Sweden {Pt. 2 Kiruna}

TL:DR Read part 1 first and then read part 2. But seriously, the Arctic Circle is like a different world and I would go back time and time again if given the chance.

If you haven’t read part 1, click here.

So here is it, Part 2! This part of the Swedish excursion is probably my favorite. The boy and I traveled to the Arctic Circle, specifically Kiruna, mostly to see the northern lights. But we didn’t know it would feel like a whole entire world.

We rented a cabin in a small town about 20 minutes out from Kiruna and we were the only tenants in what feels like anywhere. There was also no internet so we were really off the grid for the time that we were in Kiruna.

So what’s to do in the wild? Go hiking! The cabin that we were staying at was close to a hiking trail that leads to a waterfall. Since it’s was 4 degrees Fahrenheit out, we figured that it would be a good time to check out a frozen waterfall.

The hike itself wasn’t too hard and it led to a lake. I will have to say that this was an experience. Seeing how nature reacts to the different elements was so incredible. During the winter in NYC after it snows, there’s often a silence or calmness of some sort. This calmness that we experienced at the lake was 10 times more. It felt peaceful to be in that place and away from the craziness of New York.

Next to the lake was a small river/pond that leads to the waterfall. Given the colder temperature, the river and the lake were frozen. The boy decided to walk on the pond to get closer to the waterfall. Even though it was frozen, we didn’t know how solid it was. Once he started getting closer towards the opening of the waterfall, we heard a huge crack and I definitely ran to more solid ground.

After our adventure with this waterfall, there was more hiking trails around the area that we discovered. These trails weren’t too arduous and it was more of a peaceful walk. The only thing was the ground had a lot of snow, so wearing snow pants and all the snow gear was necessary to get around.

The hours that the sun was out, we definitely took advantage of and explored. But when the night came by, it was even better. Our first night, we got to see the northern lights! It was the most incredible thing I’ve seen. We downloaded an app called “Aurora Forecast” that gives a forecast of how likely the northern lights would be present. This app was pretty accurate and helped us figure out when to go out and see the lights.

Another highlight of the trip was dogsledding. I’ve written a separate post here. So go check it out!

This trip has definitely given us the opportunity to unwind and unplug from society for a bit. It was a great way for us to just be in the present and experience the calmness that we normally don’t get in NYC.

All in all, I would definitely recommend going to the Arctic Circle, whether it be in Sweden, Norway, Finland, etc. It’s something that everyone should experience and make sure to bring some snow gear.