‘I’ve never felt such a skin-zinging feeling of being alive’: my year of swimming in Nordic seas

Dipping in the freezing waters of Scandinavia, Greenland and Finland was life-changing – and full of warmth thanks to saunas, hot springs and like-minded people

‘I’ve never felt such a skin-zinging feeling of being alive’: my year of swimming in Nordic seas

TL;DR

  • The author sought to overcome burnout by spending a year swimming in Nordic countries.
  • The experience involved dipping into freezing waters in locations like Bergen, Helsinki, Arctic Norway, Oslo, and Greenland.
  • Swimming was often combined with saunas, hot springs, and connecting with other swimmers.
  • The practice helped the author feel more alive, connected to nature, and discover her resilience.
  • The journey is documented in the book "The Year I Lay My Head in Water: Swimming Scandinavia in Search of a Better Life".