Explore your hometown.

How well do you know your city or hometown? We all have our favorite hangout places. If anyone asks for directions we usually know the way, but how much do you really know about the place you live in? When visiting other countries we are spending time looking, tasting and discovering the beauty of that place. We are checking latest reviews and to-do lists, but when it comes to our home town we are generally very clueless about what it has to offer. Let's change all that! 

After December's hustle and bustle, January usually gives little excitement in our lives. Its the perfect moment to do things we usually don't have time for. Here are a few ideas to help you to discover all there is to know, see and do in your place of residence. 

1. Let’s start with an easy one. Visit three new potential hangout places. Look for unusual coffeehouses or new cafes where you can lounge for days on end. 

2. Time for some fresh air. Instead of taking the same route to the store or to visit your friends take the 'sightseeing' route. Better yet, partake in an official walking tour with a tourist organization. Many cities offer free walking tours. Who knows what you will learn while taking a walk through town.

3. Today is all about looking up and around. Have you noticed all the interesting architectural structures? Get your camera ready and let’s go find remarkable graffiti, historical buildings or beautiful landmarks.

4. Check out your local paper for interesting events or upcoming concerts by local bands. Have you heard or read a review of museums or galleries but haven't got the chance to visit yet? This is the moment to do it.

5. We all notice statues and monuments when we visit an unknown place. What about the statue you pass by a dozen times on your way to the shops? Do you know who that bronze figure is? Any clue why it's there? Google it or ask someone who might know. You may be surprised to learn something new.

6. Speaking of learning, why not read up on your towns’ history? Go to the library or Google to your heart’s content. Learn more about the origin of your town, the historical figures whom lived in your region and so on.

7. Every place has an iconic landmark, city skyline, monument or traditional dish. Every tourist wants a picture of this particular place or meal. Now it's your turn to take that over the top cheesy selfie. Go ahead. You know you want to.

8. It is time to find those hidden gems. Ask your neighbors, friends, relative or coworkers what their favorite secret places are. The places the other tourists haven't discovered yet. A secret park, a little bistro with traditional foods, art house or shop that you can add to your own list of little hidden gems.

9. If anyone asks you where to go in your city you probably have a list of places you would recommend. How many of these places have you actually visited yourself? The mandatory fieldtrips in high school do NOT count. So what are you waiting for? Go check them out!

10. What is your favorite outdoor place in the city? Get yourself a warm beverage to go and spend an hour or two simply enjoying the atmosphere. 

Have fun exploring your home base, send us your cheesy pictures or leave a comment below, we would love to hear about your adventures. 

With love, Ana

The joy in flying.

The happystepz duo is on the road this month and we will be sharing our adventures whenever we can. One of the things about traveling is that it can take up a lot of your time and sometimes you can lose site of the joy around you when you're stuck on a plane for endless amount of hours. I'm not talking about those short flights you take for a quick city trip or getaway. No, I'm talking about those 14 hours or more flights where everything starts to annoy you after a while. When you read the in-flight magazine and see that they're screening that new movie you're dying to see only to find out that it's not showing on your tiny screen. When everything around you smells like feet and the airplane food looks like something your cat threw up. It can be a challenge to find joy in those moments, however there is joy to be found.

To help you through these lonely hours of torture I compiled a few joyful tips how to survive those dreaded intercontinental flights:

- Make up silly nicknames for your surrounding passengers and flight crew. This at least will give you a couple of moments of laugher coming up with names like Sally Scarecrow, Chinless Chris or Smelly McFarts. And it's okay if you get less creative and end up calling some of them Mr. Bouncy chair 1 and Mr. Bouncy chair 2. You will be happier for spending time observing your neighbors than you would be just staring blankly into space.

- Reading is a great way to make the time pass by quickly, but here is a crucial detail about reading books in the air. Start reading them a day or so (depending on your reading speed) in advance. Once the airplane boredom and annoyance has set in, it's really difficult to get to know your new story. Concentration is easily lost up in the air unless you already got to know the story your book has to tell. Once you know your characters or storyline you'll be quickly motivated to continue reading their tale.

- Don't make the rookie mistake and dress to impress. We all know you will end up like a pretzel shape in your chair, trying to find the perfect position to sleep in. How are you going to do that if you're wearing uncomfortable fitting clothes? Obviously comfort is an important element to your outfit. This doesn't mean you have to look like a hobo. Choose something shabby chic, casual hipster or bohemian. You will be grateful and joyful for your clothing choice once you have found that perfect position where you have one leg bent in an awkward sideways position and the other somewhere near your nose while your arms brace your body like a warm blanket.

- Try meditating. If you're a nervous flyer or just plain agitated from having to sit in one spot for hours on end it's good to calm down your nerves. Close your eyes put your hands on your lap and concentrate on your breathing. Choose a mantra to repeat. Breathe deeply in and out while repeating words like calm, relax or peaceful. If you like you can listen to a relaxing playlist you compiled beforehand while meditating. If you don't have a playlist ready, the on board entertainment is surely to have some classical or lounge music that you can choose from. Meditate for a few minutes and repeat whenever you feel like punching Mr. Bouncy chair 1.

- Say cheese! Spending loads of time in the sky taking pictures is a perfect way to distract you from the time slowly ticking by.  From taking sneaky pictures of your travel companions sleeping to crazy selfies compilations, clicking away is a perfect joy/ memory maker.

- Write down whatever comes to mind; don't worry if you end up with only weird sentences or words. Your mind is full of thoughts that need to escape. Putting pen to paper or (finger to touch screen in most cases) will make sure you empty your head, resulting in a clear and peaceful mind once you arrive at your destination.

If nothing works remember: "The Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Or in this case a single flight.

With love, Ana