Hej, I’m Johanna.
Together as a family, my husband, our daughter, and I have been living in different countries and exploring our beautiful planet for nearly a decade now. In this journal, we’re taking you along—sharing stories from our journey so far as we set off toward new adventures.
I love water, in any form. Whenever there is a possibility, I’ll jump in. In a way I’ve always been drawn to living by the sea, or even better, on it.
Growing up in Germany, far away from the coast, I found myself looking up boats and dreaming of learning how to sail. During my training years as a photographer and my studies of design in southern Germany, that dream always felt a bit too far out of reach. But it was always there, lying dormant within me.
Some of my fondest childhood memories are going sailing together with my father in our old blue foldable kayak. After hours of putting it together, hoisting the orange canvas sails and flying along on the water felt like a big adventure. And even that one time we capsized in the middle of an Italian lake and had to swim ashore didn’t scare me away from sailing.
Years later, when my husband and I moved to Sweden, it didn’t take long until I had convinced him that we needed a boat and get out there to explore the countless islands of the Stockholm Archipelago and beyond. Not long after our daughter was born, we turned that dream into reality. I vividly remember this rush of excitement — and honestly a good bit of overwhelm — when we first stepped onto the boat that later would be ours. Are we really doing this?
It’s been a steep learning curve and we’ve made our fair share of rookie mistakes, but it is so worth it. The beauty out there is incredible. And the feeling of freedom and adventure that comes with sailing and traveling on our own terms, in our own speed mostly by the power of the wind is pure bliss to me.
Eventually we got to live another big dream. A family sabbatical sailing the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Finland in our floating home. A time just for the three of us, deeply connected to the rhythm of nature. I could have continued forever.
Being a photographer, of course I couldn’t resist taking pictures. Lots of pictures. And over the years of living abroad, traveling and exploring some stunning corners of the world together with my family the idea formed of creating something meaningful with them. I feel so much gratitude for the unforgettable experiences we’ve already had, the beauty we were able to see out there, the dreams we got to live.
We’re always drawn to nature in one way or another. Sailing, hiking, kayaking, strolling along a rugged shoreline or wandering through a peaceful forest. Being out there in the wild we feel most alive and at peace. Living in tune with nature, traveling at a slower speed, having the time to take it all in and to stay longer if we feel like it, makes us truly happy.
Ever since I became a mother that voice inside me got louder and louder. I want to contribute somehow to the biggest challenge of our time. I want to help protect our beautiful planet. By sharing our journey and the things we’re passionate about, the places we fell in love with, the ones that touched our souls, we hope to inspire others to fall in love with nature too. And this deep feeling of connectedness, to the earth and all it’s creatures.
Looking at our daughter, we can see and feel this connection. She has always been an adventurous child who loves nature and exploring. She truly feels at home outside, never afraid to climb trees or get her hands and feet dirty. From early on we took her hiking in the carrier, and as soon as she started walking, she hit the trails in her tiny yellow rubber boots. Together we roamed through Scandinavia in our old camper van, set sail to explore the islands of the Archipelago and eventually spend our family sabbatical sailing the Baltic Sea shortly before she started school. She has been spending so much time in nature, with her hands and feet in the earth, collecting sticks and feathers, playing with all the treasures she could find out there. Running around wild and free.
