#88: See the Northern Lights

 
 

 Arctic vacations are the 'hottest' vacations right now. Everyone has been heading to Iceland, Norway and even Antarctica. I have been wanting to go to Northern Norway for years. My family is originally from that area and I still have many family members that live there. So for me, not only is it one of the most beautiful regions in the world, it is also where I could feel connected to my family roots.

 


 This February I finally got the chance to put on my snow boots and my giant snowcoat that makes me look like a 90's rapper. I went to go stay with a cousin I had never met and had the time of my life seeing the raw natural word of the Great North.




 


One of the reasons that I wanted to go in February is because I wanted to make sure that I didn't miss out on any winter activities, one of those being seeing the Northern Lights. The Northern Lights are tricky because they aren't guaranteed. Some people spend hundreds of dollars going on tours where you spend 8 hours driving around the country side hoping that you get lucky. And sometimes after all this effort, they end up with nothing to show for it. I was lucky because we were able to go out in my cousins car and go where we want at our own pace. It was really relaxing just sitting in the dark gazing up at the stars. We went out two nights and the first night we saw a faint glow of the lights and I took the absolute worst picture of the Northern Lights.





     The next day that we went out again and we saw an amazing view of the lights. It was cold but absolutely amazing. I could have sat there staring at the sky all night, but eventually frostbite might have set in. I tried to take some pictures, but holding a camera in the cold without a tripod is a challenge, and it was more about the experience anyway. I had of course seen pictures before had no idea how they moved and danced across the sky. I was so excited that we actually were able to see them and it wasn't a wasted night. I would highly recommend doing this but it is much better to go without the tour company because it makes for a cozy and relaxing experience.

#169: Devils pool in Africa

      Africa Video

      When making a list of things I should do with myself while on quarantine, I had the realization that I once had a bucket list travel blog that I was notoriously terrible at updating. So in between snacks, Netflix, online aerobics videos and reading, I decided it was time to get back into the swing of writing out my sorry list of accomplishments so I could live vicariously through my past self.

      A year and a half ago I did that amazing once in a lifetime trip to Africa. I saw my favorite animal the beautiful dainty dork the giraffe, I watched lion cubs play next to an elephant carcass, I slept under the stars and one time I almost died…kind of.

     The first day in Zambia we went to Victoria Falls. It was the dry season, so the waterfall was more tame but impressive none the less. We had seen pictures of people dangling off the edges in the Devils pool and thought we would give that a try ourselves. There was a local conveniently sitting right next to the waterfall and said that he would give us our own private tour. One of those typical stunts where naïve tourists think he is just being generous but then of course at the end he asks for donations. We were eager to go and knew that climbing across the top of the world’s largest waterfall probably wasn’t the smartest idea ever. And whatever he asked for in money would for sure be cheaper than the steep price of a legit tour. He took us on a two-hour trek to the different pools and we had an amazing time walking along the edge of the world.

     One of the stops along the way to the Devils pool our guide showed us this spot where we could also stand on the edge. He went down with me and told me where to put my feet and held on to me. Thankfully he was there because when I was trying to put my feet into the spots my feet started to go over the edge and he had to pull me back. It freaked me out, but while it all happened, I thought, ‘well this is an interesting way to die’. Thankfully my brother was there to catch my reaction. Now it is one of my favorite memories of the trip and always makes for a good laugh. I am glad we went; it was beautiful and made for a lasting memory. Maybe I should be a little more cautious, but that would involve an intensive change in character that I have not been able to commit to yet.

Overall, it was amazing and despite the little slip-literally- it was completely worth it. It has become quite the tourist trap in the recent years so being able to go on our own with our unlicensed guide was great. So there we go. This quarantine has officially made me better at updating my blog than I have been in a year and a half. But now I must return to a puzzle that has presented itself to be my greatest nemesis.