Finding the Joy of Missing Out in Finland

Disconnecting in the winter seems like the most natural thing living beings do. Bears den in caves until spring. Certain frogs can freeze solid from the cold before later reanimating in the warmer months. Humans hunker down in cozy sweaters and fuzzy blankets by the fire with a watchlist of bingeworthy television shows long enough to get through the darkest days of the coldest season.

Some may call this survival instinct, others might say it’s the Danish pastime of hygge. Regardless, what these hibernal activities have in common at their core is the annual need to detach, to withdraw—sometimes in order to protect and preserve one’s wellbeing, sometimes to rest and rejuvenate. That’s why the latest travel trend JOMO, or the “joy of missing out,” might actually be best to experience in the heart of winter. And in a destination like Finland, where winter is the Nordic nation’s longest season, you can learn a lot about joy from the country consistently voted the happiest in the world.

As the polar opposite of FOMO, or the fear of missing out, JOMO is all about focusing on doing what truly makes you happy and finding the joy in being present where you are, something I needed a healthy dose of. Some 6,437 km (4,000 mi) away back in New York City, I left behind my disappointment of a missed opportunity: a coveted ticket to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. It would have had me at VIP pre-game parties all weekend, walking onto the field at the Caesars Superdome following the game, plus enjoying a suite-level seat to the highly anticipated halftime show headlined by Pulitzer Prize-winning rap artist Kendrick Lamar. If everything happens for a reason, I’d like to think my not being able to attend the big game this year was instead a valuable opportunity to personally discover the meaning of JOMO. And in Finland, there likely isn’t a faster way of achieving JOMO than heading to the sauna, a UNESCO distinguished hallmark of Finnish culture.

I wasted no time searching for a public sauna to visit during my two-night stay in Helsinki, and ultimately came across Kotiharjun Sauna in the Kallio district, one of Helsinki’s oldest public saunas. Kotiharjun is as traditional a Finnish sauna as it gets: it’s the last wood-heated sauna in the city, separate sauna rooms are available for men and women, swimwear is not an option, and the place is teeming with locals.

No visit to Finland is complete without a trip to Finnish Lapland, the northernmost part of the Nordic country largely located above the Arctic Circle. This region is known for its bustling population of reindeer, the home of Santa Claus, and some of the most serene winter landscapes to be found anywhere on the planet. Staying in a glass-dome igloo at least once on your trip is a must, and Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort has some of the most Instagram-worthy glass igloos in the region. Nearly all of the resort’s accommodations come with their own private electric saunas, providing prime opportunity to deepen your disconnection from the modern world while soaking up the riches of a new one.

Wintertime above the Arctic Circle (Kakslauttanen is 68° north of it) is all about experiencing polar nights, where the sun can remain below the horizon for up to 52 days, leading to longer hours of darkness and twilight. That means discovering another increasingly popular trend here: noctourism, or nighttime travel experiences. Going on a Northern Lights hunt is a given in these parts; head out on snowmobile or by shuttle to dark remote locations to spot the Aurora Borealis and stargaze in between sightings. The clearest nights are your best bet to spot the Northern Lights, so if it’s too cloudy, take advantage of other noctourism activities like a reindeer sleigh ride and dog sledding, after which you can huddle around a fire in a lavvu, a traditional portable tent used by Lapland’s indigenous Sami people, while sipping on hot blueberry juice, a classic Finnish staple.

No matter how you choose to achieve it, the joy of missing out isn’t just about the physical things you choose to do—the power is in achieving a peaceful state of mind.

By Nicole Edenedo