Huskies, Reindeers and Northern Lights

A few kilometers over the Polar Circle, in between pine trees and lakes, lies a beautiful lodge. The lakes around it are frozen and the trees are thickly covered in snow, bending under the weight of the frozen water mass. On Christmas Day 2023, we make ourselves comfortable in a six-bed compartment on the overnight train from Stockholm to Kiruna, not really knowing what will await us in the far North. There is no snow in the capital when the train leaves the station, but when we wake up the next morning, the train steadily makes its way through a winter wonderland.

In late 2023, news was that the Northern Lights would be very intense in 2024 due to accentuated solar activity. Even though it was already quite late for the season, we randomly sent about 50 CVs to lodges and hotels around Scandinavia. Lucky as we are, a couple had just resigned from their seasonal position in Särkimukka. The position was not even published yet when we swooped in with our CVs in the middle of December. A chat with the managers, and seven days later, we were on our way to the North.

As seasonals, we can join all tours that are offered to the guests. Upon our arrival, the sun was already gone for a few days and would stay away for a bit longer. We celebrated New Year’s around a bonfire, full of excitement about the season to come. Over the next weeks, we will go on husky tours and drive with the snowmobiles on every occasion. Honza tests my nerves in ice buggy driving and builds a hell of a slide, which lets whoever is crazy enough to try it fly for a few meters—sometimes headfirst into the snow, as I was happy to learn.

We rapidly become friends with Andrija and Pauline, a Croatian-Belgian couple. Andrija and Honza bond in their Slavic origins and are very funny together. We also meet Aurélie, Jeanne and Wout from Belgium, and Kim from Sweden. Jeanne makes the most beautiful beanies and I was lucky enough to be one of her first customers. Honza’s sister Bea comes for a visit, and together with a few of our group, we spend two nights in a cabin nestled along a river—frozen, of course. We read, play and chat, and enjoy the silence in this frozen world.

In January, we experience the coldest day in decades, with temperatures dropping to -42 °C. Luckily, we can use the sauna to warm ourselves up. After our shifts, we often dress with the biggest down jackets and special pants, take reindeer skins, and go lie on the frozen lake, watching the Northern Lights dance in the sky. What a spectacle! I had never seen any before and always wanted to. Even wearing all your clothes and the down jackets, it quickly gets cold when not moving, so we often take advantage of the Hideaway—a tiny cabin with a 180° glass front. The room is so small that it only fits one bed, but that is all you need in order to watch the Northern Lights from a warm, cozy place.

Working in Sweden

Europeans can work in Sweden without much hassle. We just had to register at the tax office. The company we were working with explained the process to us, most likely others will do too. For non-Europeans, you will need a work permit in order to get a job. Positions are posted all over the internet, so check Facebook groups and contact lodges and hotels with a description of your skills. The lodge we worked at was quite casual; there was an interview, but no special skills were required. If you are not as last-minute as we are, consider applying in late summer to have the best chance. You can send your CV for positions published on the internet, or do it the way we did—just send it to the place you want to go! Make sure the company allows staff to join the tours they offer. We were very lucky, as we were allowed to join as many tours as we wanted, provided there were spots left. However, we heard from others who worked in similar environments at different companies that they were only allowed to go once.

If you are on a tight budget, have a look at positions in restaurants. On our workdays, we had either breakfast and lunch, or lunch and dinner provided for a small deduction of our salary. This wasn’t optional and would have been deducted anyways, even if we had chosen not to eat. On top, we were allowed to take home leftovers from the restaurant so there was no real need to cook, even on our days off. This only applyed for indoor workers, our outdoor team was not eligible for this.

In 2024, we earned approximatly 12 EUR per hour, which is low for a Scandinavian country. However, with a rent of 90 EUR per person, free food and nothing to spend money on around, we were still able to save around 1000 EUR per month. Food and especially Alcohol are expensive in the North, so keep in mind that if you want to party, your expenses might be higher.

Any Questions?