A good tour guide does much more than show people around. They hold the group together, keep things running smoothly, and turn travel into an experience that feels both safe and memorable. Being a guide means being part leader, part storyteller, part calm problem-solver — and always the face of trust. Being Prepared Builds Trust…
Living at the Intersection: The Other in Swedish Society There’s a particular kind of exhaustion that comes from constantly being positioned as “the Other” in a country that prides itself on equality. It’s the tiredness of existing at multiple intersections where you’re perpetually not quite Swedish enough, not quite straight enough, not quite “integrated” enough….
Yesterday, I realized I’ve become a bit of a hermit—that I don’t seek company and that I’m completely fine being by myself. I don’t feel the need to go out or talk to friends, not even close ones. I simply no longer reach for people. There’s a small sadness in that; this independence can feel…
Introduction Athens, Greece — a name that conjures images of marble temples, blue skies, and ancient legends. Yet for many modern travelers, the reality can be jarringly different from the postcard-perfect myth. While Athens undeniably holds historical and cultural significance, it’s not a city that everyone will fall in love with. Beneath the grandeur of…
We don’t have to go far to go deep. Rebecca Solnit reminds us that walking is the smallest pilgrimage with the largest return: a way the day becomes porous again and the self remembers how to listen. “Walking, ideally, is a state in which the mind, the body, and the world are aligned, as though…
The core idea Many decisions can be tried, measured, and—if needed—undone. We often forget this because three well-documented biases push us to “stick it out”: Status quo bias: we prefer the current path even when switching would help (Samuelson & Zeckhauser, 1988). Sunk cost fallacy: past investment makes us continue unwise projects (Arkes & Blumer,…
Travel is a habit of reflection: to step outside daily life and duty, to be forced to find and discover new parts of myself. Poor sleep, noises, vibrations, and new rhythms unsettle the balance I build in my habitual life. I go anyway—aiming for recovery, exploration, adventure. Inspiration arrives as questions about myself in the…
Ambivalence in Leadership – Conscience, Ethics & Better Decisions Ambivalence is often misread as weakness. In reality, ambivalence is proof that we have a conscience. It is rooted in the feeling that what we want to do may be worthy—or unjust. That tension signals capacity for complex, critical thought. It makes us more reflective and…
Four short notes on love, dating and connection, written in autumn 2024. Each note stands on its own. Note 1: Love, Criteria & Vibration — a morning note I’m looking for love—to love and to be loved. Like many people, I carry an unconscious checklist: values, behaviors, even voice or presence—a collage of culture and…
