Hamburg is a city in Germany, and Gothenburg is a city in Sweden. Both are old port cities, both lined with cranes and a beautiful, glistening waterfront. Both feature relaxed occupants, as usually comes with port cities. Hamburg is bigger and feels newer. Gothenburg is smaller and feels a bit less modernized. The similarities among port cities still surprise me, though. It’s like a shared unde…

Our occupation is what we occupy ourselves with. It can be a job, a hobby, or a project. Everything we do shapes us and becomes a part of us, whether we want it to or not. So, when I change jobs, get a new title, new tasks, new colleagues, and a new place in society, is this my new identity? And if I miss old occupations, am I missing who I used to be? For example, I used to do a lot of explora…

October! It’s starting to turn dark, cold, and depressing in Sweden. But at least we have good music to get us through the months. Recently, I’ve really started liking Red Axes, and it began when I discovered Hey and Flawless a few months ago. This month, I heard their song Hot Rod to Hell and Back (2026) featured on an Instagram post, and I just thought Wow as soon as I heard it. I love the album…

I feel Gothenburg is not unknown to me. Going outside doesn’t bring unexpectedness. That’s why I like travelling and living abroad. Every day feels like an adventure, at least in the beginning, until I get into a habit and routine. Walking the same streets, going to the same shops, seeing the same people. Novelty brings excitement; familiarity brings comfort, stability, and safety. What do I want?…

10 habits I built and broke in my 20s — from daily journaling and mindfulness to quitting alcohol and chasing end goals. Real lessons for your own 20s.…

In The Book of Disquiet, Fernando Pessoa says that we are all curated selves. He wrote this in 1913. He says that we (or he) are curated artifacts – false selves – intentionally formed into a version of a person in the bodies and souls we’ve been placed in by destiny. What Pessoa says has probably always been true. Even before social media, people likely curated themselves into versions of how …

The definition of art, compared to a functional tool, is form over function. A painting has no functional utility, but it has an aesthetic form that we can appreciate. This made me think about social media posts. Are not the combinations of photography, videos, and music – a form of modern art? We create these pieces with no apparent functional utility, but for the aesthetic value to our viewe…

Next month, I will have reached two full years of being entirely sober from all drugs, including alcohol. I have consumed caffeine daily, though, and occasionally use nicotine in social settings, but by and large, I consider myself entirely sober in my mind and body. This lifestyle change has been one of the hardest decisions I’ve made, and it has completely paid off, changing my entire inner worl…

When we discuss mental well-being and health, we often focus on negative aspects such as depression, anxiety, and social media addiction. However, I think this focus makes life too heavy. I think we should focus more on positive things, such as what we can do to flourish, grow, and feel the happiest. In this article, we’re looking at recent research on who the happiest people are, what we can d…

With AI tools such as ChatGPT and Claude, we can now use AI as a reflective partner in our self-reflection. AI can serve as a mirror – what I call Human-AI Reflection. In this article, I explain what Human-AI Reflection is and how it can be used for learning. Related: How can AI be used for journaling? What are LLMs? In this article, I will refer to ChatGPT and Claude as LLMs. Technically…