There’s a place where stillness always waits — where thoughts can breathe and the body remembers its origin.
That place is nature.
I’ve often reflected on my relationship with it — how, over the years, I found something deeper, something greater.
How I found myself there, and a kind of quiet magic that had been waiting for me all along — waiting for me to notice.
This is the story of how I found my way back home — to nature.
That place is nature.
I’ve often reflected on my relationship with it — how, over the years, I found something deeper, something greater.
How I found myself there, and a kind of quiet magic that had been waiting for me all along — waiting for me to notice.
This is the story of how I found my way back home — to nature.
Growing Up and Finding Connection
I grew up in Gävle. As a child, I wasn’t afraid of the outdoors, but there was a kind of distance.
It’s easy to become cautious around the wild when you grow up in a world mostly separated from it — where insects seem like movie monsters and the forest feels unfamiliar rather than safe.
But my mother made sure that nature was still part of our everyday life.
She took me and my sisters out whenever she could — to the woods to pick berries, to the frozen lake for skating, out in the snow to ski.
She had no car or driver’s license, but that never stopped her.
We could be tired, cold, even a bit grumpy — but looking back, I remember it with such warmth.
That’s where the seed was planted for the connection I feel to the natural world today.
It’s easy to become cautious around the wild when you grow up in a world mostly separated from it — where insects seem like movie monsters and the forest feels unfamiliar rather than safe.
But my mother made sure that nature was still part of our everyday life.
She took me and my sisters out whenever she could — to the woods to pick berries, to the frozen lake for skating, out in the snow to ski.
She had no car or driver’s license, but that never stopped her.
We could be tired, cold, even a bit grumpy — but looking back, I remember it with such warmth.
That’s where the seed was planted for the connection I feel to the natural world today.
Hiking — from Social to Soulful
As an adult, I started hiking in the mountains with friends.
At first, it was mostly about the social aspect — the adventure, the togetherness, the experience.
But quite soon I realized there was something more there.
Something still and vast at the same time.
Standing in the mountains, surrounded by silence and shifting weather, changed something in me.
Those long days on foot — when the body follows the rhythm of the earth and the mind becomes quiet — felt like meditation in motion.
At first, it was mostly about the social aspect — the adventure, the togetherness, the experience.
But quite soon I realized there was something more there.
Something still and vast at the same time.
Standing in the mountains, surrounded by silence and shifting weather, changed something in me.
Those long days on foot — when the body follows the rhythm of the earth and the mind becomes quiet — felt like meditation in motion.
Working close to the earth
After years of studies and long hours behind screens, I began working as a gardener alongside my creative work.
Suddenly, I was outside every day — in the grass, the soil, the wind, the early morning light.
I noticed how something inside me shifted. My body woke up. My senses sharpened. My thoughts cleared.
I fell in love with that feeling.
Since then, it’s become a given:
as long as I’m well, I go outside — every day.
That’s where I recharge, find balance, and reconnect with meaning.
Suddenly, I was outside every day — in the grass, the soil, the wind, the early morning light.
I noticed how something inside me shifted. My body woke up. My senses sharpened. My thoughts cleared.
I fell in love with that feeling.
Since then, it’s become a given:
as long as I’m well, I go outside — every day.
That’s where I recharge, find balance, and reconnect with meaning.
Observing and Preserving Life
Photography has always been part of my life, but as nature has drawn me closer, my camera has followed along that path.
Over time, my focus has turned more and more toward the wild — birds, animals, forests, and the dance between light and shadow.
Photographing wildlife is something truly special.
You become part of the place — quiet, attentive, patient.
You learn their rhythms, wait with care, breathe with the wind.
A bit like a hunter — but with a different intention.
We, too, seek the encounter, but not to take life — rather to preserve it.
With the camera as our tool, we observe, honor, and let the moment live on.
Over time, my focus has turned more and more toward the wild — birds, animals, forests, and the dance between light and shadow.
Photographing wildlife is something truly special.
You become part of the place — quiet, attentive, patient.
You learn their rhythms, wait with care, breathe with the wind.
A bit like a hunter — but with a different intention.
We, too, seek the encounter, but not to take life — rather to preserve it.
With the camera as our tool, we observe, honor, and let the moment live on.
Nature as Therapy
A few years ago, I sat with some friends talking about therapy — about different therapists they’d seen.
I told them I’d never been to therapy, and they looked surprised.
I truly believe therapy can be incredibly valuable — but when I thought about it, I realized why I’ve never really felt the need.
When life feels heavy, when thoughts spiral — I go outside.
I walk, breathe, and let nature take care of what needs to be released.
That’s where I find perspective, calm, and presence.
For me, it’s one of the most natural forms of healing there is.
I told them I’d never been to therapy, and they looked surprised.
I truly believe therapy can be incredibly valuable — but when I thought about it, I realized why I’ve never really felt the need.
When life feels heavy, when thoughts spiral — I go outside.
I walk, breathe, and let nature take care of what needs to be released.
That’s where I find perspective, calm, and presence.
For me, it’s one of the most natural forms of healing there is.
Science Confirms What We Already Know
There’s an increasing amount of research confirming what so many of us intuitively feel:
nature heals.
Environmental neuroscientist Marc Berman has shown how modern environments affect our brain’s attention systems — and how something as simple as a walk in nature can be more effective than medication for focus, recovery, and mental clarity.
His book “Nature and the Mind: The Science of How Nature Improves Cognitive, Physical, and Social Well-Being”explores how deeply nature impacts us — even at a cellular level.
And that’s such a beautiful truth — that the answer is often right outside our door.
nature heals.
Environmental neuroscientist Marc Berman has shown how modern environments affect our brain’s attention systems — and how something as simple as a walk in nature can be more effective than medication for focus, recovery, and mental clarity.
His book “Nature and the Mind: The Science of How Nature Improves Cognitive, Physical, and Social Well-Being”explores how deeply nature impacts us — even at a cellular level.
And that’s such a beautiful truth — that the answer is often right outside our door.
To You, Reading This
Go outside.
Take a break from the screen.
Let your feet touch the ground, your hand rest against a tree.
Listen, breathe, notice.
Nature is always waiting for you — just like it once waited for me.
🌿
Follow my journey and more of my encounters with nature on Instagram @sofiatheodoridoy.
Take a break from the screen.
Let your feet touch the ground, your hand rest against a tree.
Listen, breathe, notice.
Nature is always waiting for you — just like it once waited for me.
🌿
Follow my journey and more of my encounters with nature on Instagram @sofiatheodoridoy.