Category: Nature
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Reflections
This is my last post of 2025—and what a year it has been. So much happened: travel to faraway and beautiful places, returns home and reunions with old friends, great times with new ones, and busy work schedules made easier by fun and relaxing weekends. There were ups and downs, as there always are, but…
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Christmas Trees
This year I’m spending Christmas in Manhattan, which means scaling things down — but of course not the level of cosiness. After choosing a cute, real fir tree, decorations followed: lights and a variety of ornaments. But have you ever wondered where this tradition actually comes from? It goes back much further than modern Christmas…
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Garden Duty
Today was a little different from the usual workday—no meetings, no screens, just sunshine, soil, and a whole lot of teamwork. My company organized a volunteering day at a local community garden, and we dug, pulled weeds, hauled wood, and built things (not always gracefully, but we got there). It was hands-on in the truest…
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Spring in the city
You don’t find a lot of green and flowers in New York—but when you do, they’re so thoughtfully placed, a lovely contrast to the towering buildings. A perfect row of tulips along a glass facade. A surprise cluster of daffodils near a subway entrance. Blossoming magnolias—one of my absolute favorites, and a familiar sight from…
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Nature Recharge
I’m back in San Francisco for the weekend, soaking up as much nature as possible, and today was my first time hiking Mount Tam. Hard to believe, considering it’s basically the Bay Area’s backyard playground. Mount Tamalpais (or just “Mount Tam” to locals) is the highest peak in Marin County at 2,571 feet. It’s known…
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Cobá
Deep in the Yucatán jungle, the ruins of Cobá offer a glimpse into the grandeur of the ancient Maya civilization. Once a major trade hub with 50,000 inhabitants at its peak, Cobá’s vast network of sacbeob (white stone roads) connected it to distant cities. Unlike the polished ruins of Tulum, Cobá still feels wild—roots creeping…
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Throwback
On a gloomy day like today, with rain pouring and clouds hanging low, it’s hard not to think back to earlier this year, when I lived in sunny California. Palm trees lined the streets, and stepping outside didn’t feel like such a battle with the weather. I know, California’s dealing with its own share of…
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Old tree
A bright red and pink sculpture by Pamela Rosenkranz juts out between all the high rises at Hudson Yards. This tree of life connects heaven and earth and its color represents the human blood, its branches the system of human organs. I know it’s quite a bit to take in, but the artist wants to…
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Wedding celebrations
I attended my friend’s wedding celebration yesterday and it was truly wonderful. Everything took place outdoors surrounded by beautiful native plants and trees, the weather was ideal (not too hot, a slight breeze), and the birds sung beautifully accompanied by the soothing background sound of burbling water from the residential pond…
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Time is ticking
The Union Square Metronom is a public art installation by Kristin Jones and Andrew Ginzel. It has multiple fascinating elements (a brick wall, gold leaf fragments, an enlarged bronze hand, a massive piece of bedrock to name a few) symbolising different things. If you’re intrigued, you can learn more here. The Metronome’s digital clock has…
Josephine in New York City 