I am just over my three month mark living in Norway in Svalbard! I cannot believe how fast the time has gone, and I am so excited to continue during the polar night! The sun set for the last time until February on October 25th, and now we are in the polar night season. The light will be completely gone on the 12th of November, and the hardest challenge I have faced thus far is getting up when the sky is pitch black. My shared kitchen mates and I have been going for walks in the mornings as a substitute for the sun (along with vitamin D supplements, of course!).
Svalbard has surpassed any expectations I had of studying abroad. I have met such wonderful people who I am excited to stay friends with for a lifetime, and I have been going on many adventures so far. Weekend cabin trips in the most beautiful environments with tacos and card games are hard to beat, even in complete darkness!
My courses have been teaching me about the geo morphology, history, uses, and fragility of the landscape here in Svalbard, and in the arctic in general. The arctic environment and Svalbard are a goldmine (or coal mine up here!) for geology, because the lack of vegetation allows for detailed study on the slope processes, periglacial reworking, and geological history of the region. The fieldwork that we undertake as part of my courses is my favorite part of school by far. The polar night has kept us inside more and more, and we are focusing on analysis and reporting our field findings.
Culturally, I feel so at home here. The people have been so welcoming and kind jeg kan snakker litt norsk nå, men jeg lærer forsatt med hjelp fra vennene mine (I can speak some Norwegian, but I am still learning with the help of my friends), and the term koselig has never felt more applicable. This place and these people have made my experience what it is, and I am grateful for how they approach life differently from how I have in the past. Experiencing a new way of life is what I came for, and I am leaning in 100%.
I am so excited to see what the rest of polar night has in store, and to welcome the sun back in February. Ha det for nå, og takk for meg!
Maddy Billups, Arctic Scientific Studies in Svalbard