Food
Food Categories, unlike tags, can have a hierarchy. You might have a Jazz category.
Everyone told me to fly south. “Mia, go to Bali, drink a coconut, get a tan.” But after the chaos of December, the last thing I wanted was heat, humidity, and crowded beaches. I craved silence. I craved white space—literally.
So, I packed my thickest cashmere sweaters and flew north, to Swedish Lapland. Specifically, to the Lule River valley.
If you are feeling burnt out, forget the beach. Here is why the Arctic is the ultimate healer—and my guide on how to do it right.
The Arrival: Checking into a Floating Nest
My retreat began at Arctic Bath. It’s not just a hotel; it’s a piece of art frozen into the river. My cabin was a standalone wooden structure, floating on the ice.
There is no Wi-Fi in the common areas (a blessing). There are no TVs. The luxury here isn’t gold taps; it’s the view. Waking up to a world completely stripped of color—just shades of white, grey, and deep blue—does something to your brain. It declutters it.
The Ritual: Fire and Ice
The heart of Nordic wellness is the contrast. The spa at Arctic Bath is circular, with a literal hole in the middle leading directly into the freezing river.
I’ll be honest: the first plunge is terrifying. The water is around 4°C. But after 15 minutes in a wood-fired sauna, that icy shock resets your entire nervous system. You climb out, your skin tingling, your mind razor-sharp. It’s an instant dopamine rush that no cocktail can match.
The Food: Eating the Landscape
Forget heavy buffets. The food here is “New Nordic”—clean, local, and incredibly fresh. We ate what the land provided: cloudberries picked from the marshes, arctic char caught in the lake, and reindeer moss (yes, it’s delicious when fried).
Every meal felt like a meditation. You don’t rush here. You savor the purity of the ingredients. By day three, my digestion—and my skin—had never felt better.
The Magic: Hunting the Aurora
You don’t come here to sleep early. At night, I would put on my thermal suit and lie on the frozen river, waiting.
Seeing the Northern Lights is humbling. It reminds you how small your deadline stresses really are. Standing there in total silence, under a dancing green sky, I felt a sense of peace I haven’t felt in years. It’s a spiritual experience without the incense.
My Verdict
Scandinavia is not a vacation; it is a reset button. It forces you to slow down because you simply can’t rush through snow.
I returned to the office not just “rested,” but cleared. If you need to find your center in 2026, don’t look for it in the sun. Look for it in the snow.
