Magical Weekend

Hello friends!

I hope you're week is going well.

On Monday, I returned from visiting my friends Luisa and Isa, which is always a joy, but this time was extra special! Inna Vjuzhanina came to join us, traveling all the way from Ukraine. After years of chatting online, I was beyond excited to finally meet her in person. Inna is a true force of nature—brave, resilient, and radiating unshakable inner strength. Despite everything she’s faced, she’s warm, bubbly, and endlessly kind. It was an absolute privilege to spend time with her.

I could gush for hours, but honestly, it was pure joy, and deeply inspiring, to be in one place with these three extraordinary women. Please check out their artwork: Luisa (@luisapreissler), Isa (@isabeau_backhaus_art), and Inna (@innavjuzhanina).

We all share a love of nature, so it felt only natural to venture out and see a monumental sight nearby: the Externsteine. I kept jokingly calling them “external stones,” because I couldn’t quite wrap my tongue around their real name. But here’s the actual story: the name “Externsteine” likely means “stones of the outliers” or “sharp rocks,” a fitting nod to their dramatic rise from the forest floor. These towering sandstone pillars in Germany’s Teutoburg Forest have been shrouded in myth and mystery for centuries. Long before Christianity, they may have served as a sacred pagan site for solar observances, fertility rites, or ancestor worship, with their natural formations and carved chambers hinting at ancient rituals. Later, medieval Christian carvings were added, blending the old faith with the new.

The rocks were even more imposing than I imagined. Whenever I see a big rock, or tree, I feel an irresistible urge to climb it. So up we went! From the top, we enjoyed the views before wandering through the surrounding woods, where we even stumbled upon some intriguing stone circles.

The whole forest was drenched in gorgeous dappled light.

Inna, Luisa, and Isa.

Luisa and Isa walking ahead, while I fell behind every few seconds to take photos.

A stone circle.

The Externsteine. Look at the tiny people at the top!