the pursuit of happiness. It’s a phrase with some uniquely American history, but the concept of happiness and its true nature have been somewhat elusive for much of human existence. Aristotle called happiness man’s highest good and cautioned against the notion of instant gratification. True happiness, which he called by the Greek word eudaemonia, is only achieved when that happiness comes from not merely acquiring things but doing well in a way that benefits your community and the world around you.
Humanity is still working on the pursuit of happiness, but the people in Finland have it wired.
Finland has been voted the happiest country on earth for quite some time. It’s surprising that a country so far north, without tropical beaches or a reputation for legendary barbecue, can tout a title like “world’s happiest place.” The Finns have figured it out, though. Appreciate what you have, take care of one another and your surroundings, and get outside as often as the elements allow. Oh, and regularly spend time in a hot sauna.
Thunderstorms delayed my arrival in Oulu, an hour north by plane from Helsinki, where I made the acquaintance of a very tall and largely silent driver who would take me in the pouring rain to my destination just south of Lapland. The arrow-straight road from Oulu to Iso-Syöte parts a massive sea of conifer trees. There is the occasional marsh and more than an occasional lake—Finland has 188,000 of them!
Lapland, the northernmost Finnish region, is known as the legitimate home of Santa Claus—he supposedly lives on a mountain called Korvatunturi near the Russian border. The Finns call him Santa Joulupukki, which actually translates as “Christmas goat.” But maybe they mean G.O.A.T?
You find one of many winter playgrounds around Iso-Syöte, which sits in the country’s southernmost mountain region. These aren’t massive peaks, but at a hair over 1,400 feet elevation, Iso-Syöte gets more snow than anywhere else in Finland. Ski lifts dot the hillsides, and there is cross-country skiing, dog sledding and a lot of motorized winter recreation. And of course, the Northern Lights are a big draw.
The Hotel Iso-Syöte, which abuts the Syöte National Park, is owned and operated by Juha Kuukasjärvi, who has converted it into Finland’s first bike hotel—a concept widely popular in Italy. This being Finland with its big woods, the rooms and suites are outfitted as such. I was encamped in one of the Aurora suites, with plenty of woodgrain—and my own hot tub.
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