In January 2025, Duluth native Debra Ogston left behind her life in Florida and relocated to Finnish Lapland under the paluumuuttoviisumi (remigration visa). What began as a bold cross-continental move quickly became a journey of internal transformation. Settling into a 1950s veteran’s house along the Ounasjoki River, she found herself immersed in a different pace of life—one shaped by simplicity, seasonal rhythms, and the quiet demands of learning to live in a new way.

In this session, Debra shares how living above the Arctic Circle has reshaped her understanding of happiness, home, and enough. From navigating Finnish bureaucracy in a language she is just beginning to learn, to heating with wood and building a new relationship with solitude, language, and nature, she explores how Finland’s cultural values—quiet perseverance, equality, and stewardship of land—have deeply impacted her sense of self and helped her to see why Finland continues to rank as the happiest country in the world.