Chasing the Northern Lights, Aurora Borealis – this is a fixed part of many bucketlists. On the Internet, in books or from enthusiastic travelers there are countless experiences. Where to go, when is the best time and which forecast is most reliable. And then, when all the tips have been followed, nature turns its back on you and there is nothing in the sky but bright, twinkling stars. That’s nature – unpredictable. I would like to talk about how I did not find but felt the northern lights.
The snow sparkles in the last rays of the sun before the sky dips into a pink-orange sea of color. The day comes to an end when the sun disappears on the horizon. But when it gets dark and the stars shine in the night sky, the hunt for the Northern Lights begins. Wrapped in several layers of thermal clothing, I stand outside in nature looking north. The sky is clear, the cold winter air keeps me awake and the desire for Aurora increases with every second. Some time passes until a green veil decorates the northern horizon. It is time. A feeling of excitement, tension and joyful expectation spreads through me. It doesn’t take long for the light veil to turn into several streams of northern lights. Only a few seconds later I look above me. I see them. The northern lights in green, yellow and purple. Directly above me. They dance in the clear starry sky. Above me is a natural spectacle that cannot be explained in simple words. I feel excitement and joy, but most of all humility before nature. Something between gratitude and overwhelm. There is no stop or replay button, it is just the moment to enjoy. The strength, the power and the beauty of the northern lights. It makes me seem quite small as a human being. It becomes clear to me that we are only a small part of the greater whole. Once again, I realize that nature is immense. Once again, I realize that nature is our teacher. Once again, I realize that nature brings the best out of us. All the daily worries, all the burden seems to vanish for a short moment. As if danced away by the northern lights.
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