Hunting for the anticipated light

by Anastasiya Kuchyna (Ukraine)

I didn't expect to find Iceland

In childhood, my grandfather frequently told me that there is no more magic thing than light in the specific areas of the night sky. He shared the legends about the souls of the dead who were following the Polar path to reach the new life while the beauty of Aurora assists them in eliminating the bygone years in the earthly matter. I strongly believed that the Northern light might be seen exclusively by a select person, pure in soul and thoughts, the one for whom Aurora will become a symbol of even greater achievements. Somewhere in between the legends about the sun wind I made up my mind to arrange the first hunting in my life. During the flight, I was awaiting the lights in the plane windows. When we started to descend, I became afraid that my dream will not come true. In the first evening, finishing my hot chocolate cup, a local explorer of nature accounted that this phenomenon is, actually, quite rare hence you have to have enough luck at your back to observe it and not everyone possesses a right to catch the beauty of oxygen glow. I woke up at four am – I could not have a rest, so I went out and was messing around the town, knowing that the dream was a step ahead from me but no one could point the coordinates to it. I did not notice how rapidly it got dark; the day was fantastic but my unrestrained desire to hasten the darkness played its role. I was sitting in the car in the suburbs of a small village in the southern part of the island, staring at the sky. The stellar sky did not differ significantly from the one I was gazing at every evening at home. There existed merely one formality: in my home sky, there was no chance to observe the magic light Suddenly, I realized that I have not eaten during the whole day. I took my thermos out of the bag and knocked at the nearest doors. A tiny boy with a remarkably welcoming smile opened the door. The heartbeat in my face as it was such warm inside that only thanks to him I realized how cold I have actually got. I asked whether he could call someone elder, he invited me inside and ran away, calling his father. Icelandic father showed up two times smaller than expected. I did not wish for distracting or delaying him and at once inquired whether I could get some hot water. He turned on the cattle and got back to me, the conversation was considering the only fact I was pondering at that moment – the Northern light. I outlined how I was imagining my evening: sitting in the car with a warm snack and the biggest screen in my life – the horizon – was presenting the painting I was waiting for so long – the Northern Light. He listened patiently to my story and told me: - Look, I am sure that you will see it. Let’s have a look outside. You came here in November, it is the optimum month to observe it! He opened the doors. While I was crossing the threshold, he already told to have a look upside. There is no sense depicting what I have sighted there: a green light over my head. Iceland man began to laugh, allegedly strengthening with his laugh the light over our heads. I was so wonderstruck that I literally forgot about any concerns, the hunger, my car, the cap I left inside. I walked towards the light, affected by this natural masterpiece. I remember I was crying at the airport. This island has astonished me a hundred times more I was expecting before. It returned me the faith in miracles, opened the other side of nature, amazed with the landscapes and weather conditions. We literally became friends, I felt it. Now I am repeatedly coming back to see how the souls of the deceased are crossing the magic bridge towards the new life and the beauty of this light eliminates their memory again and again.