Finding North

«And the days will become endless and never, Never turn to night» There comes a moment during summertime in the north of Sweden when the sun never really sets. And when it does, it's for a very brief period and it comes back shortly after. I believe most people call this the midnight sun . I like to think of this period ( like the title suggests ) as endless nights and yes, I'm aware, if anything I should refer to it as endless days because the sun never really goes away. It's as if we float still in time, the promise of the sun always peeking over the horizon. It's one of the most beautiful things I have ever witnessed. I love going outside and seeing the bright, warm colored sun in the sky, casting its orange, pink and purple shadows onto the clouds and letting us know that the light is here to stay. Darkness seems to lose its meaning and I almost forget what it will look like in a few months.  For now, I choose to rejoice in the radiance. It's freeing...

Ah, Midsummer. The second biggest holiday in Sweden ( after Christmas ) and the one I had been eagerly wanting to experience for the past six years. I know, quite the buildup right? And so far in life I've learnt that the bigger the expectation, the bigger the fall. So to ensure that disappointment didn't swallow me whole on this most gracious day, I tried to lower my anticipation and just tried to enjoy it as best as I could.  We opted for simplicity and decided to follow my boyfriend's family to Bonnstan ( the old Church Town ) to watch the celebrations. I wanted a real, authentic feel of what this day was really about and I have to say that it was as traditional as it gets, with the big pole in the center, a lot of singing and, of course, dancing.  Midsummer is all about greeting the arrival of summer, whilst celebrating life, light and fertility on the longest day of the year. Originally, nature was seen has having special powers that would ensure good heal...