A Northern Dream: Seven Days in Finland
Recently, The first breath of Finnish air hit us like a shock, sharp and crisp, as if the very atmosphere was reminding us that we had left behind the familiar comforts of home. My friends and I had just touched down in Helsinki, the city buzzing with quiet energy, a place where history met modernity. We wandered its cobblestone streets, warm cups of coffee in hand, marvelling at the cinematic buildings and the serene atmosphere. For two days, we soaked in the city’s charm, from the minimalist beauty of the Temppeliaukio Church carved into the rock to the bustling market square, where the cold wind tugged at our scarves as we admired fresh food and handmade trinkets.
We boarded a plane to Saariselkä in Lapland, a place so far north, it felt like stepping into another world. When we arrived, the landscape stretched out before us like a painting—endless snow, white snowy trees, and the softest twilight sky. The temperature had plummeted to -38°C, and the cold pierced right through us. Yet, it didn’t matter. We were here to chase a dream.
One night, as we bundled up in layers, our guide led us to a clearing far from the lights of the village. We drove through the silent village of Ivalo and the tiny Nellim, on the road towards the border of Russia. We made the fire in the Lappish teepee and were waiting for the northern lights to flare up. We waited for about an hour, but no luck. Then we headed towards Paatsjoki river bridge, where the river flows rapidly towards Russia. We turned off the headlights of the car, looked up in the sky and OMG. There, in the vast, silent sky above, the Northern Lights began to swirl. Green and violet ribbons danced across the heavens, a cosmic spectacle that seemed both surreal and deeply humbling. In the quiet of that frozen night, we all stood still, eyes wide, breath forming tiny clouds in the air, as the lights danced like a secret only nature knew.
But it was when we visited Santa Claus Village that the magic truly came to life. Inside the village, everything was bathed in festive cheer—twinkling lights, warm wooden cottages, and the sound of Christmas music playing softly in the background. And there, in his cozy little workshop, we met Santa himself. His laugh was hearty, his eyes twinkling with mischief as he handed us all personalized gifts, as if we’d just stumbled into the pages of a holiday book.
The cherry on top of our Lapland adventure? A night spent in a glass igloo. From our cozy beds, we watched the stars twinkle above us, waiting for the sky to surprise us once more. And as the Northern Lights once again lit up the heavens, our breaths caught in our chests. It was as if the entire universe had paused for us—just for a moment—whispering its frozen magic into our hearts.
