Good Place with Hana
Spring’s finally here, the sun’s sticking around longer, and we’re back with another Good Place chat, this time with Hana Schwalbe. She’s a photographer, nature lover, and someone who knows how to treat herself (hint: it involves sweets and bright colors).
We talked about everything from solo walks with a camera to the calming magic of baking. She also shared how she went from being super shy to sharing her life online.
For Hana, the Good Place isn’t about where you are—it’s about how you feel. And often, it starts with stepping outside and seeing what catches your eye.
What inspired you to start running?
I think it is such a cool sport because you do not need to sign up anywhere. You can just step outside and be in nature right away. You also get to discover your surroundings in a different way. It is a very easy and practical sport, no matter where you live.
Why do you run?
Running helps me feel connected—to myself
and to the world around me. I love that I can just step outside and go, no need for anything fancy. It clears my head, lifts my mood, and gives me a sense of freedom. I always feel better after, like I’ve come back to myself a little more.
What are your favorite activities outside of running?
I love swimming, because you cannot really bring your phone or anything. You are just in the water, and I really like that feeling. I also love cooking and baking. It is kind of meditative for me. You focus on one thing, one recipe, and you can still be quite creative with it.
UNNA founder John-Ruben Holtback first met Hana when she interviewed him for her master’s thesis. There was something about her energy — calm, kind, and curious, but also with a quiet, wise quality — that really caught his attention.
What is one thing people might not know about you?
Maybe that I used to be extremely shy. And now I am someone who shares a lot of my life online, which is kind of funny when you think about it.
What’s your Good Place?
I think I am happiest when I am cycling with my friends on summer evenings. It just makes me feel so alive and grateful.
So UNNA is the Swedish word for treating yourself, what do you do to treat yourself?
I just really like seeing bright colors, so I think if I wanted to treat myself, I’d go outside. I think going out on my own is also really fun — just seeing what catches my eye and capturing it with the camera. But I also love sweets, so that’s another way I like to treat myself.
