Imagine spending your entire winter in nothing but darkness. That's exactly how one woman, who lives in the Arctic Circle, spends three months of the year.
Speaking with People, Cecilia Blombdahl opened up about spending three months in total darkness. She lives on a small island called Svalbard, located near the Arctic Circle. The Arctic resident has been living on the island for the past decade and has taken to social media to share what living in total darkness is like.
She compares the experience to a long dream. Blombdahl is one of just 2,600 residents who live in the area. She initially intended to stay in the area for just three months on vacation. But she ended up falling in love with the place, and three months turned into 10 years.
"I love it more than ever I ever thought," she told People. However, living three months in complete darkness can be challenging. In the Arctic Circle, it gets dark from November 14 to January 29 every year.
"Oct. 26 is when the sun sets for the last time," said Blomdahl. From there it gets darker until you "see no difference in day or night." But it's not all bad, as she gets to enjoy the Northern Lights. "The Northern Lights is my happy vitamin."
Woman Talks Living In Arctic Circle
"Imagine opening your door. It's a crisp day. It's 1:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m. and you have all of the stars in the sky," she said. "You feel like you're in the galaxy. You look up and there are Northern Lights. It really is unreal."
However, the complete darkness of the Arctic does affect her physically. She said that she gets more tired. It's important to keep a positive mindset through the experience.
"It definitely affects your body in a way where you notice a difference. Maybe you're more tired, you move at a different pace," Blomdahl said. "Your mindset to a season like this is crucial... I wake up with a very happy disposition about everything."
Besides months of complete darkness, the town also experiences the opposite. The town receives days of complete daylight in the Arctic as well.
"When I compare the two, I really do think Polar Night is so much easier for me than 24-7 daylight," she said. The sun doesn't set for four months during the summer.
She continued, "We go to bed with the sun in the sky. And when we wake up, it's still there." Blomdahl resorts to wearing a sleep mask during these days.
Besides days of darkness and light in the Arctic, she also has to worry about
polar bears. "They're at the top of the food chain. So they roam. They're the kings of this island," Blomdahl explained. "The village is deemed what we call a 'safe zone.' If you're going outside [of the safe zone], you need to bring a firearm with you and know how to use it in case you need to protect yourself... Anything we do outside of the village, we are very prepared for the weather and wearing polar bear protection."
It makes for an unique living situation.
