Even though it was 1 AM, the sun was still high above the horizon, casting a golden reflection across the mirror-like sea and bathing Segla and Hesten in warm light. We found a spot on the summit and laid down in the soft vegetation. Around us were fjords, mountain lakes, jagged peaks and open sea. The contrast between the magnificent view and the total stillness of the world around us is something I’ll never forget.
If you ask a dictionary, traveling is human movement from one geographical location to another. To me, it is so much more. And can be other things than just going from one place to another. It can also be eating food that takes you back to a memory, or reading a book that takes you to a parallel universe. More than anything, I believe traveling is about extending your conceptual world.
Often, for me, it starts with a specific dream, an idea or an opportunity. It could be a restaurant I want to visit, a view I want to see with my own eyes, a hike I want to do, a race I want to complete, a sunrise I want to witness or an invitation impossible to resist.
“This summer, we were invited to celebrate Midsummer at a friend’s house in Abisko, Swedish Lapland. That became our cue for a three-week adventure up north.”
The plan for our little family - my boyfriend Martin, myself and our dog Massimo, was more or less to have no plans. Little to no itinerary means room for the unexpected; following recommendations from people you meet along the way, stopping because a view looks interesting, or simply staying another night because you don’t want to leave just yet.
We started our journey from the Swedish west coast, where we live, in the middle of June. With a rooftop tent on the car and everything we needed for my dream outdoor kitchen - from tables and chairs to double gas stove and cooler box - in the boot. The perfect way to bring the essentials wherever the road leads, with the freedom to pull over and make a home for the night wherever we please.
With 21 hours of driving ahead of us, we decided to make the journey part of the adventure; visiting friends along the way and staying for the night at any beautiful spot along the way that might call our names. For every hour we drove north the landscape took new a form.
26.06.16 Pite river & dinner in the wild
Tonight was our first night in the wild. Martin has a talent for finding hidden gems on Google Maps, and this time he led us to the banks of the Pite River. We walked along the river, found a calm spot for an ice-cold dip and then set up camp. Within minutes, the rooftop tent was up and our bedroom was ready, surrounded by pine trees beneath a sky that never really seemed to get dark. We set up a fire to keep the mosquitos away and tossed together a pasta at our outdoor kitchen - with a setup that made outdoor cooking feel luxurious - to the sound of the river.
26.06.19 Midsummer in Abisko
We’re in Abisko and it’s the longest day of the year. However, under the midnight sun, day and night melt in to one. We’re staying with friends for a few days, hiking and running in the mountains. The outdoors is our living room. This morning, before anyone else was awake, I took Massimo for a walk and picked flowers for our Midsummer wreaths. After a run along Kungsleden we swapped running clothes for summer dresses and shirts and sat down by the a festive table overlooking Torneträsk. We ate, sang, played games, went to the wood fire sauna and threw ourselves into icecold water. Then did it all over again. Long after midnight, we were still outside.
26.06.20 Nuolja summit run
Today I ran up Nuolja, 1169 meters above sea level. After the first part of the climb, when I reached the bare mountain, thick clouds suddenly swept in and covered the peak. I stopped and waited. A few minutes later, they began to scatter and the summit appeared again. I followed the trail past patches of snow that had survived the winter and finally reached the top. Turning around to go back down, I could see Lapporten to the south and Torneträsk stretching out in the west. 18 kilometres and 2 1/2 hours later, I was back at the house and was reminded that this is what I want my adventures to look like. Most of the times anyway.
26.06.25 The drive to Senja
After breakfast, we headed northwest, leaving Abisko’s rolling mountains and wide valleys behind. The landscape changed quickly. Soft Swedish mountains gave way to sharp Norwegian peaks rising from the sea and deep fjords. Senja has been on our bucket list for a long time, and being this far north, it felt impossible not to go. We arrived to rain and stormy weather and found a spot beside a white sandy beach with turquoise water. Looking out over peaks disappearing into mist. Sitting outside in down jackets and beanies, cooking dinner while the rain moved across the mountains, was a good reminder that summer looks very different this far north.
26.06.27 Breakfast by the fjord
We’re camping beside a crystal-clear fjord in southern Senja. As every day we started the morning by folding down the sides of the tent to get the view of the mountains as we slowly woke up. I climbed down to make kokkaffe while Massimo was sniffing around camp, probably investigating what had happened during the night. Our closest neighbours were a herd of sheep, bells ringing as Martin made our favourite breakfast: banana oat pancakes with yoghurt and homemade granola. With our travel pantry stocked and the cooling box filled with all our favourite things, we could turn anything from breakfast and packed lunches on the go to simple campsite dinners into something genuinely delicious.
Being in nature feels like being at home. Out here, the comfort of everyday life disappear, and somehow that makes me more present and makes the smallest of things pure luxury; A hot coffee. A warm sleeping bag. Dry socks. A simple meal after a long hike. Everything takes a little longer. And that’s the whole point.
26.06.28 The midnight hike
We started hiking towards the peaks of Segla and Hesten at 21.30 tonight, stopping every now and then to take in the views. We found a spot on the summit, laid down in the soft vegetation and ate cinnamon buns and sandwiches. Laying there, under the midnight sun, far above the Arctic Circle surrounded by mountains, water and golden light we knew we were looking at one of the most beautiful landscapes we had ever seen.
Get to know Therese
“I’m a big city girl who, most days, dreams about mountain tops, remote beaches, meadows and valleys far away from any sounds other than those of nature. Yet it is the contrast between the buzz of the city and the stillness of the countryside that I love most. Somehow, having both makes life feel even more. Traveling isn’t escaping my ordinary life, but extending it.”
Photo by Martin Olsson
Photo by Agnes Maltesdotter
About Therese Elgquist
Therese Elgquist is a Swedish photographer, art director, cookbook author, and outdoor enthusiast. Whether she's crafting another cookbook, cooking over a camp stove, trail running in the mountains, or exploring new landscapes, she shares a passion for delicious food, outdoor adventures and inspires others to enjoy great food wherever the journey leads.
Follow Therese: @thereseelgquist (opens in new tab)
