We pulled up to the lake house in Tempere and heard the buzz of a chainsaw. Our friend and host for the evening, Antti, was standing on the frozen lake, hacking a hole in the ice. It was easily the coolest thing I saw a Finn do all week.

After some hugs and conversation, he led us into the sauna house (yes, that’s a thing in Finland - it’s an outbuilding with a dining area, kitchenette, a bathroom, and also - a sauna). The wood-fired sauna was already hot, and on top of the rocks were some foil packets. “Smoked sausage and blood sausage. Our dinner.” Antti explained. 

So we ate, then got the sauna party started. Antti’s brother Matti and father Marrti joined us. We hit the sauna for 15 minutes or so, walked outdoors, and used a ladder to climb down into the hole in the ice. After cold-swimming, we’d sit and chat outside while sipping water or Karhu, a crisp, Finnish lager. Then we’d repeat the process. Hot then cold, followed by cooling down outdoors, chatting, telling jokes, and hydrating.

A sauna, cold water, and the outdoors are the holy trinity of the thermal experience. These setups hit different. A sauna with access to cold water and nature is inherently better than a sauna that doesn’t have access to them. 

Sitting outdoors after a sauna and cold plunge is baked into the cake in Finland. Let’s change American culture and brand it into our DNA, too.