UPDATED MAR 2020. This post has nothing to do with Google-ability. It’s not a tutorial. I didn’t research any keywords. Or follow the usual process that comes with writing a blog post. It’s just a bit of a love letter really. I just wanted to share my favorite place in the world with you and my Christmas wish for your travel adventures.
This Is My Favorite Place In The World & Christmas Wish
The first time I went to my favorite place in the world
My first visit was in December 2016 when I spent Christmas there with my husband. Everything was white and it was always dark.
I had found the cabin on a whim while scrolling on Airbnb. When I saw it, I just felt like it was ‘the one’ for this trip so I went ahead and booked it.
My hunch is never wrong.
Excited to share this love letter to my favorite place in the world
My first impressions
The cabin is a cozy escape from the harsh winter outside. And, when I say harsh, I mean HARSH.
I’ve never experienced cold quite like it. I felt like GI Jane during Navy Seal training as I walked through the snow from the street level parking up to the cabin in the dead of winter.
Once inside, I found a cozy haven. You can cuddle up in a blanket and pop on a movie, while a fire crackles away nearby.
There is no running water, instead, you had to brave the cold outside to fill jugs from an underground pump. It is the freshest water I’ve ever tasted.
The outdoor toilet is only about 10 steps from the cabin, but it was a long 10 steps late at night. Let’s not even get started on how you need to work up the courage to put your butt cheeks on the cold toilet seat out there!
The outdoor jacuzzi is literal heaven. Soaking in the warm waters while watching the Northern Lights dance in the sky above will forever be one of the coolest experiences of my life.
It’s a world away from everything. Quiet and remote. Yet close enough to the delicious bacon-wrapped hot dogs at the Skaidi service station.
A foreign experience
It was completely foreign to anything I had experienced. I’ve never lived in the cold, and, aside from a couple of visits to the US in winter, I’d never really even experienced proper cold.
Certainly nothing like this.
It was a unique contradiction of cozy and uncomfortable, challenging and relaxing, and it was love at first visit.
Fast forward to this year, the year of my 30th birthday. I knew there was only one place I was going to be spending it.
Returning to the cabin at the top of the world
I returned to the cabin, this time with my best friend, and was welcomed by an entirely new experience.
There was no snow this time, which allowed me to see what had been hidden under the white blanket during my last visit.
I was so surprised to hear the noise – the running water from the streams all around the cabin and the birds chirping in the trees. There was greenery and berries on the ground.
I even saw Reindeer herds in the paddocks on the side of the road.
It had come to life.
It was still cold, but not quite as freezing as the winter visit.
There were more than 2 hours of light each day which made the exploring and driving around completely different. I even had the chance to go for a hike with our awesome, local tour guide – the owner of the cabin, Tor Even.
Of course, I still soaked in the jacuzzi at night and watched the Northern Lights, but they didn’t put on quite as epic of a show as they did in winter.
Experiencing northern Norway in this new season made me fall even more in love.
Again, this isn’t the usual blog post in the sense that it’s not a guide full of tips, but I think it is worth sharing as a reminder that the magic stuff still exists.
It’s a reminder of what travel is really about when you take away the narcissism we see so often.
In our social media day and age, it seems like a lot of people are traveling for country counting as if it’s a new kind of status symbol, relying on a number to feel validated. It’s just crazy in my book – why race through to get to a number instead of focusing on the quality of experiences?
Or perhaps they’re traveling for Instagram photos, or even just bragging rights (I’ve even seen people post things like ‘I went to x amount of countries this year – how about you?’ WTF is that?!)
Sometimes it feels like the ‘experience’ part of the travel experience is getting dissolved in all the superficial stuff, the stuff that doesn’t matter.
View this post on Instagram
Don’t tell me how many countries you’ve visited, I honestly don’t care. Let’s really talk.
What have you learned? Did anything shock you? What did you fall in love with? What’s your favorite memory?
I guess I wanted to share this to offer encouragement that if you are someone who is looking for more from your travel that superficial numbers or status, you’re not alone.
And also, my Christmas wish – I hope everyone finds somewhere in the world, their special place – even if it’s their home, that they love as much as I love this cabin.
For more information on the cabin
Click here for the AirBnb listing
Other Norway guides to help you plan a visit
Northern Lights In Norway – Skip The Tours For An EPIC Cabin Experience
Finnmark Road Trip Itinerary – How To Plan An Epic Tour Of Northern Norway
Visit Nordkapp In Norway – How To Plan A Trip To The Top Of The World
What To Pack For A Week In Northern Norway – Winter Packing Tips
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Thanks for sharing this experience with us. As much as I love seeing the world, for me there’s nothing like flying back into my home town and seeing the red mountain ranges and how they contrast against the cloudless blue sky. When I see it I get tingly all over and this strong sense of belonging overcomes me.
I love that you shared this – that’s the best feeling!