World of Nuance

World of Nuance

Why the World's Happiest People Keep Running Away to the Woods [Ad-Free]

The fourth video in my series on the world's happiest country is now live.

Jon Santiago's avatar
Jon Santiago
Apr 11, 2026
∙ Paid
Photo: Jon Santiago

Nearly half a million Finnish families own a summer cottage. Not a vacation home in the aspirational sense, but rather something simpler.

A place sometimes near water, usually in the woods, where the whole point is to slow down and disconnect.

There’s an inner peace Finnish people find in nature that can’t be located anywhere else. And perhaps it’s central to why Finland continues to top the rankings as the happiest country in the world.

In this fourth episode of my series exploring the Nordic nation, I headed out to the countryside to spend time with a couple who live long, uninterrupted stretches of the year in their summer cottage. Together, they’ve built a life that seems to orbit around this place.

They showed me the full cottage experience: foraging for berries and mushrooms, swimming in the sea, and of course, sitting in the sauna. At the end of it all, we sat down for dinner together to reflect on what makes living disconnected from city special.

This is Episode 4 of a five-part series on why Finland has been ranked the happiest country in the world. Watch the full video below, and subscribe so you don’t miss the final episode.

User's avatar

Continue reading this post for free, courtesy of Jon Santiago.

Or purchase a paid subscription.
© 2026 Jonathan Santiago · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture