From Vietnam to Finland: Chasing the Northern Lights

A childhood dream in the North

Growing up in Vietnam, the North always seemed to have something magical about it.

Maybe it was the Christmas stories. Maybe it was the idea of Santa Claus living somewhere in the far North. Or maybe it was simply the way winter was portrayed in films: endless snow, dark skies and colourful lights moving above the horizon.

The Northern Lights somehow brought all of those things together. They felt like a reminder that there could still be something magical in the real world. Something that makes you stop, look up and simply wonder.

That feeling was one of the things that inspired me to visit and eventually study in Finland.

And when I came to study in Oulu at the University of Oulu, I was much closer to that childhood dream than I had ever imagined.

When the sky starts to dance

Seeing the Northern Lights is not just about looking at a beautiful picture. It is about experiencing the entire moment. Imagine going outside on a dark winter evening. Snow covers the ground beneath your feet. The air is freezing, and everything around you is quiet.

Then, somewhere above the horizon, you notice a faint green glow. It slowly becomes brighter. The lights begin to stretch across the sky, moving and dancing above you.

At that moment, you almost forget about the cold.

You might be standing outside with your camera, trying to capture the perfect photograph. But after a while, you realise that the photograph can never fully capture what it feels like to actually be there. Above you is the Aurora. Below you is the snow. And around you is the silence of a Finnish winter. It is one of those experiences that you simply do not have every day. Yes, it is cold. And yes, it is worth it.

One thing that photographs of the Northern Lights do not always show is the temperature. Standing outside in the Finnish winter waiting for the Aurora can be very cold. Sometimes you wait for a long time. Sometimes nothing happens. You check your phone, look at the sky, check the forecast again and wonder whether you should go back inside. But then the sky changes. And suddenly, all that waiting feels worth it.

For me, there is something special about standing in the snow, feeling the cold air and looking at the lights above me. It feels like living inside the Nordic winter scenes that once inspired me as a child. It is cold. But it is the kind of cold that becomes part of the memory.

How to increase your chances of seeing the Northern Lights

Of course, you cannot simply walk outside and expect the Northern Lights to appear every night. Part of the experience is learning when and where to look. I usually keep an eye on an Aurora forecast to follow the expected activity. But the Aurora forecast is only one part of the picture. Clear skies matter. Even if aurora activity is strong, clouds can hide the lights completely.

Today, we know that the Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon caused by particles from the Sun interacting with Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere. There is a scientific explanation for every colour and every movement. But knowing the science does not make the experience any less magical. If anything, it makes it even more fascinating.

Checking the cloud forecast is therefore just as important. Darkness matters too. Moving away from bright city lights and finding a darker location can make the Aurora much easier to see. And finally, there is one thing that no app can guarantee: patience. Sometimes you simply have to wait.

From imagining the North to living in it

Coming to Finland changed the way I see the Northern Lights. They are no longer just something from a Christmas movie or a photograph of a distant Nordic landscape. They are part of my experience of living and studying in the North.

As a student at the University of Oulu, I have had the opportunity to experience something that I once only imagined: standing outside on a winter night, surrounded by snow, looking up at the sky as the Aurora dances above me.

And that is perhaps my favourite thing about the Northern Lights. You do not simply see them. You wait for them. You chase them. And when they finally appear, you get a moment that feels almost outside of everyday life.

So, if you are considering studying in Finland and wondering what life in the North might actually feel like, perhaps this is one of the experiences waiting for you. You might have to brave the cold. You might have to wait. You might even go outside and see nothing.

But one night, you may look up and see the sky begin to dance. And when that happens, you might understand why I still believe that there is a little bit of magic in the North. It started as a dream. For me, it started in the North.