Of opportunities and the Northern Lights

"In life, just as in sport, you must never ever let an opportunity go" - Laurent Fignon (1960-2010), twice winner of the Tour de France

There's quite a long story behind this trip. Well not that long so bear with me...

Not long after Vodafone left me I was chatting to some friends about the reality of my situation when one of them (Sam, northern, knows me better than myself!) challenged me. She wanted to know what was the one thing, of all the things I could do, what was the one single thing I wanted to do? I thought for only a second or two then with utter conviction said "I want to see the Northern Lights". Don't ask me why this was the one thing that bubbled to the surface at that particular moment, but it IS something I have been fascinated by since I learned about them as a child. And now I could create an opportunity to try and photograph them :)

The next thing that happened was Billy offering me a trip to see the world cup in South Africa that clashed with another trip I had already planned to Bratislava (love travel, tough life!). So I suddenly had a return Sleazy Jet flight to Vienna that I needed to move to somewhere else. So I did. Late sun? Early snow? Nah!! After hours of painstaking research (well a quick scan of the genius that's wikipedia) I booked a flight to as far north as Sleazy Jet could get me. Gothenburg!

So here I am sitting on the train from Goth to Oslo, the sky is clearing, I'm told there might be some chance of activity, and tomorrow I fly to Tromso, inside the arctic circle. And I have NO idea what to expect, whether I'll be able to see them, whether I'll be able to photograph them. To be honest it doesn't matter because I'm going to be seeing somewhere totally new to me. It's hugely exciting and really quite liberating to just travel like this, without a package tour rep, chalet host, charter flight or tedious coach transfer in sight. Beach hols just aren't for me!!

Staying in Rygge tonight, earlyish flight tomorrow. Bet I don't sleep!!