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…

Time and quality — How do you show people that you love them and care for them? In Nordic countries, it often means you dish up a cup of coffee along with a treat. Sometimes homemade, not always. Always delicious. Back in the day, baking was important as a means to survive in this…

We don’t try — We don’t try. There you have it. I went to Barnes & Noble the other day. As I was walking down the aisle marked “self-improvement”, a thought popped into my mind. “They try so hard to be happy.” Self-improvement and happiness has become some marketing gig that often doesn’t look…

What’s life without a dash of fun — You could measure health in many different ways. For some, staying healthy may be having as little body fat as humanly possible. For others, it may be a calm mind. Holistic happiness. A strong body with lots of muscles. For an athlete, it may be avoiding injury. Medical News Today…

Thousands of miles away — First, what is a Nordic lifestyle? The Nordic region is made up of several countries, all of which have their own cultural habits, food habits, and so much more. That being said, some characteristics can be found throughout all the countries in this part of the world. These include a…

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. …