And how they can improve your quality of life — It looks adorable, doesn’t it? The charming old, quaint houses on a cobblestone side street. Almost like a colorful puzzle. This is an old photo I shot years ago when visiting a town in the northern part of Denmark. These homes are unique in American eyes, but for a Scandinavian…

Some more important than others — This is not one of those articles where I ponder on all the fundamental differences between Scandinavia and the United States. I’ll save those for another day. This is me, simply trying to make sense of 3-car garages and the size of Costco’s chips. …

Think House Hunters International backward — On the show, people are often shocked by the sizes of European homes, whether it is apartments, townhomes, or single-family homes. No king bed? Oh my. No walk-in-closet? Where will I put my clothes? My goodness, did you say no garage?! Well, then I’m out! I thought about this show…

Common, down-to-earth sense — As much as I love my Scandinavian coffee habits, (never too much and never too late) this story is not about a cup of something you drink, but about how we Scandinavians find happiness in the small things and why we stick to them. A daily walk Exercise in Scandinavia is a way…

When food is more than calories — My breakfasts are usually (ok, never) that fancy, but I love the composition of the photo, and I’m a fan of salmon. I’m also on a food roll lately; flavors truly bring some sense of happiness to me. From the first cup of coffee in the a.m. …

As always, it’s the details — If there was one thing — one thing — I never thought would happen, it would be that I would settle down in a classic American suburb. The plasticky feel it gave me whenever I visited or simply watched one of the many, many shows out there featuring this type…

Breakfast x2 — In many countries, dinner is the last meal of the day. Not in Scandinavia. I’d say one of the more traditional routine meals throughout the region is what is known as kveldsmat, translated to evening food. This meal is basically a second breakfast, except it’s a bit more relaxed, and…

Or something in between — What is an essential, really? Depends who you ask. Food is essential to live. Clothes are essential. Shelter. Coffee (for me). In a home, it’s things I view as important, mostly in the sense of feeling content and at home in my surroundings. Collins Dictionary talks about essentials being something…

Almost a year later — “You’re moving?” Just like that, my five-year-old’s world changed. His best friend and closest neighbor, let’s call him Rohan, has just told him they’re moving to a city very, very far away. “So far that he can never, ever come back!” my son cried. If you want, you can read…