Deep within the Arctic Circle, pocketed between giant glaciers and beneath polar ice floes, Swedish photographer and content creator Cecilia Blomdahl found extraordinary warmth.
The Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, lying roughly midway between Norway’s northern coast and the North Pole, is the site of the world’s northernmost permanent settlements. Blomdahl, who lives in Svalbard’s largest city of Longyearbyen, is one of about 2,500 residents in the region. Here, colorful cabins contrast colossal ice cap backdrops and vibrant celestial phenomena light the sky.
Blomdahl moved to Svalbard in 2015 and documents her unique life to millions of fascinated social media followers. She has now captured her home’s serenity, sparkling in shades of blue, in a new photobook titled “Life on Svalbard.”
“When you live here, you really get immersed in it; the quiet and peaceful nature,” Blomdahl, a former hospitality worker turned content creator, told CNN, “And every day being so close to the nature; it’s infatuating.”
The challenges of a beautiful life
For all its natural beauty, Svalbard is much more than a pretty place. Its rich resources, such as fish, gas, and mineral deposits, have made it a topic of economic and diplomatic dispute in the past, and it now serves as a flourishing global hub for economic activities and scientific research. For those just coming for a spell, it’s a bucket list tourist destination.
But as Blomdahl knows, life in Svalbard isn’t easy. From temperatures sometimes plummeting to below minus 30 (-34.4 Celsius), to polar bears and arctic foxes occasionally roaming local streets, it takes a unique individual to forgo life on the mainland and move to such a remote, and at times forbidding, place.
“Every day feels adventurous. It’s going to be crazy or wild or just a regular day,” said Blomdahl, “But a regular day here is so different; it’s drinking coffee with Northern Lights, or midnight sun, or reindeers.”
Those are common sentiments within Svalbard’s community — the extreme conditions, while enchanting, means people don’t stick around the area by accident. People from around 50 countries reside there, working in areas such as scientific research and seasonal tourism.
What moves someone to search for a home in such a remote corner of the world? According to behavioral science experts, many people who seek out extreme conditions may be motivated by desires to challenge the limits of their physical and psychological abilities, escape personal problems or everyday tedium, or simply for the thrill.
For Blomdahl, a glimpse of Svalbard’s unparalleled scenery was all she needed to forsake her corporate ambitions in England and Sweden and opt to live what she describes in her book as a “nature-connected life marked by a slower pace.”
“Everything up here is so pure and so beautiful,” Blomdahl said, “you think that it’s some sort of magic because it’s so unreal.”
Living on the edge of the world
On her social media channels, Blomdahl shows viewers firsthand how Svalbard’s environment shapes her everyday life. For example, not only is it necessary to carry polar bear protection gear when traveling outside designated settlements, it’s legally mandated. In one striking image in her book, she is shown sporting a firearm on her back as she and her dog stand far from the settlements. Blomdahl, who photographed all of the images herself, even caught one of a polar bear near her home — taken from a noticeable distance away, for safety reasons.
A year in Svalbard is marked by two unusual periods of light: polar night and midnight sun. Polar night runs from mid-November to the end of January, when the sun doesn’t rise above the horizon. Midnight sun, which lasts about 18 weeks between April and August, is when the sun doesn’t set below the horizon. These periods of constant light and day-long dark can take a toll on the body and mind. Blomdahl recalled how friends, disoriented by polar night, found themselves heading to work in the middle of the night, instead of the equally dark daytime hours.
Such abnormal living conditions can have pervasive effects on people’s health. Despite an overall positive outlook on health and quality of life in Svalbard, polar night and midnight sun can disrupt sleep-wake cycles, blood protein levels, and lead to increased risks of chronic disease. Despite taking supplements, Blomdahl says she noticed a drop in her vitamin D levels, which support immune health and brain cell activity.
Nonetheless, Blomdahl still says polar night is “one of the best times of year,” where she can “become one with the darkness.” She enjoys the tranquility during that period, but emphasizes the importance of maintaining a positive outlook and staying active during what otherwise could be a lethargic season.
“Your mindset is so powerful. I see these dark days as something cozy,” Blomdahl said, “I think it’s very much up to each and every person to try to create that routine and that mindset.”
A balanced outlook
Maintaining an adaptive mindset is also an important way Svalbardians process the unique threat climate change poses to the region. Longyearbyen is warming six times faster than the global average, studies suggest, and thawing permafrost and rising sea levels threaten the local economy and infrastructure. Studies within other Arctic communities show a correlation between climate change and higher levels of mental stress. In Svalbard, people report a high level of satisfaction with their lives despite environmental challenges, but the complications of climate issues like permafrost thaw can leave some feeling disempowered. Blomdahl notes that an annual environmental survey is conducted in Svalbard to manage risks.
As for day-to-day life, Svalbard is sufficiently equipped with the means to sustain its population. Longyearbyen features most of what most cities on the mainland offer, including an airport, a hospital, educational institutions, and more — all crowned the world’s northmost of their institutions. However, given the mission-based work characterizing much of Svalbard’s economy, not to mention the harsh environment, the average stay in Svalbard is only seven years, according to Statistics Norway.
Yet this conveniently aligns with a desire not to expand life on Svalbard, according to Blomdahl. Local officials have geared available resources to primarily maintain life on Svalbard as it is, given the environmental and developmental constraints.
As for Blomdahl, her positive mindset and love for Svalbard steers her away from dwelling on uncertainty or concern. Instead, she says she’s solely focused on creating educational and peaceful content about her distinctive life in a distinctive place.
“That’s just what I want to do,” said Blomdahl, “I want to continue to show the beauty of the Arctic. I just want to show Svalbard the way it is.”
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