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We set out to see the northern lights, the ONE thing I was certain to catch in Iceland. It was a six-hour bus ride into the blackness of the Icelandic countryside for a chance to see colorful night skies. We arrive at a large parking lot and disembark the bus into the frigid air. The headlights of the tour bus slightly illuminate the area. “Lyngbrekka” was the only marker of location, placed boldly across the single barn propped by the lot. Two more coach buses of eager tourists pull in within 5 minutes. We walk into the surrounding field and wait. We wait and wait. Each passing minute is an icy desperation to see if a faint glint of colour will emerge across the night. Moans and groans release from the crowd into the piercing cold. 15, 20, 25 more and no sign of the lights. -40 degrees and a sore neck cocked upward. It’s difficult not to feel disheartened intently staring and shivering. I take a moment to breathe and look again. Wait... “I’m so focused on the lights,” I think “but look at all these stars!” Millions of bright luminaries splinter in the darkness. And then, not one, but two shooting stars glide across the constellations! I feel a tear run down my cheek. I had never seen a shooting star until this moment and finally everything was worthwhile. I smile silently to myself. I can’t feel my fingers or toes but, I'm happy. Myself, Ammara and Ismael make our way back onto the bus to warm up. We wait until it’s time to depart. “At least we tried.” Our focus turns to reviving numb limbs. Seeing the northern lights on this tour is never a guarantee. It’s even stated on the ticket. For a guided journey inland you pay to learn a bit about the country but the main event is a matter of getting lucky with the right conditions. With 50 minutes of this 60 minute venture passed we are ready to head. Coach buses rev and small groups of people clamber back little by little. You can hear the disappointment in several accents. Then, at the last possible moment, strange cheers erupt from persistent watchers outside! We jolt out of the bus, cameras at the ready… Incredible. Flashes of emerald shimmer overhead. Finally! A single long strip of bright green stretched across the night sky as if it were a favour. It danced jokingly, “now you see me now you don’t.” I felt the tricksy nature of Icelandic folklore embody this moment. And that was the first time I saw Aurora Borealis aka. pure magic.