The Year of Small Things

A journey through the seasons, guided by curiosity, creativity and wonder. A collection of small moments worth remembering.

My Story

The Year of Small Things began beside a mountain lake at Seefeld.

I remember sitting beside the Eissee with my husband and talking about life—what we expected from it, how we wanted to live it, and what really mattered.

And suddenly, I found myself saying:

"I want to celebrate my life."

Not someday.

Not when everything is perfect.

Not when there is more time, more money, or fewer worries.

Now.

When I came home, I made a list of 120 things. Ten small things I wanted to do each month. Nothing extraordinary. Forage wild strawberries. Watch shooting stars. Embroider photography. Build driftwood houses. Make a print from a tree ring.

When I read the list, I felt happy. I could already imagine myself doing those things, and somehow that told me they mattered.

One by one, I began bringing them into my life.

Yes, life is not only the things we would frame and hang on a wall. It is also uncertainty, tiredness, disappointment, and change. The Year of Small Things was never about creating a perfect life. It was about learning to notice and embrace the life that was already here.

The ideas below are some of the small things that have brought me joy, connection, wonder, or simply a reminder that I am alive.

Perhaps some of them will speak to you, too.

Let's make this a year to remember

Collect Linden Blossoms for Tea

As children, we often cannot wait to leave certain things behind. And then, years later, we find ourselves searching for them again. Near the house where I grew up stood a huge linden tree. On hot summer afternoons, when the heat made everything slow and heavy, I would lie beneath its branches listening to the loud buzzing of bees above me. Every summer, we gathered different herbs and flowers for tea. But somehow, the scent of linden blossoms stayed with me more strongly tha

Stay in the Rain

Clouds gather overhead, turning the sky blueberry blue. The heavy heat of the summer day suddenly breaks with a low rumble of thunder. Then the rain comes. Drops like cherries crash against the ground and onto my skin. This summer, I choose not to run. I do not search for shelter. I stay, eyes closed, face lifted toward the sky, while the rain falls like full stops.

Forage Wild Strawberries

As I wander through the forest, I search for wild strawberries hidden among the grass. They are like treasures waiting to be discovered. Even before I spot them, their fragrance fills the air. This is how June and love smells. I thread the ripe berries onto a long blade of grass and carry them home, as if they were the most precious gift. And so, year after year, like the gentoo penguin who offers the smoothest pebble to its beloved, I bring wild strawberries to my husband. A

Go Paddleboarding

August is summer’s Sunday — bittersweet and golden. To make the most of the last warm days, I decided to paddle down the Isar alone on my SUP board. The thought alone made my knees shake. I learned to swim late in life and still avoid putting my head underwater whenever I can. Standing on the board, I felt both fear and awe. Beneath me, the dark water. Around me, only the sound of the river. I had planned to go farther, but dark clouds gathered above me and the first drops of

Walk Barefoot

Lately, happiness has become something to analyse and chase. We approach it with furrowed brows, as if joy were an academic degree to be earned. But walking barefoot among roots and damp earth, I feel how little I need. Damp leaves cling to the soles of my feet. Mud presses between my toes. Wind against my skin. For a moment, the noise inside me quiets. I return to myself. To my roots.

Summer Notes

A small companion for the summer months.

Filled with things to notice, moments to savour, and simple ways to celebrate the season, Summer Notes is an invitation to create a summer worth remembering.

Free Download

Join the Journey

From The Year of Small Things — a weekly postcard celebrating nature, creativity, and everyday beauty.