Tranquility takes over

Levi sparked my soul.

–  I HAVE TRAVELLED around the world for skiing since I was 12 years old. At some point I started to think if there’s anywhere left to travel. I was looking for a place that was quiet and where my wife could learn to ski and reckoned somewhere with no direct flights from England would be exotic enough.

The first time the plane landed in Kittilä it was February and –35 degrees Celsius. Something hit me and nowadays I own two apartments in Levi.

I work as a manager on an offshore oil rig. My work is mentally and physically demanding but enables me to take long breaks between shifts. I get to enjoy Levi all year round. When I get there I feel like a different person. During the summer I run and in the winter I ski every day. I love slow mornings after which I pack my skis and head out to the fells. Up there I feel I get to be alone with my thoughts. The silence comforts me, the view is perfect.

I carry the magic of Levi with me everywhere. Out in the open sea on the oil platform I have a picture of a Levi landscape taped on my computer screen. That way I can always dive into the landscape of my mind.

Duncan Redpath