Most cities are designed around cars, commerce, and efficiency. The stress they create is just something you absorb without noticing.

But not Helsinki, the capital of the happiest country in the world (nine years running).

In this second episode of my Finland series (here’s part 1 if you missed it), I spent time walking the streets with locals to see how the way a city is built might have more to do with happiness than we’d expect.

I explored a neighborhood that used to be working class and a little rough around the edges with Timo Hämäläinen, a blogger and urban planner who works for the City of Helsinki. He shared with me the the city had of making the area more people-centric.

I explored another neighborhood with Pauliina Seppälä, a Helsinki community organizer who showed me what it feels like to have everything you need within walking distance. We also discuss the tradeoffs of Finnish society, such as whether he country’s famously strong social safety net might quietly be make people less engaged.

This is Episode 2 of a five-part series on why Finland has been ranked the happiest country in the world. Watch the full video below, and subscribe so you don't miss what's next

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In most places, access to art and culture has a price. The good stuff sits behind a paywall most people can’t afford.

Finland, though, felt different to me.

In this first video of my series on exploring why Finland continues to be ranked the happiest country in the world, I showcase something that kept coming up as I spent nearly a month living in Helsinki: free, accessible community spaces. I reflect on what they might actually be doing for people’s wellbeing.

I spent time with Jaakko Blomberg, a community organizer behind Helsinki Urban Art, who spearheaded the transformation of a Soviet-inspired neighborhood in East Helsinki into an open-air gallery featuring artists from all over the world.

I also wandered into a neighborhood flea market that nobody officially organized and talked to residents there about how an event like this comes together.

This is Episode 1 of a five-part series. Watch the full video below, and subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next:

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A coffee farm in rural Colombia.

This ad-free version of my video follows Sara's transition from overworked ICU nurse to Colombian homesteader. You’ll learn about the fears she had to overcome, the practical challen…

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