Exploring holidays in Finland.

Finland could not be the first nation you would consider for a fantastic vacation spot. Most people think of reindeer, a lot of woods, and a few thousand lakes that all look eerily alike. But that's the beauty of it. Finland is like that silent buddy who shows up to the party late, causes no disturbance, and somehow turns out to be the highlight of the evening.

To start, Helsinki, the capital, is sort of like the sophisticated and a bit scary Scandinavian cousin. The city has lots of unique design stores, warm coffee shops, and enough modern architecture to make any minimalist faint. Visit the Market Square by the harbour to sample salmon soup so fresh it most likely swam there this morning. Or the whimsical Temppeliaukio Church, literally sculpted from solid rock. It's Finland all bundled up in one granite embrace; it's quiet, it's odd, and it's peaceful.

Finland's natural side then encompasses almost everywhere else. You can see the Northern Lights, have lakes that are like nature's mirrors, and forests that stretch on for days. The Aurora Borealis is magical, spectacular, and a bit of a tease since, let's be real, they never come just when you want them to. But it's worth every cold minute spent outside staring up like a child who forgot to draw their curtains before bedtime when they do.

Lapland is the place to be if you're feeling daring. Probably the only place on Earth where midlife adults may feel totally justified in laughing uncontrollably and donning pointy hats is in the land of reindeer, husky sledges, and Santa Claus tourism, from cross-country skiing to snowshoeing to attempting not to faceplant. At the same time, ice fishing and snow activities abound. The people who live there, known for their quietness, will give you polite tips on how to keep your brows from freezing. This is more helpful than you might think.

Finland's cuisine is rather interesting. Consider strong, fresh, forest-meets-sea. Fundamentally a national pastime, berry picking somehow finds a guise in almost every meal. Modern Finnish food, however, is surprisingly creative. Reindeer tartare or cloudberry treats may cause you to wonder why you ever considered you needed anything else in life.

Also, let's not forget the sauna. It seems that every Finn has one in their home or at least a 15-minute drive away. It's a site to relax, maybe ponder all of life's important issues like why you didn't bring a spare pair of socks, and sweat. It's a national pastime, a cultural custom, and really a fantastic excuse to do nothing for a time without shame.

Finland, therefore, whispers charm, oddity, and a sort of subtle magic that crawls under your skin rather than screams party or drama. You could go for the lakes or the lights, but you'll stay for the times when you're laughing at yourself, shivering, and feeling like you've stumbled into a little bit strange, quite stunning postcard of a country.