“Some ships sail through storms. Others break ice.”

In the far north of Finland, in almost -20°C winds, I boarded “The Sampo”, a retired icebreaker ship that once carved paths through frozen seas. Built like a beast, it now carries travellers across the Gulf of Bothnia, offering a taste of an unreal adventure — the kind most people don’t even know exists.

Up on the open roof deck, the wind was relentless. My eyelashes froze. The chill cut through my cap and gloves. Below us, the sea cracked open under the ship’s force — great sheets of ice splintering apart like glass. It wasn’t just sound — it was sensation. A deep vibration that ripples through your body and makes you feel humbled by the scale of it.

Then came the part I had both dreaded and signed up for:

Floating in the Arctic Sea.

We were herded into changing rooms and zipped into thick, heavy, bright orange survival suits — tight, awkward, and unflattering. My limbs couldn’t move freely, I was claustrophobic, and slightly panicked that once in the water, I’d float away into Norway while the others would smile for group photos.

“Lost at sea in a puffed orange suit,” I imagined the headline. 😂

But once I slid into the water — a carved-out rectangle in the frozen sea, everything shifted.

Above me: a pale, silent Arctic sky.

Below: infinite black water, cold and mysterious.

Around me: stillness.

The suit held me. I floated. Effortlessly. My breath slowed. My fear of water dissolved.

There was just the water, the sky, and the odd joy of existing in a moment that felt impossible.

And somewhere in that quiet, I realized:

This is what life keeps giving me — the rare, the wild, the offbeat.

While the world chases comfort, order, and convention, I keep landing in places like this. I walk different paths. Not always easy, never predictable, but full of stories like this — stories you can’t invent, only live.

Some people measure their lives in milestones. I think I measure mine in moments like these — floating in freezing Arctic water, surrounded by broken ice, feeling more alive than ever.

“Some paths don’t follow maps. They follow wonder.”

🧊 Sampo Icebreaker: Travel Tips

• 📍 Location: Kemi, Finland (Lapland)
• 🗓️ Best Time: Late December to early April
• 🚢 Experience Includes: Icebreaking cruise, engine room + captain’s bridge tour, walking on sea ice, and floating in a frozen sea
• 🕒 Duration: Approx. 3–4 hours
• 🧥 Gear: Thermal survival suits provided; wear warm layers and good socks inside
• 👣 Accessibility: Moderate. Floating requires mobility but is safe and staff-assisted
• 🧍 Solo-Friendly: Absolutely. No one feels alone in a giant orange suit!

👉 You can book directly via Visit Kemi or trusted Lapland tour operators.

And so …No pirates, no treasure — just ice, wind, and wonder. But somehow, I lived my own Arctic Pirates of the Caribbean.