Every man has his own soul’s landscape, a soulscape.
It is something familiar, something that generates good memories.
It may be a landscape, a place or surroundings feeling cozy.
It is a place where you feel simply good.
You feel safe.
Lake nature is a soulscape for many Finnish because there are lots of lakes in Finland
Childhood summers by the lake
My soulscape is Finnish lake nature. My childhood home is not by the lake but my home region is full of lake sceneries so I`ve used to see them every since I was a small baby. My family is big, we are eight. When I was a child, we didn`t have possibility to travel a lot. I remember my mom saying that ”You can travel abroad when you grow up and with your own family”. It was ok, because we had a boat. It was by the lake Puruvesi and with the boat we often went to beautiful Petri-island during the summertime.
Sometimes we went to Petri just to spend an evening there; have coffee and grill sausages. Sometimes we had a tent with us and spent the night there. The longest time was one week. I don`t remember a single time when I wouldn`t had had good time on that island. Because of farm works during the everyday life at home my parents had only little time to just be with us children. An extra good thing on the lake was that there we were more together as a family. Today, when I go to that island with my own family (every summer), I have those childhood memories with me – and it feels good.
For us children the beaches of Petri island were perfect for swimming
Picnics are the best!
We had a small boat but a big tent – Just enough for our family
Soulscape is important for the wellbeing
The fact that I´m now living on my soulscape, by the lake nature, has a big effect on me and my wellbeing. Living on my soulscape helps me to be myself because the lake nature reminds me daily about my roots -about who I am. It gives me the sense of rootedness which also I think is important for a human wellbeing. But althought I`ve chosen to have a home here it doesn`t mean that I need to be here every day. It`s enough that I know that the place exists. That I`ve a possibility to see and feel it, if I want to.
Maybe the most important thing is that you have your own soulscape, a place where you feel safe and relax. A place where you can go when you feel blue.
No matter what your own souldscape is, I wish that it has a similar effect on you as mine has on me!
Sunset is beautiful – no matter in which part of the globe you`ll see it
