The Nordics gave me a surprise that I never saw coming!

The Nordics gave me a surprise that I never saw coming!

Hi Fun Friends! Like many of you, there is nothing I love more than squishing all I can into my weathered ol’ backpack (or a clean rolling suitcase!) and meeting a country for the first time.

When I return home, I always feel like I have met a lifelong friend.

Clocking over 5,000 kms, my son and I traveled through Norway from the south to north (where we literally hit the arctic circle, and yes, I had to buy a jacket and toque in the middle of summer…don’t ask) then from north to the south through Sweden.

🌲The nature and scenery were breathtaking.

🚵The outdoors was raw and wild.

🐎The history mind-blowing (you could literally feel the Vikings in the air).

But what I was really there for with all my passion, was to understand how the Nordics live lively. What gets the people in these countries excited? What puts a fire in their belly? What gets them amped-up on life?

And what I discovered was surprising.

Before I share my surprise, did you know the Nordic countries are named the “World’s Happiest”? Check out the World Happiness Report. Trust, balance, equality and just enough of everything makes these countries live their lively.

So, what surprised me?

Well, with all this happiness floating around I had a vision of a lot of high energy, a lot of loud (music, boisterous laughter, happy booming sounds) but what I discovered was a heck of a lot of peaceful quiet and a heck of a lot of calm.

What the? Surprise!

Yes, beautiful serenity and calm bliss everywhere from the people all the way into the forest. The locals explained to me how they loved living a simple life with nature all around them for grounding and for their calm. I know I talk about how we all live lively in unique ways, and what works for your neighbor may not work for you. But this calm and peaceful simple living really escalated my own learning to a new level.

The calm and peace I witnessed and felt from the Nordics was truly a special sauce like I have never experienced before. I can explain it as the people and the land just all felt — content.

No restlessness, no chaos, no turmoil, just plain content.

Thank you Nordics for this living lively lesson, and I persevere to keep a little of my life a little more simple these days, and as a result a little more content.   

I hope I have inspired a little ‘hmmmm’ in you to consider too. 

Yours in living lively (+calm) spirit, Treena x