I had the pleasure and privilege of traveling up to the Arctic in Northern Sweden in January, taking a dog sled from the airport to the world’s first ice hotel (see my favorite rooms), snowmobiling through the white-out wilderness, chasing down the Northern Lights and wandering through the wintry woods.

But it’s not just about shelling out cash for excursions and novelty hotels—it’s about the absolutely gorgeous landscape. I can’t remember the last time I felt so refreshed. It’s was -11°C and there was a few feet of snow on the ground, the pine trees drenched in the dry snow. That’s the thing—the snow and air being so dry, it creates a rejuvenating atmosphere where each deep breath brings in air so clean and cold that it makes you exaggerate each one, concentrating completely on the crisp conditions. It was so quiet; the silence was deafening.

Even though it was cold, retiring indoors for the evening was always the toughest part of the day (and I often found myself going back out for a walk after dinner). Here’s a glimpse of why I came to fall in love with winter:

Read the rest of the story and see the photos on Travel and Escape.