★ Author Jiang Zhimin (pen name) has warmed and healed countless readers with her two works, “That’s How I Live” and “Just the Right Distance, Right Here.” This time, she presents a brand-new illustrated travel essay collection about Northern Europe.
★ A gift for those weary of life: Three friends embark on a lighthearted, romantic journey through Northern Europe—full of unexpected twists yet brimming with genuine relaxation and healing. It conveys a carefree philosophy: “You don’t need much; as long as the people who matter are by your side, that’s enough.”
★ This journey eschews trendy check-ins and must-see attractions, instead embracing a leisurely pace to rediscover the meaning of companionship and happiness in everyday life, striking a chord with today’s yearning for slow living and authentic connections.

Full of romance yet incredibly warm and relatable! A clumsy yet heartfelt travelogue by three friends, each with a distinct personality. When you feel like life lacks any particular kind of happiness and all you want is to escape right away, why not follow this story? After quitting her job, Kang Ji‑myung moved to Europe and has now lived in Germany for ten years. Sharing a home with her friend Jamie, she decides to embark on a Nordic journey with two companions to celebrate both the adoption of their dog, “Effort,” and her own fortieth birthday. For two women who love staying at home and a dog who adores nature, they set off in a camper that looks like a little house, heading straight into Norway’s wild landscapes. Their trip isn’t about rushing from one famous spot to another; it’s more about slowing down, moving at their own pace, and finding healing and rest. They might spontaneously change their plans to wander around Oslo with a stray puppy they meet, or sit in a valley, savoring the quiet monotony. On some days, they even snuggle under blankets in the camper early in the afternoon. Some might say, “You’ve gone all the way there—shouldn’t you be having more fun?” But it’s precisely this everyday‑like approach to travel that carries its own unique emotions and joy. What they seek isn’t what others think is good—it’s the happiness that belongs only to them. Perhaps calling it a “perfect trip” feels a bit understated, even a little awkward. On the day they can’t find a campsite and struggle for hours, their special treat is just canned corned beef. Sometimes one of them gets grumpy because she’s the only one lugging the luggage. And when they try to “wild‑camp” somewhere not meant for it, the caretaker chases them away. There are no fancy accommodations or high‑end meals—this is a journey full of mishaps. Yet the author doesn’t gloss over these small, everyday hiccups; instead, she recounts them with candid humor, as if to say: It’s precisely because it’s imperfect that there’s so much laughter. Readers don’t just enjoy the leisure and comfort—they also experience fun and laughter—because these three friends’ trip has a charm that’s both clumsy and heartwarming. Of course, the journey isn’t all sunshine and roses; unexpected conflicts do arise. Living together in a camper that’s barely bigger than six square feet, with three people of very different personalities, isn’t always smooth sailing. The sensitive F‑type Ji‑myung and the practical T‑type Jamie have completely different temperaments and travel styles. So they sometimes argue over things that aren’t really about being right or wrong. But through understanding their differences and learning to compromise, their bond grows stronger. From this, the author realizes: “Life doesn’t need much.” As long as you’re with the people you cherish, you can be happy anywhere. Though the camper is quite cramped and inconvenient in many ways, that tiny space becomes their shared haven simply because they’re together. And so she concludes: Maybe what we truly need in life are relationships just like this—small but precious, like that one‑square‑meter camper. The insights gained on the road extend to how she thinks about everyday life and home. Back in Germany, reflecting on her relationship with Jamie and Effort, she comes to see “home” and “family” as fragments drifting separately, each somewhere in the world, finally fitting perfectly into place. What these three friends discover through their travels isn’t just a fleeting moment of healing in Northern Europe, but a strength that makes their daily lives more solid. Travel is a piece of the everyday, and may this piece become the start of your next journey. This is Ji‑myung’s message to those who feel weary in an unchanging reality.

Jiang Zhimin is a South Korean illustrator and writer currently living in Germany. At the age of twenty-nine, she quit her five-year marketing job at a company that produces sticky notes and adhesive tape and set off for Europe. Along the way, with her keen eye and humorous touch, she transformed her experiences and reflections into words and illustrations, which she serialized on the Korean platform “Kakao Brunch,” resonating widely and gradually becoming a source of comfort and strength for many readers grappling with life’s uncertainties. Today, she continues to create in Germany, holding exhibitions and contributing regular columns, filling her days with the work she loves and finding steady happiness in a simple life. Her work is known for its warm, healing style, excelling at distilling subtle, heartwarming insights from the ordinary moments of everyday life.

Travel Map
Preface
Germany
Episode 1 – Home: Three Travelers Set Off for Northern Europe
Denmark
Episode 2 – Nyborg: The Starting Point of a Nordic Journey
Sweden
Episode 3 – Svenneåsund: Crossing Two Countries, Heading to Norway
Norway
Episode 4 – Oslo: Meeting the Elves of Oslo
Episode 5 – Jotunheimen National Park: The Nordic Birthday Princess
Episode 6 – Jotunheimen National Park: The Difficult Path of Wild Camping
Episode 7 – Jotunheimen National Park: A Serenity That Came by Chance
Episode 8 – Jostedalsbreen Glacier: Walking on the Glacier
Episode 9 – Flåm: This Is What a Real Nordic Sauna Looks Like
Episode 10 – Flåm: The Second Challenge of Wild Camping
Episode 11 – Bynhassjøen Lake: Where Elves Are Said to Dwell
Episode 12 – Preikestolen: A Motivational Climbing Comic
Episode 13 – Preikestolen: To Be Honest, I Was a Little Scared Here Too
Episode 14 – Farsund: The Last Stop of the Journey
Denmark
Episode 15 – Hirtshals: Back to Everyday Life
Germany
Episode 16 – Home: What Is Home?