Every January, my wife and I go on an annual, unusual hunting trip. We seek to see the beautiful aurora borealis northern lights.
A few weeks ago, I was unexpectedly invited to Oslo, Norway, as part of a business trip to meet with a new Norwegian client. It seemed destiny was hellbent on sending me to the Northern latitudes in winter, but I had already been to Norway before to chase auroras.
On all my other trips, I had experienced 20 or so hours of darkness but never the ultimate full 24 hours of polar night. I researched my options and learned that the home of the northernmost permanent settlement on Earth, the town of Longyearbyen, is administered by Norway and accessible via a (relatively) easy journey from Oslo. It was two flights away.
This was likely the closest I would ever come to visiting the North Pole, itself.
And that's how I found myself on a 3.5 day trip and dog sledding expedition in total darkness at the northernmost point of civilization on earth.
The red arrow points to the Svalbard Archipelago, home to the town of Longyearbyen, the northernmost inhabited community on the planet.
My trip began in Oslo, where I was greeted by this unusual Welcome sign. Longyearbyen is two flights away.
I'm surprised to see a whole row of Teslas, charging in the center of Oslo. My hosts tell me Norway is the biggest market for Teslas outside the US and they are a "dime a dozen" here.
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