I write this on the island of Senja in northern Norway, near the base of Selga, a mountain that I climbed two summers ago in July. It was sunny then and green. Today, the clouds are sunk low, covering the tops of the mountains, while snow coats the visible landscape. 

It has been incredibly satisfying to revisit many of my favorite places from that summer. Though this time in spring, which may as well be winter, except for one huge difference, the days stretch nearly eighteen hours, with the midnight sun and twenty-four hours of daylight closing in. 

The memories are endless as I see familiar places pass by. And in some, I have even been able to create new memories, like Nordkapp. That summer, I trekked all the way to the northernmost point of the European continent and was surprised to find that when I arrived, I could camp for free in the parking lot. As Serhii and I headed north several days back, not knowing if the road would take us all the way in April, it never occurred to me that I would spend another night at Nordkapp, but that is exactly what happened. 

By lucky chance, the weather broke just enough that the road to the top of the continent was open to the few who were there to take advantage. We happily were. And just short of our destination, after completely ruling reindeer sightings out due to the incredibly deep snow, we rounded a corner, and before us, there they stood.

The snow had thinned enough for them to munch the exposed lichen. Some were licking the salt from the granite rocks, an important part of their diet. I was giddy with excitement, though I had seen them before in the very same area two summers back. Now they had their winter coats on, a mix of soft light colors, compared to their darker summer coats. 

And then, as if by magic, the clouds began to lift and the snow stopped falling from the sky. During the remainder of our drive, we were treated with endless winter views as far as we could see. It was the best weather in days. And it continued to get better and better, with sun creeping in and eventually filling the sky. We thought that perhaps our good fortune would continue as we greedily anticipated a northern light viewing later that night!  

It was only in the twenties (-3 C), with a bitter wind slamming the side of our camper as we settled in for the night, with German campers to our left and French campers to our right. With our heater working hard, we marveled at our accomplishment: one thousand kilometers through blizzards, freezing temperatures, strong winds, and snow and ice-packed roads. 

Though the sun never fell far enough below the horizon to provide the darkness required for a northern light viewing, we knew that we had nothing to complain about. We were at the top of the world.