Sunday Morning Thoughts – December 15, 2024
This feels right!
(Picture credit cover picture - Lucie from Chasing Lights)
What an eventful week. It made me reconsider so many things. A total rollercoaster of emotions.
Remember when I said that last Sunday I would just stay in and read. Well, that’s all I did. Of course, I then started to feel guilty about being in Northern Norway and not out exploring.
I know what pouring rain looks and feels like. I don’t need to go outside. Also, I did not see a single person with an umbrella. Obviously that’s not a thing there. Getting soaked in the Arctic winter? Really not on my bucket list.
I can’t describe the feeling when you finish a 500-page book in a foreign language. That sense of achievement. I’ve done it before but I’m still very proud. Haven’t been to Sweden in pretty much exactly five years. And on that last occasion I was only in Helsingborg for about 45 minutes then back on a ferry to Denmark. All I wanted is to buy books in Swedish.
Why Swedish you might ask. Well, they have the best crime novels. I’m not even kidding. And I hate reading translations. If I can, I will always read the original. This one didn’t disappoint. But, as it turned out a few hours later, reading a book where somebody freezes to death in the Scandinavian winter … not the best choice ever, but there you go.
With rain and museum opening hours to consider, I had to be more organized on Monday. Luckily a couple of museums were open all day. So, I went to Polaria first. They are redoing the outdoor pool for the seals. I was really happy to hear this. It’s made bigger and the viewing area will be improved as well. At the moment it’s still very cramped. They had a new seal just in from France. To the linguist in me that raised several questions. How do the seals communicate with each other when they’re from different regions and how does the new addition learn the commands in Norwegian? Fascinating stuff. Yes, I did ask one of the seal trainers. Doesn’t seem to be an issue at all. The biggest problem is that they pronounce the name of the French seal differently to how it would be pronounced in French. Poor Vlad the seal, doesn’t know they mean him.
This experience made me reconsider freedom. While the seals play an important role in the Arctic conservation effort and are well cared for, I still felt bad for them.
Enter the feeling of being stuck. Enter the realization I needed to take back control. Seed planted.
It was still raining when I made my way to the Science Museum. There’s a direct bus that leaves 100 meters from the entrance of Polaria and drops you off right outside (20 meters) the Science Museum. I entered and scored the last locker. Then the fun started. They have so many puzzles and science-y exhibits. One that was particularly fun was the wind turbines. You could start the wind machine and then change the blades and turn them to an angle that would produce the most energy. I talked to a member of staff about this. A very fascinating conversation. When people feel that you are genuinely interested in learning, they totally open up.
I’m working on a series of newsletters about my Arctic adventure. Not entirely sure what those are going to look like yet. I might talk about this some more there.
I spoke French, Swiss German, German, English and a bit of Swedish that afternoon. My head was spinning. One of the reasons I went to the Science Museum was to watch the new Aurora film they showed in their dome cinema. It only plays at 2 PM during winter season. That’s what I meant by needing to time things just right.
Back at the hotel for cake and tea, I checked if Fjellheisen (literally “hill elevator”) was open. It still wasn’t due to high winds. I talked to a bunch of people about seeing or not seeing the Northern Lights. It was a bit frustrating. I know I said I didn’t care too much. Turns out I was really bummed.
Well, I did end up finding a way to see the Northern Lights. It was totally crazy but what an experience that was. I will definitely write about this some more. Let me just share these pictures for now and tell you that the camera sees more color than the naked eye. It was very intense white, and it moved around. There was a faint green and sometimes pink glow.
This was not on my bucket list, but it planted the seed of possibility. The seed of what is meant for you will find you. Or you will find a way to get there.
On my last day I wanted to go to the Museum of Photography and up on that hill by cable car. As soon as I saw the exhibit at the museum, I knew why I was there. There were three quotes on the walls that spoke to me so much, I could hardly believe it. It was the same (different quotes) the last time I went to this museum in February 2020 – and look what happened since. Insane.
Quote 1 (I’m giving you the English translation if that’s okay)
I had a language once. I worked with it until it became like a knife in my hand. With it, I could pin down thoughts, hold them fast. (Sara Fabricius/Cora Sandel)
Quote 2
And you mus write, Sara – never forget this! I know you have a lot you want to say – you are obligated to say it, for all our sakes. (Nini Roll Anker, friend and author)
Quote 3
It is the painter’s gaze that fixes and captures the situations, but it is the language artist who combines all the painterly moments into a stream of images. (Janneken Øverland, Sara’s biographer)
More seeds planted. Don’t question things, just let them work within you.
You usually have really decent views from Fløya (that’s the name of the hill/mountain) the cable car takes you up to. I put on my spikes and walked around for like two minutes. That was enough. It got stormy and it rained. I went straight back down. I needed to digest what I’d read at the museum.
Winter was back later that night, and my trip ended with a walk in the snow. Such fun!
Oh, I almost forgot. Out of a feeling of obligation, I went to the Polar Museum. Still too much in too small a space. And I know the stories by now. What I almost missed though was a few new stories about LQBTQ+ people in the Arctic way back when. It was in a separate room at the front. One that’s easily missed. Glad I didn’t.
Hiding your true self – not healthy. Another seed planted.
I’ve already written most of what I want to say about my trip home. So, that’s coming up. But here’s the headlines: severe snowstorm closed down the airport, had to de-ice twice, made it out in a mad dash, refueled in Germany instead of Tromsø, arrived in Zurich with a 2.5-hour delay. Hectic. Other planes got stuck in Tromsø because they couldn’t come up with a plan B quickly enough. Glad our crew did.
You know what else? Being stuck indoors for much of those rainy days in Tromsø also did something to me. I was letting the weather dictate my movement. Yes, I did not want to get drenched, but I could have easily gotten a rain poncho and/or some rain pants and been out in nature a bit more. It’s all about agency.
All of this influenced what happened next. On Friday, I started playing around with some ideas. And that’s when things started happening and falling into place. It’s absolutely insane. It just kept going and going. Everywhere I looked I saw opportunity. It just wouldn’t stop.
Decisions were made, logos created, concepts built.
Did I fall into “a creative energy hangover” (thanks for that phrase to North Carolina) on Saturday? Oh, you bet! Major hangover. It was so bad. Self-doubt creeping in too. I was ready for it, dismissing that doubt and fear, because when there’s so much energy behind your ideas and plans, the universe is telling you something.
Be brave. Be ready to fall flat on your face. Trust yourself. Trust your instincts. Go for it.
I can’t leave you without mentioning the importance of friendship. The importance of the people in your life that will sit with you and let you rant for hours. So, I did paint this heart and send parts of it to friends around the world. Friendship matters. Friends matter. Connections matter. And no, you don’t have to be in the same place to feel connected. You don’t even have to be on the same continent.
Feeling a surge of energy coming on. Must dash. Have a lovely Sunday everyone and I’ll see some of you later on today.
Hugs all around.
A remarkable adventure. Way to go. Pics are stunning.
What an amazing trip you made. The photos of northern lights were a highlight.