Journey to the Arctic circle centre

I have always been a wanderer, searching for new places and new experiences to make my life more colourful. Since having my son, I've wished to show him the world and its wonders.

A home in a van seems like the ideal lifestyle to do that. I want our first trip to be incredibly memorable just in case it's our only one. It's a thirty-eight-hour journey to the Arctic circle centre in Norway and a couple of stops along the way that I would make it even more. We would spend a lot of time travelling with one of us driving, my son in the middle and the other in the passenger seat.

We'd take the ferry from our home country in the UK to Calais in France. Travelling the coast to Antwerp, I'd enjoy the salty smell before we arrive in the city. I could spend forever near the ocean.

With the rest of the day at our disposal, we would spend the rest of the day at the Antwerp zoo. As an aspiring zoologist, I love telling my son about the different creatures we share the earth with.

We would spend breakfast time the next day in a little cafe in the Grote Markt. The area is beautifully designed architecturally with pointed roofs, long windows and colourful yet understated brick. Feasting on Belgium waffles, we would top them with cream, fresh fruit and honey. My son has always had a sweet tooth like me.

After, my family and I would cross the border into Germany. It's a five-hour drive to Hamburg.

Staying in the van overnight, we would enjoy the calm of the campsite. We plan to customize the van ourselves. Warm wood panelling will line the walls and ceiling; a narrow shower cubicle will stand between our double murphy bed and a black bespoke kitchen; bunk beds decorated with stick-on glow in the dark stars at the very end. I want it to be cosy, simple and ecologically efficient. We want to use solar panels and bring light in naturally with a skylight.

Hamburg seems like a grand city in an old timely way. Eating lobster rolls and other delicious seafood, we would watch the harbour. My son loves boats and would enjoy seeing all the different ships hauling goods.

In the gigantic City Park Planten un Bomen, we would have a picnic for dinner and walk through the vibrant flowers. We would admire the trees and walk hand in hand as a family exploring the world together.

The drive to Copenhagen would take us up the base of Scandinavia and across a huge road bridge. It stands tall in the sky above the water. I'd get a taste of the water briefly before arriving in the city.

On the first day, we want to participate in the Hygge tour where we will visit Rosenburg castle, Peter Beier world of chocolate, Christiansborg castle as well as tasting Danish pastries and coffee. It starts at 9 am in the Nyboder area where the once white houses had been stained stunning shades of orange from the rust of the roofs over time. We would learn how important Hygge is and how it has shaped the Danish culture, one of the happiest in the world.

Before we head to the campsite, we would visit the Torvehallerne to stock up from the over sixty stands. We would use this to make dinner with the fresh produce.

For our last day in Copenhagen, I want to ride the rollercoasters of Tivoli gardens. It will be a fun break from travelling and my son will be able to have a day completely dedicated to being a kid. I'll get to share my love of rides with my son.

The next move is a drive across the underwater bridge to Malmo and then up to Gothenburg. We will probably do that drive the same day as the theme park so we can start early in the next destination.

In the morning, we would like to enjoy the warm humidity of the Garden Society of Gothenburg's palm house. The temperature will be wonderful if we visit in the winter.

As dedicated foodies, we want to explore Stora Saluhallen as well as the Haga, that's full of shops, cafes and restaurants. We can sample the local produce and people watch from the cafes.

Sticking to the coast in the late evening, we would venture up to the Norwegian capital of Oslo. We plan to tour the fjords of Oslo by boat in the morning. The tour teaches people about the city's geography, history and architecture of the Norwegian people.

Staying close to water if it is the summer, we'd like to visit the Sorenga seawater public pool, where we can continue to admire the Oslo fjords while swimming.

We are fascinated by the dome-roofed cinema Colosseum Kino, where we can catch up on the latest movies. It'll probably be a marvel or action movie because we enjoy them as a family.

Finally, before the last move, we will discover more about the history of Norway at the Viking ship and Oslo folk museum. We will get to see authentic, original ships and an entirely recreated village of 160 buildings.

Our final stretch to the Arctic circle centre is a long 14 hours. We will journey through the greenery, mountains and lakes of the Norwegian countryside. Passing through the small villages, we want to admire their iconic coloured wooden houses.

The Arctic circle centre is situated amongst mountain as well as clear open space. With the fresh and natural air will be a symbol of the freedom that we have brought into our lives and the start of our new life of exploring. We don't have a plan for afterwards but we would create a plan for the future at the end of our first adventure. I would like to explore Norway more in-depth as it has an incredible amount of nature that I would like to photograph and share with others.