I never saw the sun on Senja. Three months without direct sunlight. At first and last, the sun was so low that it was hidden behind the steep mountains. For the other one and a half months we had polar nights, so it wouldn’t come above the horizon even if the land was flat (nor above the ocean).
I dimly remember someone telling me a story many years ago, of a village in Northern Norway that was in the valley of a huge mountain. They would only get six months of sunlight per year, the other months the mountain would cover the sun.
To me this sounded so surreal. I associated it with complete darkness or at most very cold, shadowy twilight. I couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to live there.
Well, guess what. I did. Not there there, but it was similar. When I thought about seeing the sun again, I thought it must be really annoying to have this bright, blinding light in the sky.
The first day I woke up outside of Senja, I was greeted by the promise of the sun behind a mountain, and as I started driving, I finally saw it. It was magical. Yes, blinding, but the power it has over brain and body was something I became aware of right there. I wanted to see and feel the sun. To be in its light.
I was still in the shade though. It took until Trøndelag (over 800km South) that I would be able to fully bathe in sunlight.
I spent the night at the parking spot of a magical forest I had discovered on the drive up North. When I woke up, I saw the sun had covered half of the parking spot in light. My car was still in the shade. I got out, and was almost scared to step into the light. It felt so precious. I first let the light touch my hand and slowly stepped in fully. It was still cold, but I could detect a hint of warmth returning on my skin.
I sat in the sun for two hours and I felt like I imagine being high. I was laughing and thinking lots of nice ideas and feeling like I was floating in a pool of bliss.
It was truly an experience I will never forget.