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Woman finds antique photo that looks just like her wife. Then more eerie similarities emerge.

Her viral video is making people believe in past lives.

reincarnation, past lives, antique photos, uncanny resemblance, history, cool history, loves stories, photography
Images from Avery Klein

Sarah Somes, 1865 (left) Casey, 2025 (right)

Plenty of people browse eBay for rare and unique antique items. But antique faces? That pretty much is entirely Avery Klein’s territory.

For three years, the Tulsa-based artist, known on TikTok as “The Dead Detective,” has been identifying people in 19th-century photographs, a passion project that recently earned her a 2025 grant from the Artist Creative Fund. She spends her days collecting forgotten faces, researching their histories, and helping their portraits find their way into genealogical archives.

Still, despite years of practice, nothing prepared Avery for the night she discovered a girl named Sarah Somes…who bore a striking resemblance to her wife.

“I came across the photograph labeled ‘Sarah Somes’ as an ID’d carte de visite, and immediately felt she looked surprisingly similar to my wife, Casey, especially in the eyes,” Avery wrote to Upworthy in an email. “There was an instant sense of familiarity.”

reincarnation, past lives, antique photos, uncanny resemblance, history, cool history, loves stories, photography A phot of Sarah Somes, circa 1865Images from Avery Klein

Even Casey herself, sitting beside Klein on the couch, giggled when Avery showed her the listing. It was undeniably uncanny.

reincarnation, past lives, antique photos, uncanny resemblance, history, cool history, loves stories, photography Casey, Avery's wife.Images from Avery Klein

But since doppelgängers are so common in Avery’s work, she clicked away from the listing without thinking much of it.

However, the feeling lingered.

“A minute later, I bought the photograph and told my wife I had to get it,” she said. “I still was not thinking too deeply about why the face felt so familiar.”

The mystery deepens

The photo arrived in September. In November, Avery finally sat down to determine exactly which young woman named Sarah Somes she was looking at.

Her first clue was the studio stamp on the back of the portrait. It read “A. Somes,” of 149 Union Street, Schenectady, New York.

reincarnation, past lives, antique photos, uncanny resemblance, history, cool history, loves stories, photography The back of Sarah Somes' photo. Images from Avery Klein

“Her surname matched the photographer’s studio stamp, which made me suspect a family connection,” Avery explained. Further research confirmed that the photographer was Sarah’s father, Alson Somes.

reincarnation, past lives, antique photos, uncanny resemblance, history, cool history, loves stories, photography Alson Somes' photography studio stamp,Images from Avery Klein

Then Avery found something that made her push her computer aside: both Alson and 17-year-old Sarah were listed in census records as artists.

“I think any genealogist or historian would agree that such a description for a teenage girl in the 19th century is extraordinarily rare,” she wrote. “To this day, I have never seen that documented before.”

A second census listed Alson as a Daguerreian Artist and listed Sarah as an oil painter. This detail struck Avery because Casey is also a painter.

reincarnation, past lives, antique photos, uncanny resemblance, history, cool history, loves stories, photography A photo of Casey painting in her studio. Images from Avery Klein

The more Avery researched, the more uncanny the parallels became. A Schenectady city directory listed Alson as offering “Ambrotypes, Photographs, Plain and Colored, In Oil,” further supporting the idea that Sarah worked in the studio as an oil-paint retoucher.

“The census description paired with his business advertisement aligns almost too perfectly to be a coincidence,” she wrote.

However, even more than the shared artistic passion, Avery couldn’t ignore the “familiarity” in Sarah’s eyes.

reincarnation, past lives, antique photos, uncanny resemblance, history, cool history, loves stories, photography Those…are the same eyes…Images from Avery Klein

“I could not shake the feeling that she was reaching across time, asking to be known.”

TikTok fell in love with the story

Avery shared the story on TikTok and, much to her surprise, people were just as profoundly moved as she was. Many shared their theories about soul connections carrying across lifetimes.

TikTok · thedeaddetective www.tiktok.com

“Did you just…love her in every lifetime?”

“What if you actually found her in a past life too??? And this is one of those ‘I’ll find my way back to you in every lifetime’ moments?”

“Reincarnation is real and it’s passed through mitochondrial DNA.”

"That’s literally too coincidental to be anything but reincarnation.”

“I still get chills thinking about the possibility that this could be a past life of Casey’s,” shared Avery. She already has plans to host workshops through her Artist's Creative Fund project that can help people research their own family photos, thanks to the immensely positive reactions she received.

The search for Sarah continues

While Avery is still trying to piece together what happened to Sarah, she says the trail “fades after 1865.” Sarah’s father died in early 1866, and his gravestone is broken, which nevertheless might hide important clues. Some records also raise new questions, including a possible remarriage in the family and a strange reference to Sarah as “adopted” in one census that is not repeated anywhere else.

“I am actively reaching out to historians,” Avery wrote. “I am open to any help that might further uncover information about Miss Sarah Somes of 149 Union St.”

In the meantime, we’ll be over here pondering the enduring power of love.

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All In
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5 ways people are going "All In" this week

From the silly to the sentimental, there are so many ways people like to go “all in” on something. Here are our five favorite examples this week.

5 ways people are going "All In" this week
5 ways people are going "All In" this week
5 ways people are going "All In" this week
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When you hear the words “all in,” what do you think? You might think of getting groovy at a nursing home, a french bulldog having a total breakdown in the drive-thru, or maybe even a snack bar company promoting self care. Whatever you picture, the idea is the same: Going “all in” means doing something with total commitment—literally giving it your “all” and going completely over the top. No second guessing, no holding back—just full-throttle enthusiasm with some creativity and flair thrown in. That’s how we get those viral internet moments we can’t stop watching.

This DWTS dance trend 

If you’ve been watching TV or on the internet this week, you might have seen the viral dance move Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach performed while on Dancing With The Stars (DWTS) last week. The one particular move, where Dylan holds Daniella as she does a mid-air horizontal walk, is going viral with over 8k videos using the sound. Some of my personal favorites include a mom and her baby, two girls or a girl and her cat, proving this dance trend is truly for anyone to try.

All In on Fiber

Speaking of trends, there’s one that really is about going “all in”, it’s called #fibermaxxing. After years of protein being the biggest nutrition trend, it looks like fiber might be taking over. For good reason too, while protein can cause issues with digestion, fiber can lead to better digestion, blood sugar management, weight control and reduced disease risk. Our friends at All In made a video explaining the #fibermaxxing trend. Each All In bar has 6 to 7 grams of fiber , plus they are delicious. Don't take our word for it, though: Click here to try it yourself (for free).

This child's long hair

This creator went all in… on pranking the audience. I don’t want to give away the contents of this video, but let’s just say it’s creative- and it made me quite literally laugh out loud. There are a lot of "momfluencers" out there who make content that uses their children, and as relatable and heartfelt as it is, sometimes a little satire break is worth appreciating.

Two entrepreneurs getting down to business


Lots of people dabble in entrepreneurship. These two went "all in" on helping others learn it. After four years of interviews with CEOs , research, edits, and a Penguin Random House book deal (yes, seriously), their book, Down to Business, has made its way into classrooms and libraries around the world. Now they are teaching other kids that age is not a barrier to entry in entrepreneurship; the earlier you start, the further you can go—and an entrepreneurial mindset will serve you no matter what you do in life.

Bridesmaids who went all in

Last on our list; two bridesmaids who committed to the bit. These ladies went “all in” in their remake of the legendary scene from the movie “Bridesmaids”. If you haven’t seen the original movie, starring Kristen Wig and Maya Rudolph, this might be your sign.

In the viral TikTok this bride, Caroline, had no idea what was coming when she put on her favorite movie while getting ready for her big day. The fact that she wanted to watch her favorite show before her bridesmaids surprised her, makes this going “all in” surprise all the better.

Snag your free (!!) snack bar here while this deal lasts. Just pick up a bar at Sprouts and text a pic ofv your receipt to get it for free. Enoy!

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Beavers were brought to the desert to save a dying river. Six years later, here are the results.

Their engineering feats are pretty dam incredible.

beavers, beaver dam, animals, wildlife, ecosystem, nature, earth, sustainability, deserts, waterways, rivers, pollution, climate change
Canva Photos

Can outsider beavers save this dried up river?

It's not easy being a river in the desert under the best of circumstances. The ecosystem exists in a very delicate balance, allowing water sources to thrive in the harsh conditions. These water sources in otherwise extremely dry areas are vital to the survival of unique wildlife, agriculture, and even tourism as they provide fresh drinking water for the people who live nearby.

But man-made problems like climate change, over-farming, and pollution have made a tough job even tougher in some areas. Rivers in Utah and Colorado part of the Colorado River Basin have been barely surviving the extremely harsh drought season. When the riverbeds get too dry, fish and other aquatic creatures die off and the wildfire risk increases dramatically.

About six years ago, one team of researchers had a fascinating idea to restore the health of some of Utah's most vulnerable rivers: Bring in the beavers.

beavers, beaver dam, animals, wildlife, ecosystem, nature, earth, sustainability, deserts, waterways, rivers, pollution, climate change Beaver on riverbank. Canva Photos

In 2019, master's student Emma Doden and a team of researchers from Utah State University began a "translocation" project to bring displaced beavers to areas like Utah's Price River, in the hopes of bringing it back to life.

Why beavers? Well, it just makes dam sense! (Sorry.)

In all seriousness, beaver dams restrict the flow of water in some areas of a river, creating ponds and wetlands. In drought-stricken areas, fish and other wildlife can take refuge in the ponds while the rest of the river runs dry, thus riding out the danger until it rains again.

When beavers are present in a watershed, the benefits are unbelievable: Better water quality, healthier fish populations, better nutrient availability, and fewer or less severe wildfires.

It's why beavers have earned the title of "keystone species," or any animal that has a disproportionate impact on the ecosystem around them.

beaver, dam, dam building, nature, ecosystem Pbs Nature Swimming GIF by Nature on PBS Giphy

Doden and her team took beavers who were captured or removed from their original homes due to their being a "nuisance," interfering with infrastructure, or being endangered, and—after a short period of quarantine—were brought to the Price River.

Despite the research team's best efforts, not all the translocated beavers have survived or stayed put over the years. Some have trouble adapting to their new home and die off or are killed by predators, while others leave of their own accord.

But sine 2019, enough have stayed and built dams that the team is starting to see the results of the effort. In fact, beaver projects just like this one have been going on all over the state in recent years.

- YouTube youtu.be

The water levels in the river are now the healthiest they've been in years. The fish are thriving and Utah residents are overjoyed with the experiment's results.

According to an early 2025 column in The Salt Lake Tribune (i.e. six years after the beaver translocation began) the revitalization of the Price River has "helped save [our] Utah town."

"A tributary of the Colorado River, the Price River runs through downtown Helper," wrote column authors Lenise Peterman and Jordan Nielson. "On a warm day, you’re likely to find the river filled with tourists and locals kayaking, tubing and fishing along its shore. A decade ago, it was hard to imagine this scene—and the thriving recreation economy that comes with it—was possible."

Of course, it wasn't JUST the beavers. Other federal water cleanup investments helped remove debris, break down old and malfunctioning dams, and place tighter regulations on agriculture grazing in the area that depleted vital plant life.

But the experts know that the beavers, and their incredible engineering work, are the real MVPs.

beavers, beaver dam, animals, wildlife, ecosystem, nature, earth, sustainability, deserts, waterways, rivers, pollution, climate change An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price River Public Domain

In other drying, struggling rivers in the area, researchers are bringing in beavers and even creating manmade beaver dams. They're hoping that the critters will take over the job as the rivers get healthier.

Utah's San Rafael River, which is in bleak condition, is a prime candidate. In one area of the river, a natural flood inspired a host of beavers to return to the area and "riparian habitat along that stretch had increased by 230%, and it had the most diverse flow patterns of anywhere on the river," according to KUER.

It's hard to believe that beavers nearly went extinct during the heyday of the fur trapping industry, and continued to struggle as they were considered nuisances and pests. Now, they're getting the respect they deserve as engineer marvels, and their populations have rebounded due to better PR and conservation programs.

It's about dam time!

This article originally appeared in June.

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Atlanta couple 'unflips' their charmless, all-white house and returns it to its 1960s glory

They bought a "flipped" house. Now they've spent 5 years undoing all of it.

houses, homes, house market, interior design, house flipping, real estate, millennials, gen z, design
un.flipping/Instagram

A 30-year-old couple bought a house from 1966 and set about restoring it to its original glory.

Thirty-year-olds Colin and Dana bought a mid-century modern house in 2020. They loved the location of the house in metro Atlanta, and they loved the structure and layout of the home. Everything else? Blah.

The house had been "flipped," which means it was updated and "nice" but filled with the most bland, uncreative choices imaginable in order to make it more sellable. Cabinets? White. Countertop? Gray. Walls? Off-white. Backsplash? Gray. Interior doors? Hollow, plastic, and of course, white.

These overwhelmingly drab design choices are all too common in modern homes, so much so that the concept has been dubbed "Millennial gray."

A color named Paris Rain 1501 was actually named the most popular interior shade of 2025, according to Real Simple. They write, "The unflattering stereotype is that the dreary palette has millennials in a chokehold, with members of said generation drenching their entire home—from top to bottom, inside and out—in gray."

It's not just paint colors, either. Wood floors are plastered over with faux panels. Brick is removed and replaced with drywall. Antique fixtures are ripped out, their spot taken by whatever's on sale at Home Depot. But these gray and white designs aren't popular because Millennials are sad and unimaginative. It has to do with the house-flipping market.

"I think it’s worth noting that gray has become the go-to choice for property flippers, often chosen for its neutrality and broad appeal to potential buyers," interior designer Gretchen Murdock told Real Simple. "In my opinion, this gives the false impression that it is a successful palette to incorporate into your own home.”

Dana and Colin write on their website that the home they purchased had remained relatively the same since it was built in 1966, all the way until 2018. That's when a real-estate investment firm bought it up and flipped it with cheap, generic upgrades.

Once they got the keys, they immediately set out to undo—or "unflip"—the home.

They've documented the entire journey so far on social media, and what a journey its been. Over five years, they've worked tirelessly to restore the original charm of their 1966-built house.

In the kitchen, they went with beautiful wood-stained cabinets and a green backsplash.

The flipped basement wasn't bad, with a cool bar and a spacious relaxing space. But it's much groovier with wood paneling, a green bar top, and textured emerald walls.

Next up, the couple is working on the bathrooms—tiny, white, unremarkable—and we can definitely expect another funky, fun, and warm update. They say they've used vintage furniture and materials whenever possible in their updates.

"We want it to look like 1966 here," they write in a caption to one post.

Dana and Colin have racked up over 100k followers on social media and say the huge response to their project has been expected and surreal.

"We started unflipping our house simply because we wanted to restore and add back the character that had been taken out, and we never expected so many people to connect with it," they told Upworthy. "The response has been really encouraging not just because people support what we’re doing, but because it’s sparked others to start unflipping their own homes. It’s motivating and humbling to see how openly sharing this process has resonated with others"

As to why people seem to respond so strongly to the process of watching them fill their home with warmth and originality:

"We think it resonates because a lot of people are exhausted by flipped houses and trend-driven designs. People want something that is more genuine and lasting. When you honor the house’s architecture and history by highlighting its unique character, everything is going to fall into place. Showing that process and the care it takes to restore a home in a thoughtful, authentic way is what truly connects with people."

Dana and Colin are not the only couple "unflipping" their home. Not by a long shot.

Unflipping has even been called a "movement."

Domain writes, "In a growing movement affectionately dubbed 'unflipping', home owners are rejecting the sterile flip and choosing instead to retain or restore what’s easily lost – character, craftsmanship and a lived-in kind of joy."

More and more apartments, condos, and homes are being bought by investors: private equity groups, real estate developers. These middle men, in their efforts to re-sell the property for more money, have a tendency to paper over all the things that made it unique and beautiful in the first place. Young buyers are over it.


@allieisahomebody

weve got a lot of ground to uncover #homeimprovement #homereno #firsthome #hardwoodflooring #vinylflooring

Will all the wood and the green accents and the shag carpet make their house harder to sell down the road? Maybe, maybe not. The design certainly won't be everyone's cup of tea. But for Dana and Colin, it makes their home feel warm and inviting and like the space is actually theirs.

That's what a home is supposed to feel like, and that reminder is exactly why their story is resonating with so many other young people who are sick of being told otherwise.

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10-year-old girl walks into police station and brings officers to tears with 2 simple words

She's been handing out handwritten cards to officers all over the country ever since.

police, cops, police officers, law enforcement, heroes, 10-year-old, thank you letters, kindness
Photo credit: Canva

A 10-year-old has been handing out Thank You cards to police officers across the country for years.

10-year-old Savannah Solis knew she had to do something. Per KHOUN, the girl from Tyler, Texas had heard the tragic news that two local police officers in New York had been murdered. The news, all the way back in 2015, brought her to tears.

Solis knew that, as a kid, there wasn't much she could do, to stop the bad guys, to make the world safer. But she dreamed of one day being a police officer herself and being able to help. As a 5-year-old, Solis says her mother had a heart attack and the first person to arrive and offer help was a police officer. She never forgot that officer's kindness and bravery.

Savannah’s mom, Debbie, recalled the immense love and support the girl had for police officers all over the world. Inspired and mesmerized by their line of duty, she hoped and wished only the best for each of them. “We would drive by and see them stopping somebody and in the backseat she would pray, asking God to take care of them,” the mom recounted.

In the meantime, she wanted the heroes in her own community to know that she cared. So she decided to write personal letters. Hundreds of them.

police, cops, police officers, law enforcement, heroes, 10-year-old, thank you letters, kindness a piece of paper with a heart drawn on it Photo by Immo Wegmann on Unsplash

Her letters had two words recurring each time, “Thank you.”

Furthermore, the girl explained as best as she could what their service meant to her and how grateful she was to them for saving lives.

During her Christmas break, the girl went all out making these letters and posting them—she even delivered a few personally to police departments all over Texas.

“You are my heroes. I want to say don’t stop, please don’t give up. Many do not care or appreciate the sacrifices you make every day. But I do,” the girl remarked. Savannah added a note of inspiration which read, “Many are standing with me today to let you know that you matter. Officers across Texas, you matter to me. Officers in New York City, you matter to me. Officers all across America, you matter to me. Please keep taking care of us.”

One of Solis' deliveries was caught on video, per KXAN, where officers were moved to tears by her gesture.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

She went about taking autographs of as many officers as she could. Debbie noted that her daughter didn’t want celebrity or artist autographs but those of the cops. All the officers are seen shaking hands and getting teary-eyed as they read the cards colored and highlighted with the title, “My hero.”

Austin Police Department Assistant Chief Jessica Robledo felt proud of the girl’s gesture and of the fact that their role was so valued in someone’s eyes.

“The words she spoke from her heart touched every single officer. I noticed everyone was trying to blink back tears. That’s what it’s all about. She is an old soul. She knows the right thing to say and I don’t think she even realizes the impact of her words on these officers and this department,” she remarked.

That was 10 years ago. As Solis grew up, she continued her personal outreach to police officers all over the country, letting them know that their bravery was appreciated.

She visited a precinct in Manchester, New Hampshire as recently in 2021 where she brought cards to the officers, met the K9 dogs, and was introduced to the police horses as well. Commenters were blown away that Solis was continuing the gesture after so many years.

"Savanna. Officers need that inspiration with everything going on today. You're remarkable for doing this."

"Amazing young lady right, thank you Savannah I appreciate all your efforts to show your appreciation for our men, woman, dogs and horses in blue"

"What an amazing young woman thank you for sharing this post and thank you for your service to our city. And all the law enforcement officers all over the Country."

Bravo, Savannah!

This article originally appeared in July. It has been updated.

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Ever notice how time seems to speed up as you age? Here's how to slow it down.

No one can stop time, but we can change our perception of it.

time, time perception, getting older, aging, slow time down
Photo credit: Canva

Time is weird.

If you're old enough to remember the 1980s, allow me to blow your mind with a fun fact: 1980 and 2025 are as far apart as 1940 and 1985. Those lessons about WWII and the presidency of FDR you learned in school? That's like kids today learning about Ronald Reagan.

Is your first reaction "Nuh-uh, no way"? Are you pulling out the calculator to do the math yourself, several times, because you're sure you must've missed a number somewhere? You remember how long ago the 1940s seemed in the '80s, and there's no possible way that much time has passed between the '80s and now. It feels like you entered a time warp somewhere and can't figure out how to get out of it.

Why does time work this way? Why does it seem to get faster and faster, and to condense, making decades seem shorter and shorter as we age? And perhaps more importantly, how the heck do we stop time from feeling like a runaway freight train?

time, time perception, getting older, aging, slow time down Is there a way to slow down time?Photo credit: Canva

Here are a few theories about what creates the freight train phenomenon and how to slow it down.

Time perception is relative—and kids perceive it differently

"Time flies when you're having fun" is a saying for a reason. Time also drags when you're doing drudgery work and feels like it stands still in moments of significance. And yet the ticking of seconds as they go by doesn't change tempo. We measure it with steady, unchanging beats, but how it feels changes constantly.

This relativity exists in every passing moment, but it also exists in the bigger picture. The years felt like they passed much more slowly when we were children, and by middle age, they seem to pass in the blink of an eye. The pandemic gave us an even greater sense of this relativity as disruptions to our normal routines and the stress associated with the COVID-19 years messed with our sense of time. (On an odd side note, surveys show that our time perception during the pandemic varied a lot from place to place—people in some parts of the world felt that time moved more slowly, while others felt time moved more quickly.)

According to a 2023 Hungarian study published in Nature Scientific Reports, very young children perceive time differently from older children and adults. Researchers split 138 people into three age groups—pre-kindergarten, school-age, and adults 18 and over—and showed them two videos of the same duration, one that was "eventful" and one that was "uneventful." Interestingly, the pre-K group perceived the eventful video as longer, while the older children and adults perceived the uneventful video as longer.

time, time perception, getting older, aging, slow time down Adults and kids process time differently. Photo credit: Canva

The way the study participants described the length of the videos in gestures was also telling. Young children were much more likely than the other two age groups to use vertical hand gestures, which connoted volume or magnitude, to indicate a length of time. School-aged kids and adults tended to use horizontal gestures, indicating time as linear, increasing with age.

Our neural processing slows down as we age

Professor Adrian Bejan has a theory based on how neurons process signals. As we age, our neural networks increase in size and complexity, and as a result, we process visual information more slowly. That slower processing means we create fewer mental images each second than we did when we were younger, thereby making time seem to slow down.

“People are often amazed at how much they remember from days that seemed to last forever in their youth, Bejan shared with Harvard University. "It’s not that their experiences were much deeper or more meaningful; it’s just that they were being processed in rapid fire.”

In other words, processing the same number of mental images we did in our youth takes longer now, somewhat counterintuitively making time seem to pass more quickly. So goes the theory, anyway.

- YouTube youtu.be

It might simply be about time-to-life ratios

Another popular theory about why time feels different as a child than as an adult is the ratio of any given day, week, or year to the total time we've been alive. To a 5-year-old, a year is 20% of their entire life. For a 50-year-old, a year is only 0.2% of their life, so it feels like it went by much more quickly.

It's also a matter of how much change has happened in that year. A year in the life of a 5-year-old is full of rapid growth, change, learning, and development. A year in the life of a 50-year-old probably isn't a whole lot different than when they were 48 or 49. Even if there are major life changes, the middle-aged brain isn't evolving at nearly the same rate as a child. A 50-year-old looking back at the past year will have a lot fewer changes to process than a 5-year-old; therefore, the year will seem to have gone by much faster.

“Our perception of days, weeks, years, and that kind of time seems to be especially influenced by our perspective: Are we in the moment experiencing it, or are we looking backward on time?” psychology professor Cindy Lustig told the University of Michigan.

time, time perception, getting older, aging, slow time down Taking time to take in our surroundings can help slow our perception of time.Photo credit: Canva

The key to slowing it all down? Be mindful of the present moment.

Lustig has a point. When we are in the moment, our perception of time is much different than when we look back. So, being fully conscious in the present moment can help us rein in the freight train effect.

One way to do that is to be mindful of your physical existence in this moment. Feel your heart beating. Feel your breath going in and out. Cornell University psychology professor Adam Anderson, Ph.D., conducted a study that found our perception of time may be linked with the length of our heartbeats. (Study participants were fitted with electrocardiograms and asked to listen to a brief audio tone. They perceived the tone as longer after a longer heartbeat and shorter after a shorter one.) He suggests starting a stopwatch, closing your eyes and focusing on your breathing for what you think feels like a minute. Then, check your time to see how accurate your estimation was.

“This can give you a sense of how much your experience of your body is related to your experience of time,” Anderson told WebMD. “It will help teach you to enjoy the pure experience of time.”

You can also use focused breathing to purposely slow down your heart rate, and thus slow down your time perception. “We show that slow heart rates—that is, a longer duration between heartbeats—dilates time, slowing it down," Anderson said.

time, time perception, getting older, aging, slow time down Taking in the world with a sense of wonder and joy can help shift our perception of time. Photo credit: Canva

We can also alter our perception of time by taking in novel experiences, such as traveling to new places. According to Steve Taylor, author of Making Time: Why Time Seems To Pass at Different Speeds and How to Control It, people who go on adventurous trips report that their vacations feel longer than those who choose a predictable destination. You can also make small changes to your daily routine, such as trying new foods or taking a new route home from work to take in some new stimuli and slow your perception of time.

Finally, try to take in the world the way you did when you were a small child. Take note of life's wonders. Engage fully in whatever you're doing. Notice details and take mental pictures as much as you can. Time goes by quickly when we're distracted, so training our attention on the here and now can help. Ultimately, we can strive to perceive time more like we did when we were little, in its full depth and magnitude instead of a narrow, straight line.

Does that make the math of the 1940s to the '80s to the 2020s any easier to swallow? Not really. But at least we know why it feels the way it does.

This article originally appeared last year.

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California man buys a small island in Finland for $31k instead of down payment on a house

Russell and his girlfriend recently finished building their own log cabin on the island.

American expat; expats; couple buys island; finland; finnish island; buy island in finland
Photo credit: Canva

Couple buys small island because it was cheaper than a house

The cost of living has gotten quite ridiculous. If things continue the way they're going, pretty soon, people will feel they need to take out a loan to buy basic groceries. But there's one area where people are struggling beyond compare, and that's the extreme cost of housing. We're not just talking purchasing a home, either (which feels more and more impossible, if we're being honest). Across the United States, rent rates have skyrocketed, leaving people of all ages and stages in the lurch. Many are being completely priced out of the market, causing some to rent longer than they'd like, while others are having to move back in with their parents.

Due to the rising cost of housing in America, more people are choosing to relocate outside the country in hopes of maintaining a better quality of life for less. There are entire Reddit channels dedicated to expat living and Americans looking to become expats.

Oliver Russell, 24, was slightly ahead of the curve with his exit from the United States. Though he is American, he's also half Finnish, giving him dual citizenship with the country through friends and family he often visited.

- YouTube youtu.be

Russell grew up in Laguna Beach, California, but after moving to Colorado, he was denied in-state tuition, making it nearly impossible to afford business school. That's when he decided to take advantage of the free college education Finland offers its citizens; he had always dreamed of moving to Helsinki anyway.

It just so happened that, after settling into his second homeland, he met a girl. Helena Tomaszewska, 20, is Dutch. Once the two got serious about dating, they started looking at getting a summer home, which is standard in Finland. But during their search for the perfect home, the two discovered houses were expensive. The down payment alone seemed like entirely too much money for a pair in their early twenties.

"In Finland, the summer cottage life is a huge part of the culture, and I would come out here every summer. I loved the summer cottage life and wanted one of my own," Russell told SWNS in 2024.

summer cottage, cottage, cottage living, finnish, dutch, europe A cozy summer cottage.Canva Photos

They continued their search, checking various real estate websites for something within their price range. Just when it seemed like the pair was having a run of bad luck locating an affordable property, Russell came across an island. Yes, an island. By the time he came across it, the island had been on the market for 10 years. Lucky for them, it was within their budget.

In March 2024, the couple paid $31k for the 2.5 acres of lush land off the Helsinki coast.

Unlucky for them, the island was a little too lush. Since it had sat uninhabited (by humans) for a decade, the land was completely overgrown with vegetation—trees, bushes, moss, etc. If they were going to build their summer home there, they had a lot of work cut out for them, but that big detail didn't deter them one bit. The couple quickly got to work.

"Our plan is to build a log cabin completely by ourselves with no experience and transform it into a fully functioning summer cottage," Russell shared in a video on his and Tomaszewska's YouTube page, Off Grid Island, that shows him chopping down trees and shaving bark from logs.

Since purchasing the island, Russell and Tomaszewska have made several trips to ready the land for a permanent structure.

island life, Finland, Helsinki coast, island, summer home A wooded area. Canva Photos

In a 2024 article, Russell told LadBible, "We made a frame out of logs that we felled from trees, and I got some decking from a hardware store. We then built an outhouse, and I am now trying to build a shower structure so we can wash while we're on the island. We wanted to get the base camp set up so we have a comfortable place to stay while the big building happens next year."

There's a requirement for the island: a certain portion must be a sauna. It's unclear if this is a requirement by the Finnish government or a deal between Russell and his girlfriend.

As of late summer 2025, Russell reports that the cabin is done and they are moving on to their other plans for the rest of the island.

The build is pretty impressive for a couple of students without much experience and only an electric chainsaw!

- YouTube youtu.be

Russell and Tomaszewska are documenting their island transformation on their aforementioned YouTube channel. They post instead, frequently sharing their wins, failures, and everything in between with all 233k of their interested subscribers—who maybe can't afford their own islands yet, but are dutifully preparing.

- YouTube youtu.be

This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated.

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