.heic "The Northern Lights in Skjol Campsite")
Borealis whispers, night's colored grace
Dancing curtains of light in cosmic space
A dream in motion, vibrant and bright
An aurora, also called northern lights or southern lights, is a natural phenomenon created by giant flares from the sun or solar storms. These flares happen about 150 million kilometers from Earth, sending blasts of charged particles towards our planet. And once it touches the Earth's atmosphere, it results in glowing emissions that take the shape of dancing lights in our skies. This rare event can only be found in the countries near the polar, about 70 degress north and south latitudes, including Iceland, Norway, Greenland, Swedish, Scotland, and more.
Witnessing aurora borealis has always been a dream that once seemed impossible. Even when I finally got the chance to visit Iceland, the timing for its appearance was still unpredictable. We went to Iceland in the middle of April, so the possibility of seeing the northern light was relatively low. The opportunity of seeing the northern lights is high in November through March. Though in April, we will still be able to spot it if we are lucky enough.
And because of that, since the beginning of this trip we tried hard to manage our expectations regarding the northern lights to protect ourselves from disappointments. On our first night at Skaftafell tjaldsvæði campsite in Vatnajökull National Park, the northern lights were dancing out of our window car. But because our body was super tired due to too much driving time, we slept like a log and missed the chance to witness this precious moment.
On our very last night, our last opportunity, we chose a remote campsite, hoping to increase our possibility of catching the northern lights. We chose Skjól Camping, located between Gullfoss and Geysir along Highway 35. The facility in this campsite is meh, but the price per night was quite expensive. Maybe because of that, just about three campervans parked in this campsite.
We barely slept because we often checked Aurora Apps to see if anyone around our location spotted the northern lights. Finally, after waiting for about two hours, we saw a green color appeared in the sky. I woke my husband up to ensure that what I saw was actual northern lights. We waited about an hour in the frozen weather, and the colour intensified. I cried a bit. It was hard to believe that I finally saw the northern lights. A dream I have kept for a long time came true. It was a magical experience that I forever cherish.
Special credit to my husband for being my constant companion on this journey, planting and watering my dream alongside me, and making every step toward their fulfillment incredibly meaningful. Let's go find another aurora together!
Read more about Iceland trip in here.
No comments