To be able to spend a few days in a part of the world that is so beautiful and has meant so much to me, that has shaped an essential part of who I am today, is undoubtedly a privilege of the highest order.

I don’t know, but at 61 years old, it feels important to return to places like this.

I’ve tried to share my genuine and hopefully contagious joy and enthusiasm for being back in this extraordinary part of Sweden with many of the folks I’ve spoken with during yesterday’s hike along a stretch of the King’s Trail, Kungsleden, the very last part of the trail that has its grand finale here in Abisko (if the hike started in Nikkaluokta).

During last night’s dinner at Abisko Mountain Lodge, where I’m once again staying for a few nights, I enjoyed moose tartare, smoked Arctic char, and a delightful dessert called Crushed Dreams with crunchy cookies, blueberry jam, rhubarb, and a generous scoop of ice cream. Next to my table sat an American couple who also felt recharged and fueled up with inspiration from the fresh air and beauty of Lapland’s understated landscape.

Like most visitors, myself included, the couple were positively amazed by the vibrant colors and warm weather we are all enjoying right now. But perhaps most importantly, they were struck by the tranquility and inner respite they had experienced here in the very far north of Scandinavia.

In fact, that couple, both from the great state of Indiana, were so entranced that they had already started planning their next trip here.

And who hasn’t already done that?