Tromsø, Norway
Way back when, I told myself that if I ever had the chance to visit other countries, I’d make sure to check off my top three dream destinations:
- Switzerland – to hike in the Swiss Alps
- The Arctic – to witness the northern lights
- French Polynesia’s Bora-Bora – to swim in its crystal-clear waters
Fast forward to today — the first two are already checked off. Not bad for a simple dream from a once skinny, malnourished boy who came from the middle of nowhere on a small island called Bohol.
Iris and I had been to Norway once before, but only to Oslo. This time, we went all the way up north — Tromsø. It’s one of the most popular destinations for chasing the northern lights. And our mission up there was crystal clear: see the aurora borealis with our own eyes.
But like all good things in life, there are no guarantees. The northern lights don’t perform on demand. So we stayed in Tromsø for a full week, hoping for a few chances, even if luck wasn’t on our side.
And man — it really looked like luck and the aurora were playing us hard.
Also, in case you didn’t know: Norway is expensive as fuck. So failure? Not an option. 😅
On the night of our tour, we left the city center at 10 p.m., hearts full of hope — and a guide full of doubt. The sky was smothered in clouds, a cold drizzle had started, and things weren’t looking good.
Still, we chased the light. Two hours deep into Finland, praying the skies would be clearer there. But Finland gave us more of the same — rain, snow, bitter cold. The guide gently broke the news: if we didn’t catch it tonight, they offered a discounted tour on another day.
We kept searching for another hour. Nothing. Eventually, the guide made the call to head home.
Then — just as the van started back — he suddenly signaled the driver to stop. He stepped outside, looked up, and said he saw something. Faint. Invisible to the naked eye, only visible through a camera’s long exposure.
It wasn’t much, but it was something. So we took turns standing in the freezing rain for a single long-exposure photo. A tiny consolation prize.
Fifteen minutes later, with most of us dozing off in quiet disappointment, the guide suddenly shouted:
“Guys, look outside!”
And there it was.
The elusive motherfucker — green as hell and dancing like it owned the night.
We pulled over, lit a bonfire under that majestic sky, sipped hot chocolate and deer soup, and just stood there in silence, watching. I honestly wanted to cry, but it was too damn cold and there were too many people around.
We got back to the hotel happy, full, and with a bucket list dream glowing in our memories.
