Chasing the Northern Lights: A Dream Come True

The journey started long before we ever thought about traveling to the far north. As far as I can remember, it began with an Amazon Prime Video documentary about life near the North Pole. We watched it a few times, then gradually started looking for similar videos on YouTube. We followed several channels and found ourselves living vicariously through other people’s adventures in the cold, wild North.

I’m not sure exactly when it happened, but somewhere along the way, watching those stories turned into a dream of exploring the place ourselves.

One morning, we suddenly decided to go to Alaska and bought two tickets without having any real plan, as we tend to do with most things in life! Only after booking the tickets did we start thinking about what we wanted to see, do, and experience. Eventually, we settled on three things: the Northern Lights, Chena Hot Springs, and Matanuska Glacier. Everything else fell into place along the way.

Honestly, this dream might never have come true if we hadn’t spent so much time watching YouTube videos about the aurora. After following so many other people’s stories, we eventually ran out of videos to watch. Perhaps that was when we decided it was time to create a story of our own.

October isn’t the ideal time to see the aurora, so we booked two tours to increase our chances. On the first night, the sky was cloudy, but we still managed to catch a glimpse of some color around 2 a.m. It was beautiful, but the real magic was yet to come.

On our last night, the sky was clear, and we began seeing the aurora from our lodge around 9 p.m. Our tour bus arrived at 9:30 p.m. to pick us up, and throughout the drive, we watched the colors grow brighter and more visible.

Around 10 p.m., we saw a vibrant, colorful aurora dancing across the sky through the bus window. It was spectacular, unlike anything we had ever experienced! We were overwhelmed with excitement, eager to get a closer look and capture the moment.

But our tour guide had a plan, and the bus continued toward the designated viewing spot. By the time we arrived, the aurora had faded behind the clouds. We were heartbroken that we had missed the chance to capture that perfect display of the Northern Lights.

Our guide, however, believed there would be a second round. And he was right.

The second display wasn’t quite as vibrant as the first, but it was more than enough to make us forget our disappointment. Around 4 a.m., the sky came alive again with another burst of color. Most of the pictures you see here are from that second display.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, one we would love to relive someday.

A little tip for anyone planning to see the Northern Lights: Patience is essential. You may have to wait for hours in the cold, and there’s never a guarantee that the aurora will show up. Be prepared for freezing temperatures, too. During our trip, we experienced temperatures ranging from -10°F to -18°F. But when the sky finally lights up, you may find that every minute of waiting was worth it.