Levi | Lapland, Finland

So there’s another thing you need to know about this mountain (fell) named Levi. It’s also the name of the town. But technically it’s not. It's so confusing. It’s actually Kittilä, which is the region or something, but everyone just calls it Levi. I was super confused too the first time I typed “Levi, Finland” into Google Maps and nothing came up. But everyone in Finland knows exactly what you’re talking about when you say you're going to Levi. So now that’s all cleared up, let’s talk about all the fun we had there.

Where do I begin? The weather? Yes. Mother Nature really cooked up a spectacular weather week for us. The first couple days when the sun really shows up again, after the long winter months in Finland, feel like the best days of your life. I always forget how wonderful the sun is. And it is, really extra wonderful. So every morning as we sat around the table eating breakfast and looking out the window, someone always said, “Wow, we really have been so lucky with this weather.” (In Finland you’re always surprised when it’s sunny for more than one day in a row).

One of the best things about Lapland is all the animals that live there. I would travel there just to see the reindeer and the huskies. I love them that much. But more on them later because right now I’ve got to tell you about the snowmobiles. Snowmobiling has been on my list of things to do in Finland for a while. The last full day we were in Levi we took some out for a two hour spin in celebration of our friend and travel partner’s birthday. The day before, our friends had told us a horror story about two girls that had driven straight into a tree. So I was a tad anxious. Turns out I was a natural. Well, maybe not a natural per se, but I did it and didn’t run into anyone or anything. And it was so fun! We drove around a big loop through the forest and over the frozen lake, making a couple stops to enjoy the scenery. I think Scott’s favorite part was his helmet. I have to admit, he kind of looked like a bad a**. I was only slightly jealous.

On our way back to the cabin we stopped at this reindeer farm. We watched while a man, dressed in traditional Sami costume, fed the reindeer and then we cooed over the cute little reindeer for a good while. I’ll never get tired of them.

Next up: The magic of Lapland