Helping organizations create new value and new forms of competitive advantage
designer
Helping organizations create new value and new forms of competitive advantage
designer
1994
"You will never ever know if you will never ever go"
A journey around the world to find own limits, the beauty of courage and richness of strange people in diverse cultures
Duration | 246 days
Length | 59 000 km
Countries | 14
In one crisp fall day in 1990 my friend asked me to join his journey around the globe. I was excited but not ready yet to take a chance. However that was a moment when a dream for the trip around the world was born. Four years later in 1994 I started the journey I've been dreming about. I hitchiked from Helsinki to Moscow with my brother and spent next eight months on the road.
The journey was making a big dream come true. It fascinated and frightened same time. The leading priciple was to travel by land and sea as much as possible. That would be the best way to meet local people, get a good grip about their cultures and also save money. We would travel as far as our purse would let us go. No bookings, no tight plans, just our intuition and stories we heard from other co-travellers and locals that would guide us.
1997
”Listen to you heart and you don’t have to regret, ever”
Workation trip that turn to be a daring adventure around the globe
Duration | 194 days
Length | 59 000 km
Countries | 10
I quit my job in a leading new media company in Finland in 1997. For what?! I wanted to try my own wings and Washington D.C. was calling me. A major mass media conference was held there and I had three months time to get there. Why not try to get there by land and sea like I did my last globe trip?! I didn’t know personally anyone who have done that from Europe to the US so way to go! The success of privious adventure round the world encouraged to try something new again!
I managed to get onboard to the yacht that was heading from Canary Islands, Spain to Saint Martinique at Caribbean Sea. The yacht accident at Cabo Verde forced me to change plans but I did my way to Washington D.C. Next move was unclear until I got a business meeting invitation to Hollywood. My parents were living in Japan and a month later in Los Angeles I knew where I was heading to. Over the Pacific Ocean!
2005
”Know yourself and make your values come true”
Journey of rebooting life and letting thoughts run together with a long ride through the United States
Duration | 25 days
Length | 6620 km
Countries | 2
The year 2004 was a disaster. I lost everything. My divorce took effect that year and I chose to leave everything behind and move from Finland to the US to look for a new opportunities. I was free like a bird. We had sold our renovated wooden house with my ex-wife, I was unemployed and basically back in the entrepreneur mode. The cancer was also gone. United States was easy choise since I had many friends there and the cultural habits were familiar to me.
Getting in touch with lot of people and different views was the most important task for the longest car ride in my life so far. It took me to the geographical center and two corners of the US I hadn’t been visited yet. On the way I had 6620 km length of time to analyze my choises in past, think & talk about my future and decide where in the world I would live for the next years to come.
2008
”Know yourself and make your values come true”
Pilgrimage to the physical, mental and spiritual realities along with co-pilgrims from all around the world
Duration | 7 days (2006), 30 days (2008)
Length | 350 km (2006), 790 km (2008)
Countries | 1
In 2006 I was ready to deal the death I had faced two years earlier in a cancer surgery. My good friend’s mother had walked a pilgrimige route called Camino de Santiago in Northern Spain a year earlier. The route fitted perfectly to my needs. Quality time alone in the middle of nature, monasteries to stay, churches to pray, good local wine and dozens of pilgrims from all around the world with their own stories.
The first pilgrimage into my mind started in 2006. I faced challenges with my left foot on the road and had to suspend the walk in half way to Santiago de Compostela in Sahagun. Little I knew at that discouraging moment what an unusual opportunity was waiting for me two years later.
My good friend Sami called me and told me that Finnish National Broadcastiung Company YLE was making a documentary about Camino de Santiago pilgrim route and was looking for six pilgrims to make a walk in Northern Spain. I applied and I was chosen to be part of the group. The 30 days long walk and filming took place in September 2008 and the eight series documentary was broadcasted in spring 2009 in YLE and rebroadcasted 11 times in next three years. The documentary was broadcasted also in SVT, Sweden in 2012.
2025
”Don't die before you're dying”
Pilgrimage to the physical, mental and spiritual realities along with co-pilgrims from all around the world
Duration | 180 days
Length | 75 000 km
Countries | About 40
Aging is a strange think. Life experiences make people often more cautious and look for comfortable options. I realize the same happening with me! However, life is short and there are tons of uncovered experiences waiting for me out there in the world.
There is a saying ”don’t die before you’re dying”. One way to keep that agile attitude is to have crazy dreams and lunatic plans for the future. To me the third journey round the globe is one of them and this time it would be great to do that with my wife. It needs some work and sacrifices to get on the road. The future is obviously uncertain but when keeping the eyes open and own mind alert, anything is possible, anything!