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The Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist

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The Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist The Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist
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The Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist

  • ABOUT
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Browsing Category

Euro Adventure

Visiting Löyly: An Iconic Helsinki Sauna

Sauna culture is a big deal in Finland. Almost everyone has a sauna in their home (John went to a work off-site last week and had a sauna in his hotel room). There are…

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  • Euro Adventure, Helsinki, Travel
  • May, 20, 2026
  • 24 Comments

Visiting The National Library of Finland + Helsinki University Library

I’m a sucker for libraries. Especially old, beautiful ones! Something about being surrounded by all those books just… makes me happy.

It doesn’t necessarily have the same effect on my two kids.

For the most…

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  • Travel, Euro Adventure, Helsinki, MayBloPoMo
  • May, 17, 2026
  • 27 Comments

Some Interesting Tidbits About Finland

People seem curious about Finland!

I think part of the mystique stems from the fact it’s not a particularly common European tourist destination (it is cold), and also because it features prominently as the Happiest…

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  • Travel, Euro Adventure, Helsinki, MayBloPoMo
  • May, 16, 2026
  • 26 Comments

Happy Things Friday: 15 May

We’re in our final stretch of time here in Helsinki—we leave Wednesday evening for Sweden which feels impossible.

Maybe time keeps flying because life feels so busy. I managed to get sick again (for anyone…

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  • Happy Things Friday, Euro Adventure, MayBloPoMo, Travel
  • May, 15, 2026
  • 30 Comments

Visiting Linnanmäki: Helsinki’s Amusement Park

I guess we’re becoming amusement park people? There are a few amusement parks in Finland, but the most famous is Helsinki’s Linnanmäki.

Going even feels a bit virtuous because it’s actually a non-profit organization that…

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  • Travel, Euro Adventure, Helsinki, MayBloPoMo
  • May, 14, 2026
  • 13 Comments

I’M ON A PODCAST + Europe on a Budget Dispatch #3 — What’s Saving Us Money

Apologies for the caps lock in your feed reader this morning, but I was a guest on the fantastic podcast The Finance Girlies and I finally get to tell you about it because IT…

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  • Travel, Euro Adventure, Frugality, Guest Post, MayBloPoMo, Podcast
  • May, 13, 2026
  • 34 Comments

A Special Guest Post by Belle: Experiencing Europe as a Teen (+ My Favourite Travel Destinations)

Happy Mother’s Day to everyone celebrating—or being celebrated—as a special woman. Here’s to mothers who birthed us and, equally, to the women who have stood in place of biological mothers to love and nurture…

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  • Guest Post, Euro Adventure, MayBloPoMo, Travel
  • May, 10, 2026
  • 20 Comments
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