There are moments in life when you discover a word that feels less like vocabulary and more like recognition.
The first time I came across the Danish word hygge (pronounced hoo-gah), I wasn’t simply learning about another culture. I felt as though someone had finally given a name to something my heart had been searching for all along.
Not candles.
Not chunky knit blankets.
Not cozy mugs of coffee by the fire.
Those things are lovely, but they aren’t really hygge.
At its heart, hygge is about creating a life filled with warmth, presence, gratitude, and meaningful connection. It’s the feeling of belonging around a dinner table. It’s lingering over conversation instead of rushing to the next appointment. It’s finding joy in ordinary moments that are so easily overlooked.
When I learned that, I quietly thought:
“I’ve been looking for this my whole life.”
Success Wasn’t the Whole Story
For many years, my life revolved around leadership.
I served organizations I deeply believed in. My days were filled with strategic planning, fundraising, meetings, deadlines, and solving problems that mattered. The work was meaningful, and I remain grateful for those opportunities.
But somewhere along the way, I noticed something.
The pace of my life had become disconnected from the kind of person I wanted to become.
Every calendar was full.
Every week had another deadline.
Every season seemed to promise that life would slow down “after this project.”
It rarely did.
The more successful life appeared on the outside, the more I found myself quietly longing for something different on the inside.
I wanted to create beautiful things again.
I wanted time for family stories, handwritten journals, fresh flowers on the table, homemade meals, and conversations that weren’t interrupted by notifications.
I didn’t want less purpose.
I wanted purpose lived differently.
Finding Words for What My Heart Already Knew
As I began reading about cultures that celebrate slower living, I realized hygge wasn’t the only idea that resonated with me.
The Swedish embrace lagom—the idea of “just enough.” Not too much. Not too little. A life lived with balance instead of excess.
The Norwegian concept of lykke reminds us that happiness is often found in gratitude, relationships, nature, and simple pleasures rather than constant achievement.
The Korean idea of jeong describes the deep affection and lasting bonds that grow through shared experiences, faithful care, and simply doing life together over many years.
Different countries.
Different languages.
Yet each one pointed toward something surprisingly familiar.
They all reminded me that the richest life is rarely the busiest one.
Faith Was Already Leading Me There
As much as I appreciated these beautiful cultural ideas, I gradually realized they weren’t introducing me to something entirely new.
They were reminding me of truths my faith had been teaching all along.
Jesus often stepped away from the crowds.
He shared meals.
He noticed individuals everyone else overlooked.
He welcomed children.
He valued relationships over appearances.
Scripture continually calls us toward gratitude, hospitality, generosity, contentment, rest, and loving our neighbors well.
Perhaps what drew me to hygge wasn’t that it replaced my faith.
It simply illuminated some of the same values from a different angle.
The life I longed for wasn’t ultimately Scandinavian.
It was deeply rooted in God’s invitation to live with intention, gratitude, and love.
Choosing a Different Measure of Success
The older I become, the more I find myself redefining success.
Success isn’t simply another title.
It isn’t checking every task off the list.
It isn’t constantly being busy.
Success is hearing laughter echo through the house.
It’s welcoming friends around the table.
It’s preserving family stories before they’re forgotten.
It’s creating work that serves people instead of consuming me.
It’s sitting on the porch with a cup of coffee and noticing God’s faithfulness in ordinary moments.
It’s building a life that actually feels like home.
Those are the moments I want to remember.
Those are the moments I hope my children and grandchildren remember too.
Why Chicks on the Road Exists
People sometimes assume Chicks on the Road is about travel.
In some ways, it is.
But not primarily.
It’s about the journey of becoming.
It’s about choosing intention over hurry.
Beauty over clutter.
Connection over distraction.
Presence over perfection.
This little corner of the internet is where all those threads come together.
You’ll find stories from my family.
Faith reflections.
Ideas for creating a welcoming home.
Thoughts on hospitality.
Travel that encourages wonder instead of rushing from attraction to attraction.
Creative projects that invite us to slow down long enough to make something meaningful.
Most of all, I hope you’ll find encouragement to build a life that reflects what matters most to you.
You Don’t Have to Move to Denmark
One of the greatest lessons hygge has taught me is that a meaningful life doesn’t require a dramatic change of scenery.
You don’t have to move to a cottage.
You don’t need expensive furniture.
You don’t need the perfect kitchen.
You don’t even need more free time.
Sometimes all it takes is lighting a candle before dinner.
Calling a friend.
Putting your phone away.
Writing down a family story.
Praying before the day begins.
Opening your home, even if it isn’t perfect.
Choosing gratitude instead of hurry.
The life we’ve been longing for often begins with small choices made consistently.
From the Porch
Looking back, I don’t think hygge gave me a new dream.
It simply gave me language for one that had been quietly growing in my heart for years.
A life centered on faith.
A welcoming home.
Stories worth preserving.
Meaningful work.
Deep relationships.
Simple beauty.
And the understanding that we are living tomorrow’s memories today.
If that’s the kind of life you’ve been longing for too, I hope you’ll pull up a chair here on the porch.
There’s always room for one more.
About the Author
Sherri holds an AA in Anthropology, a BA in History and Religious Studies from Albright College, and an MA in Ministry Leadership from Capital Seminary & Graduate School. She is the founder of Chicks on the Road Publishing, where she creates faith-filled resources designed to encourage women in their walk with Christ, their homes, and their family legacy.
Through storytelling, Bible studies, journals, devotionals, and memory-keeping projects, Sherri hopes to inspire others to live intentionally, preserve what matters most, and pass their faith to the next generation.
Creating from anywhere. Encouraging everywhere.