It is really beautiful outside, long lasting sunset, and to the south the first northern lights of the year! Here on Spitsbergen we are that far north, that we often see northern lights to the south.
This short time of the year we have both day and night. Its a bit weird. But also nice. 
Grown up in Sweden with the everlasting winter stress that you have to get out before it gets dark! (And you do seldom manage, since you have to be at work or in school all the light hours of the day) I like the winters here, first its dark 24h a day, no reason to stress on when to go out, and then its light 24h a day, so no worries of it getting dark.
Once though I would have loved a “normal” winter. Quite new to Spitsbergen following a GPS route on skis, I realize that just next to me there is a huge drop. The waypoint of the bottom of the valley I was heading for was close, but only in a horizontal way. Vertically the distance was quite long. If I would have sticked to my route I would have been very fast down, a bit to fast for my taste. (base jumping is not one of my hobbies 
) My first thought was to set up camp and wait for the daylight to find a safe route down. But this was in December, so that wait would have been long… My friend who was skiing behind me was still on quite safe ground and we managed to find our way down. This experience has stayed with me. You just don’t mess up in the dark season.
On monday our bikes from Oslo will arrive, if everything works out the way its planned. I cross my fingers!
Northern lights to the south!
