5 Things I Learned About Life in Finnish Lapland

Do Finns have the secret to living life?

In late February/early March, I spent about a week in Finnish Lapland. I chased the Northern Lights, tried a traditional Finnish sauna, and even learned how to go dogsledding!

It was incredible, and honestly, I learned a lot about myself and some life lessons while in the Arctic in Finland. Let’s talk about it.

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1. Winter Is a Time of Rest and Recuperation.

In my former career in accounting, I always thought of winter as a time to work a lot. It was always our busy season at work, and the weather was gross and cold outside. So why not devote a lot of time to work and get stuff done?

There is certainly nothing wrong with getting some work done, but winter isn’t just a time to grind out some work and sleep in between. And in Finland, that is certainly not the case.

Winter is a time to sit back and rest and restore yourself. It is a time to get out in nature and enjoy the snowy forests, the icy lakes, and the steaming hot sauna. It is a time to stare in wonder at the Northern Lights and enjoy a cozy afternoon sipping coffee. We aren’t meant to work full blast all the time. And while we generally view summer as a time for R&R as we take our vacations then, winter shouldn’t be overlooked as a time for relaxing too.

2. The Outdoors Are Always a Great Idea (Even in the Cold)

Back home in Cleveland, we too have some pretty cold and pretty snowy winters. And it almost feels like the city goes into hibernation mode and nobody is outside. We want to stay in our warm houses.

But in Finland, there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. So no matter the time of year, Finns love to be outside.

And we really embraced that during our time in Finnish Lapland. We bundled up and went dogsledding, watched the Northern Lights dance across the sky at 3 am, rode in a sleigh pulled by reindeer, snowshoed, etc. It felt incredible to be in the wilderness of the forest in the middle of winter. The air felt fresh and invigorating.

Something about nature really does fuel the soul. And during the COVID winter of 2021, we spent many a winter days hiking and running in the woods. We even snowshoed in our local national park, Cuyahoga Valley National Park. But as life got busy and the world reopened, we stopped taking as much time in nature, particularly in the winter.

While I don’t think I’ll jump right into running in the woods in winter, I do hope to do more hiking and perhaps snowshoeing. Who knows? Maybe I can convince Chris to try skiing!

3. A Little Discomfort Can Bring Peace

On our last night in Lapland, we signed up for a traditional Finnish sauna experience which included going into the freezing lake in between sauna sessions.

We were nervous about how hot the sauna would be, how freezing cold the lake would be, etc. But then we did it. Spending the first several minutes in the sauna was very very hot. It’s a dry intense heat. And after we dipped in the lake. At first with trepidation, but then with more bravery and even went fully under!

And after the freezing lake, the sauna felt incredible and cozy. And so we went back and forth for the full hour and a half we had there. And afterward, we were so relaxed and felt so peaceful.

That was when I realized: a little discomfort of plunging in a freezing cold lake and sitting in a roasting sauna can be quite relaxing in the end. I totally get it now, Finns. I’m a sauna convert.

But this extends into life. I am self-employed and LOVE what I do for a living…but it doesn’t come without things I don’t want to do and things that are incredibly challenging (i.e. entering in all the accounting transactions after a trip, countless emails, figuring out algorithms and being punished by the whims of Google on a monthly basis, etc.).

However, this discomfort usually leads me to something better. Whether it is a new revenue stream, new idea, new aspect of business (hello, Substack!). What I’m saying is that sometimes discomfort and leaving our comfort zones behind can really be beneficial to pushing us forward in life.

4. We Should Take More Time For Ourselves

Remember how I mentioned enjoying the sauna and lake for a full hour and a half? At home, I feel like I’d rarely use a sauna because when would I have the time? But the Finns LOVE their saunas and can sometimes spend hours in there! It’s a big part of their culture. I mean, every hotel we even stayed in during our trip to Finland had a sauna.

I feel like self care in the US can fall by the wayside in favor of other things like work, family obligations, etc. But while I don’t have a sauna at home to enjoy for hours on end, I can do something relaxing, fun, and restorative for that amount of time to feel rejuvenated and enjoy something for me!

5. You Don’t Have to Film and Photograph Everything

I am so bad about this. I do this for a living, so filming and capturing all the moments is key to sharing it with others later for their future travels. But I looked up at the night sky after a took several photos of the Northern Lights and realized I needed to put the camera away for a bit. It was beautiful and dancing right above my head! I got several photos already, so why not just enjoy it?

The same went for dogsledding and the reindeer sleigh. It was a unique and fun experience I don’t get to have at home. So why not enjoy it for me rather than for everyone else? I took photos and videos and then put them away to enjoy being in the forest in winter and at peace.

If you can’t tell, I absolutely fell in love with Finnish Lapland during our time there! I learned a lot about myself and life as well as had some epic bucket list worthy experiences.

Would you like to visit Finnish Lapland? What have your travels taught you about life?