Helena Saw Her First Aurora!

Who are you?

“I’m Helena Ohlsson from Sweden. I moved to Finland six years ago and I’m currently studying to become a physiotherapist. This brought me to Nykarleby where I’m doing my internship.”

Helena Ohlsson saw her first aurora in November 2025.

How did you get to see the northern lights?

“I said to my host that I would love to see the northern lights and he immediately pointed me towards Ove and Nordland Aurora. We contacted Ove and asked if he could help. It sounded quite unbelievable when he said that the aurora could appear already the same day!”

We headed out three hours later and the northern lights woke right after we arrived in the darkness. Helena was lucky who could have this opportunity so quickly after asking about it.

Despite the clouds the northern lights were clearly visible by the northern horizon.

How did it feel to see the lights?

“It felt totally amazing! I was a little skeptical an thought that I may not be that lucky. I just thought I’d never get to see the northern lights. 

But seeing them felt magical! At first they were so faint so they were hard to detect in the sky. But Ove showed what the camera saw and it was easier to see through the camera. After a while they became stronger and my eyes got more used to the darknes so it got easier to see them. 

I learned how to identify them. It felt very cool to be able to do that! I guess some people see them without knowing it’s the northern lights. This was a dream come true and, as I already said, it felt magical!”

A happy Helena with the aurora in the background.

Did it make you want to see more of the aurora?

“Yes, absolutely! I had loved to see it multiple times but I’m going back to Helsinki now and it may not be visible there. I’m really grateful for this opportunity.”

Thank you for the interview, Helena!

Remember, this is the experience of someone who moved from southern Sweden to southern Finland and came to Nykarleby (which isn’t at all as far north as Lapland or the Arctic Circle). She was just as excited as people from Central or Southern Europe or America. Just because you are from the Nordic countries it doesn’t mean seeing the northern lights is less of an experience. 

When visiting the Finnish west coast (Vaasa–Kokkola regions) and you want to see the northern lights, please contact me and I will help you.

Click the button for more information.

Aurora Tour

The auroral activity shone through the thin cloud cover.