)
- study for the stupid exam for at least 4 hours (I still have about three to go...)
- visit my parents'  house (I decided I didn't want it after all, they're on a trip so they wouldn't have been there anyway) 

In August I want to...
- write at least 10 blog posts (for either TT or PV)
- make some decisions concerning the blogs and get started on that homesite
- finish and pass the communications exams and the language course
- make a timetable for the school year and register to courses (I actually made the timetable today (totally procrastinating on that exam studying))
-actively started on producing things for my Etsy shop, if that's still what I want (this includes some plan-making and number-crunching too) 

During the coming 12 months I want to...
- finish my B.Soc.Sci and get started on my Master's thesis
- apply for the exchange program early next year
- have reached and happily passed the 20,000 views on my blogs (only those of my own count!)
- have finished at least one (no matter how awful) manuscript (I get to choose which one)

Do you think these sound un-/reasonable?

I've been thinking a lot lately about the direction where I want to go, what I want to do and how I want to spend my life. At the same time I really want to succeed on those things I've started or am about to start, so I found this exercise helpful for giving some time perspective as well. None of those things are something I believe to be beyond my skills or abilities at the moment, but of course shi life happens and then I'll just have to reassess.


For the visual entertainment value you get an oldie OOTC picture of a rose. Not sure how it's connected with this theme, but I've been assured that everything is connected. Maybe even a rose and life plans. 




Täällä on tehty suunnitelmia tulavaisuuden varalle; huomiseksi, ensi kuuksi, tulevaksi vuodeksi. Jos edes jotain saan aikaan, voin olla itseeni tyytyväinen. Toisaalta tuntuu hyvältä, että minulla on jo iso lista asioita, jotka oikeasti palavasti haluan päästä totetuttamaan (jos ei tenttiin lukua lasketa - mutta sekin palvelee suurempia päämääriä).

The Fourth of July

Today is the birthday of one of my favorite persons in the world - my little brother, that is.

In fact, my brother is the kind of awesome that just a few nights ago, he came to visit me in the middle of the night as I was just taking a batch of some cheese-cake swirled brownies out of the oven, then he fixed my wireless internet (that I wasn't even sure was broken), fixed my camera (so I could take picture of the brownies) and wanted only a brownie in thanks (claiming that they tasted like heaven, while I'm still trying to figure out what went wrong with them and what I should do better next time).

Yes, he's that awesome. And of course I am biased, he's my baby brother!

Just to show you how amazing he is (and how very important he is to me) I wrote this post to him, using his wonderful photographs to relay the message. They're some of his older pictures, these days he's even better at it. Simply blows my mind.

Small things are big things...

(like strawberries and champagne!)

I love you, Miika. <3

More of his pictures are here, though like I said, he hasn't updated them lately.


Pikkuveljen synttärit tänään. Ihana pikkuveli, osaa kuvata ja korjata nettiasioita ja kamera-asioita ja tulla käymään pyytämättä kun sellaista veljellistä seuraa tarvitaan. Ihan isosiskon oikeudella käytin sen omia kuvia, kun halusin sanoa sille, että se on mulle tosi tärkeä.