Back to all posts
My heart was sinking. It wasn’t looking good.
It took over a year of planning and 3 more years of waiting (thanks covid) to make it to the Arctic Circle… and the weather wasn’t cooperating.
My husband and I wanted to see the Northern Lights for our 10th wedding anniversary. The aura borealis, natural lights that danced in the star-filled sky was something that I always dreamed of seeing.
We planned everything. The best place in the world to see them – northern most cities, which happen to be in Sweden and Norway. The time of year – when it was darkest the longest to increase chances. We planned activities, so that we were outside hours at a time.
But all of that didn’t matter – because it was cloudy and snowy, blocking any lights that would have shown. Which of course was beautiful on its own! But it wasn’t the Lights. And it didn’t look like it was going to change while we were there.
During one Lights excursion, where we had 0% chance of seeing them… the guide gave us a nighttime photography lesson instead. We learned about the proper setup for your camera and how to use lighting to capture the subject’s face.
Later in the trip, we put our newfound skills to use as we waited for the Lights… taking the picture above (with an iPhone!). It’s one of my favorite of the two of us on our trip, overlooking a Norwegian fjord.
Unfavorable circumstances gave an unexpected gift.
"Curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."
Now, I don’t normally chit chat with taxi or transport drivers. I’m an introvert, after all!
But as we were being driven to our hotel after traveling from Sweden to Norway, I decided to switch on my curiosity. I asked our driver if he was from town.
The conversation unveiled he was actually a Northern Lights guide and he often chased the lights as far as Finland (3 hours) to find the right conditions to see them. Wait… what?! That was possible? This was not on our itinerary.
We dug into his expert knowledge. We were there for 4 days… how good were our chances? Was he working during that time? Were there spots open for us?
We booked the tour for our last night in the Arctic Circle as soon as we got to our room… and crossed our fingers.
I the meantime, we had amazing experiences dogsledding, reindeer sledding, snowmobiling and whale watching. So wonderful, but all cloudy. No Lights.
This last chase was our last chance. And the right place with the right people lined up – success!
Our amazing guide found clear enough sky in a gorgeous landscape. The lights appeared for us three times – each time getting stronger and increasing movement, dancing across the sky. You can see the red color show up with the green in the picture below, which didn’t always happen either.
The Northern Lights were beautiful and amazing and I was so grateful to be able to see them, right there in front of me.
I didn’t expect a lesson in innovation on my vacation. But there it was…
Even the best planning can go wayward with unpredictable factors. Curiosity and learning are powerful tools to help find new paths to your goal. Even in the middle of the execution.
Stay curious my friends!
P.S. I’m excited to be back from vacation and share with you new things I’m working on! Look out for Free Masterclasses being announced soon… right in your inbox 🙂
“Curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”
– Walt Disney
An American pioneer of the animation industry
