394: Northern Lights, Sámi Culture and Raising a Family in Arctic Sweden with Jonny Cooper

Episode Summary

Hear stories about life in the Arctic, from polar bears and midnight sun to dog sledding, ice hotels and Aurora magic. What happens when a life-changing trip to see the Northern Lights inspires you to leave England, move to Swedish Lapland, and raise your family in the Arctic? In this episode, Jonny Cooper shares his journey from UK DJ and IT professional to founder of Off the Map Travel and resident of Arctic Sweden. We explore the realities of life under the midnight sun, raising bilingual children in a culture deeply connected to nature, and what he has learned from the Indigenous Sámi people. Jonny also shares unforgettable stories from across the Nordic Arctic, including dog sledding with Inuit communities in Greenland, encountering the unique realities of Svalbard’s polar bear country, staying in world-famous ice hotels, and witnessing the awe-inspiring magic of the Aurora Borealis. Whether you’re fascinated by Arctic travel, Nordic culture, family life abroad, Indigenous wisdom, or the transformative power of immersive travel, this episode offers a rare window into one of the world’s most extraordinary regions.

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Jonny Cooper

Jonny Cooper is the founder and Group CEO of The Pinnacle Travel Group, a collection of high-end travel brands creating emotionally rich, culturally immersive experiences for modern explorers across the Nordics. Originally from the UK, after a life-changing trip to witness the Northern Lights, he and his wife Kate were inspired to launch Off the Map Travel and move to Swedish Lapland where they are now raising their two kids.  This on-the-ground perspective helps him create experiences that are authentic, culturally immersive, sustainable, and deeply personal. Jonny is also the founder of Aurora Buddy, a platform designed to help travelers maximize their chances of seeing the Northern Lights through smarter planning and real-time insights.

What You'll Learn
  • How a Northern Lights trip inspired Jonny to move to Arctic Sweden and raise a family there.
  • What growing up in Lapland teaches kids about nature, language and Indigenous Sámi culture.
  • Stories from Greenland, Svalbard, ice hotels, dog sledding and life in the Arctic.
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Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. If you click through any links and make a purchase, you should assume that Maverick will receive financial compensation (at no additional cost to you). We greatly appreciate you using our affiliate links because it helps to support the show and cover production costs of the podcast.

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Time Stamped Show Notes

**Click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode.

[0:40] Introducing Jonny Cooper

[2:22] The Wine and Culinary Scene in the Arctic

[4:19] Life in Swedish Lapland During the “Midnight Sun”

6:44: Growing up in the UK and Becoming a DJ

10:10: Developing His Interest in World Travel

[11:13] Taking a 9-Month Round the World Trip

[12:09] Living in New Zealand

[13:15] First Trip to India

[14:33] Seeing the Northern Lights for the First Time

[15:42] Deciding to Move to Swedish Lapland

[20:29] Driving from England to Swedish Lapland

[23:58] Differences between Swedish Lapland and the UK

[26:59] Raising Kids with Mixed British-Swedish Identities

[29:05] Integrating Travel Into their Kid’s Lives

[30:57] What His Kids Will Take with Them from Growing up in Lapland

[31:58] Lessons from the Indigenous Sami People

[36:28] Jonny’s Most Unforgettable Aurora Experiences

[39:30] Seeing “The Triple Lottery”

[41:54] Dogsledding with the Inuit People in Greenland

[46:42] The Polar Bears of Svalbard

[49:03] Amazing Places in the Nordics that Few People Visit

[49:57] Founding and Growing “Off the Map Travel”

[52:29] Foraging and Fishing in the Nordics

[53:52] The Ice Hotel

[56:44] How Arctic Tourism Has Changed and the Risk of Over-tourism

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