Lady Aurora

Teagan Maher

Marine Science major
University of Tromsø, Norway

Hei! Jeg heter Teagan Maher og jeg studerte i Norge :) This past fall 2019, I had the opportunity to spend my semester abroad at the University of Tromsø (UiT) in Norway as a BS Marine Science student. Having to ask someone to summarise their most memorable event or experience abroad may be one of the trickiest questions to answer. Of course, there may be one or two experiences that come to mind at first, but then how does one choose the best of those? Well, after having done some thinking, I would like to share an event that ranks in the top five greatest memorable experiences during my time in Norway.

It was the night of October 26, 2019. In a lake area called Laksvatn about an hour’s drive south of Tromsø; I had the opportunity of experiencing the greatest show Northern Lights to that date in a beautiful location. Never had I seen so much green and dancing Northern Lights in one night! Usually, one would look to the northern horizon for the Northern Lights to appear but that night the lovely Lady Aurora blessed us with a beautiful show across the whole sky and all the way to the southern horizon. Even though I was focused on taking photos that night, at one point I had to stop and absorb Mother Nature in all her beauty and glory. Viewing and experiencing such a phenomenon is truly something unforgettable and no words nor images can describe such a warm feeling… especially when it is 5°F out! What an unforgettable night and truly the best birthday present Mother Nature could offer. I would urge anyone and everyone to spend some time in northern Norway with the goal of experiencing the Northern Lights - you will never regret it just as I will never regret choosing Tromsø to be my choice to study abroad.