It’s 6am here and I’m too excited to get to sleep. Writing this from Tromso, Norway with a growling stomach.

I’ve always loved auroras since young. I remember first seeing them in a Japanese movie about the sinking of Tokyo. I made a mental note that I must see this phenomenon when I grow up. Today, my dream came true.

We took a 20+ hour journey from Singapore to Oslo with an 8 hour transit in Qatar followed by another hour’s flight to Tromso. When we arrived, the weather looked pretty cloudy but we kept positive, believing that it will be a good night. As the sun sets, the skies cleared and we met up with our guides for the aurora hunt. We were pretty happy that we were the only 2 people on that tour and therefore would not be rushed or compromised with our timings. The guides told us that there was a massive solar storm last weekend and they got some really awesome sightings (with images to prove!). But they also said that it’s not likely that there will be another today. I was a little disappointed, but was happy to make do with whatever kind of light I can catch.

We dropped by a few scenic sites before finally stopping on a high vantage point surrounded by hills. Here, we waited and saw some faint traces of the elusive northern lights which the cameras were able to pick up, but appear really faint to human eyes. To cut the story short so I can catch some sleep, we waited for a good 5 hours and was almost on the verge of going back to the hotel when things took a turn for the better. Out of nowhere, a streak of light appeared and both me and William scrambled for our cameras in darkness and left the hot tea that was served to us on the roof of the car. One streak extended into two, and three … and a formation. It hit us so fast and before we know it, the entire sky was lit up by the greatest light show on earth. The lights came in fast and furious, with portions of it dancing like electronic equalizers. I forgot the biting cold on my hands and was busy wiping off the ice that were forming on the lenses. After taking many many shots and running between cameras set up at different directions, I slowed down and took time to appreciate nature’s beauty unfolding before my eyes. It was truly a sight to behold.

I’m not sure if we are going to chase the lights tomorrow. For now, I’m going to to enjoy some nice sleep.

A Northern Lights self portrait.