Lapland: truly magical...

Having absolutely no idea what to expect, I must admit I was a little nervous venturing into the far north of Finland. Had I packed enough warm clothes? And was subjecting myself to further sleep deprivation such a good idea?

First footprints in the snow :)

Lapland was certainly beyond anything I had experienced... and in a good way. The wintery, snow-covered landscape was desolately beautiful I can't remember the last time I tried so many new things in a week - from ice-fishing, quinzee-building, GPS-orienteering (with snow shoes!) and skiing to jumping into the ice-cold lake after a stint in the Finnish sauna.

Absolutely crazy but so much fun... Not being able to see Aurora Borealis the first two nights failed to dampen my spirits. Just being able to spend time with good friends - chatting, cooking, laughing - was enough for me.

As it happened, the clouds finally decided to clear on our third night. Upon hearing that the Northern Lights were finally visible, my friends and I dashed madly back to our room from the sauna to dress more warmly. Scanning the sky for signs of Aurora Borealis, I had never seen so many stars in my life!

Watching Aurora Borealis with friends

I'm sorry my camera wasn't good enough to capture Aurora Borealis. Seeing a faint tinge of green weave its way across the night sky was simply magical...

Some memories just aren't designed to be captured on film. They rather leave imprints your heart, like footprints in the snow...

Experiencing the Arctic Ocean...