In his new apartment, blogger Aaro Huttunen, 25, enjoys the peaceful colours, sense of clarity and the light provided by the large windows.

“I’ve moved more than 20 times over the past seven years, and sometimes in my former apartments I’ve had, for example, bright blue or green cabinet doors,” Aaro says with a laugh.

Aaro Huttunen has changed his place of residence frequently due to studies, on-the-job training periods and interesting job opportunities. One contributing factor has also been his desire for adventure: Aaro graduated as a physiotherapist at the end of 2018 and spent the following three months travelling in Asia. When he wanted to get back into normal everyday life, he drew up a list of 13 things he wished to have in his home or near it. He used specific criteria to compare Turku, Tampere and Helsinki, because he thought these cities would offer him the best job opportunities.

“I come from the small town of Mäntyharju. To me, Helsinki seems a too big and busy place to live in. I also want there to be some good biking and jogging trails, waterways and forest near me,” Aaro describes.

Huttunen’s sleeping alcove is separated from the rest of the apartment by a grey fabric, against which he also often shoots his videos.

In Härmälä, Tampere, everything seemed to fall into place. Nature and the airport are nearby, there are several gyms only a stone’s throw away and public transport works well. Aaro found his Lumo home online, where he also filled in the tenancy agreement right away.

“Everything went smoothly. There was a clear presentation and floorplan of the apartment in the Lumo webstore. I filled in the tenancy agreement, and no separate security deposit was needed. I got to see my home the very same week, and couple of weeks later I was carrying in my removal boxes,” Aaro says.

Aaro says that his Lumo apartment is already feeling like a real home. All his things have found their places, there are curtains on the windows, and, for the first few weeks, Aaro has been sleeping on a mattress on the floor, waiting for his new bed to arrive. His sleeping alcove is now separated from the rest of the apartment by a soothingly grey fabric – the same against which he often shoots his videos. The object that takes the largest space in the apartment is a desk with all its electronics. They are a big part of Aaro's work, as he publishes new content on his website and YouTube on a weekly basis. He has thousands of followers.

“I enjoy working at home. It doesn’t bother me that there’s a lot of construction work going on around the house, and in the daytime I can almost always hear sounds from the construction site.”

The top of the kitchen sink unit is empty, and there are a few olive oil bottles on the shelf. A blender is kept at hand, as Aaro uses it every day to make himself a smoothie for dessert after lunch.

In his job, Aaro Huttunen coaches other people to feel good as well. Being a trained physiotherapist, personal trainer and sports masseur, Aaro speaks for holistic wellbeing. He was 15 when he personally discovered the joy of physical exercise.

“In my teens, I played different role-playing games for hours and hours. Then I asked my mother to buy me a gym membership card, because I thought I’d like to have a similar body as the heroes in the games I played.”

Aaro says that, for his mother, buying a gym membership card was probably a relief, because her son was so addicted to games. On the other hand, going to the gym also scared Aaro. Being a puny guy, he wondered how he would manage among the bigger and stronger guys working out there.

“I want to encourage my clients to think that change is possible and remind them that they shouldn’t compare themselves to others. Anyway, any major lifestyle changes should be made taking it easy, one small step at a time, so that wellbeing can become a permanent way of living.”

Aaro lives in his small single apartment on his own. He has a few pieces of fitness equipment under his desk, such as a gym mat and an exercise ball, but usually he works out at a gym near his home. At home, the most important things to him are his own peace, a good location, enough space for cooking and a good bed.

“I have tried to get rid of any unnecessary goods when I have moved house. Even now, I could fit my belongings in less than ten cardboard boxes, most of which would be taken up by my collection of about 100 books.”

For Aaro, reading is, on one hand, a way to relax and, on the other hand, to keep his professional skills up to date. Therefore, in his display cabinet, Aaro has lots of books related to health and entrepreneurship, but there are also a few biographies.

Adorning the top shelf, there is a silver lion that symbolises independence and courage. Aaro brought it from Greece, from his first trip abroad. On the bottom shelf, there are two pairs of shoes: the white ones are Aaron's first gym shoes that depict his own lifestyle change. The black ones, Nike trainers brought from Spain, have been worn by Aaro in more than 10 countries, and he also wore them when participating in a 120-kilometre cycling race in Germany.

“I don’t collect things, but I want to keep on display objects that are important to me and give me strength. They bring me joy and remind me of some of the highlights of my life.”