Finland

Finland, a magical country
I grew up in by the Arctic Circle in Lapland, Finland. Lapland is magical. In the summer, you can see the sun shining all night long. In the winter, it is dark all day. That is ok, because at night you can see the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights). But rather than a place, Lapland is a mindset — like Big Sur on the Pacific Coast.

Growing up, I loved the nature so much that I wanted to become a forest ranger so that I could spend all my days in the woods. Instead, I became a social scientist concerned about power and knowledge distribution in society and fascinated by the power of media innovations. Regardless, I still wander out to the nature whenever I can — these days often in the soft prairie wind in the American Midwest.

Enjoy some beautiful pictures of Finland taken by my father. You can find more on his website.

Johan Tuoma Labba in Enontekiö, Finland, in 1995. Johan Tuoma Labba herds reindeer near Kilpisjärvi. He moves his reindeer towards better grazing grounds.

Our family doing cross-country skiing in Kilpisjärvi, Finland.

On a hiking trail in my hometown Keminmaa, Finland.