In honor of (the now belated), Earth Day celebrated on April 22nd, I wanted to make a montage of all of the places I’ve been blessed to have come across in my life so far. These are the top four locations that have shown me time and time again the expansiveness of our planet, whether it be the culture, terrain, or overall atmosphere, that are unique to the place and have helped shaped me into the person I am today.

Atlanta, GA

From the place that has seen me since the moment I was born to this moment in time to where I’m going to Georgia Tech, Atlanta is and always will be home to me. It’s my comfort zone, what I am used to, where the majority of my family lives, where I spend every Christmas and birthday, and constantly teaches me new things about human nature. Although it isn’t the prettiest place in the world and is home to some wack drivers, Atlanta is a melting pot of culture and has its arms open to accept anyone from any walks of life. One of the coolest parts about growing up in Atlanta has been witnessing all of the changes the city has gone through and the different communities that have been created as a result.

Views from Grady Stadium during a football game my senior year of high school.

My grandparents’ orchid collection – they have the coolest knick-knacks.

Sunrise at my apartment on a Monday.

The living room setup during Christmas time.

Sweden

Where the air smells a little sweeter, life goes on a little slower, and the sun never sets during June, Sweden is my heritage and the place that always comes to mind first when I think of how good life can get. Sweden is a little piece of Heaven to me and takes my breath away at times from the untouched nature that can be found throughout the country. My mom immigrated from Sweden to Atlanta when she was only 18 (isn’t she such a badass?!), which has given us the opportunity to be able to grow up visiting such a beautiful country to see my even more beautiful family members that still live there.

Lusthusportens Park in the heart of Stockholm.

This may have been us as kids, but clearly, nothing has changed.

I remember randomly waking up at 4AM and walking downstairs to the kitchen of our cottage to find the sun was starting to rise.

Everything in this place is magical, even down to the cloud formations.

The Bahamas

I grew up also frequently going to the Bahamas on vacation with my family. My cousin said this first, but the Bahamas will always be a spiritual place for me. Maybe it’s because the island we go to doesn’t isn’t as well known as the others so it’s an untouched sanctuary (yes, I’m gatekeeping this) or maybe it’s the expansiveness it instilled in me as a child. Regardless, the Bahamas is also a little slice of Heaven in my eyes and is one of the only bodies of water I’m not afraid to swim in.

Just stumbled upon this photo of my little brother James and cousin Julian as I was putting this post together. What I love the most about this beautiful place is how it brings our family together and allows us to create memories we’ll cherish together, including going to the dock at night and listening to them play the guitar together.

Paradise.

My Poppi always says that my late Aunt D is responsible for the incredible sunsets like this one we sometimes have, and I couldn’t agree more – the Bahamas proves to me time and time again that there’s a greater force out there.

My little sister Emma and I take a swim under a rainbow in the Atlantic Ocean – pure bliss.

The Pacific Coast Highway

The summer going into high school my family took a trip down the PCH, starting in Seattle and spanning all the way down to Los Angeles. We saw places for the first time together, like the Redwood Forest, and were astonished at the varying expressions of nature that can be found throughout the drive. It brought us all out of our comfort zones and enabled us to share new experiences that have made this a trip I will never forget, as long ago as it was!

My favorite destination of the whole trip, Big Sur.

Me vs. the Redwood Forest.

Hittin’ the hills of LA.

Couldn’t write about California without referencing skateboard culture.

Here’s to our beautiful planet, and all of the beautiful experiences we are able to have in it.

💘 Hanna