Published in About Me Stories·PinnedAbout Me — Reija SillanpaaA writer, teacher, cancer survivor and a keen cyclist. — Hi, my name is Reija, a Finn living in London. I was born and raised in a small town called Raahe on the north-west coast of Finland. …About Me4 min read
Published in Change Your Mind Change Your Life·May 5Tune in to Guidance from the UniverseMessages in Repeated Numbers — Have you ever repeatedly seen the same numbers? If you have, maybe it’s time you paid them more attention. The likelihood is that they are trying to tell you something. Let me start with a short personal story of how I learnt to interpret these numbers. It started with being at a crossroads It was just two…Spirituality3 min read
Published in Wordsmith Library·Nov 1, 2021The Prison GuardAnd Three Other Microfiction Stories — My great uncle used to have more keys than anyone I’ve ever known. Mum said it was because he used to be a prison guard. She said that’s why he always locked one door before opening another even at home and years after his retirement. It was for that reason…Short Story3 min read
Oct 29, 2021How I Lost My Bicycle Touring VirginityA Journey Across Europe on Two Wheels — Two years ago I had just finished my cancer treatments and had never even heard of bicycle touring. If someone had said to me that two years later I will have cycled across Europe, I would have laughed. But then came recovery, the urge to say thank you and raise…Cycling4 min read
Oct 25, 2021Five Ways Bicycle Touring Can Strengthen Your RelationshipJust Don’t Expect It to Improve Your Sex Life — My partner and I are fresh off our first bicycle tour. We cycled from north of Finland to the east coast of Spain to raise money for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. …Bicycletouring5 min read
Sep 22, 2021The OthersAnd Two Other Micro Fiction Stories — They said it was for my own good when they put me in here and locked the door. They took away the key just like they took my freedom and my possessions. But what they don’t realise, is that it’s not me but the others. …Fiction1 min read
Sep 22, 2021Thinking of Taking up Bicycle Touring?Five Key Lessons From Our First Bicycle Tour — We are currently on our first bicycle tour. So far our journey has taken us from Nuorgam, on the Finnish-Norwegian border to the north of Germany. Though we cannot claim to be experts on bicycle touring, there are some lessons we have learnt. …Bicycletouring4 min read
Published in The Junction·Jun 13, 2021Killer Heels and Two Other Microfiction StoriesA Microfiction Collection Killer Heels You stagger across the hallway. Killer heels on your feet and vodka on your breath. With no recollection of where you’ve been or where you’re going. You think you’re alone, but there are countless eyes on you. They watch your every move. You discover a lift. It’s…Microfiction3 min read
Published in Wordsmith Library·Jun 7, 2021UnextinguishedA poem — You were a child of the rave scene Wild and rebellious, you resisted the shackles of adulthood You didn’t want to conform to society’s rules But to live your life according to your own But society doesn’t work like that It wants to bring everyone to line And it kept…Poetry2 min read
Published in The Creative Cafe·Jun 6, 2021I Wear My Colours With PrideA Poetic Reflection On A Cancer Diagnosis — I ignored the warning signs Red like the blood which screamed danger But I didn’t want to know And told myself it couldn’t be Like a moth circling a flame, I circled the truth Until it became impossible To deny it any longer I dragged myself to the doctor And after…Poetry3 min read
