The wind was bracing, chilling my cheeks. I thought I’d put on enough warm layers for the boat tour, but I found myself shivering on the bow when the guide reminded us that we could go below deck to warm up with tea and cookies. The fjords were gorgeous, but it was too freezing to enjoy them.
That seemed like the best option for me. I didn’t have my gloves and kept taking pictures with my phone, so my knuckles were starting to get raw. Really this was just the tip of the iceberg — so far, my trip had not been going well. I’d decided to come here because the I got an incredible deal on a flight — who knew tickets to northern Norway in wintertime were so cheap, right! I tried to get some of my buddies to come with me, especially those that I knew liked to ski, but no one took the bait. So, off I went. I’d resolved that if I had to take a trip by myself, then going to the arctic was not a bad option, that solitary Nordic stoicism. I’d blend right in being by myself.