Have you ever seen the sky dance?

I did. And I’m only nine years old.

It took place last winter when Mom and Dad surprised my little sister Mia and me with one of the best presents in the world — an actual adventure to witness the Northern Lights in a town named Tromsø, far up in the northern part of a nation named Norway. Up until then, I thought the most thrilling thing in the sky was the moon or perhaps planes. But everything changed that night.

Mom told me she was browsing through Norway Tour packages on Catch A Trip’s website and found the most amazing plan. And when mom’s onto something, it is bound to be the most adventurous experience. We traveled over snow-clad mountains, slept in a wooden cabin, and even befriended a dog named Loki who took us for a sled ride.

But listen to the best part — the sky.

We all wore layers and layers of clothes and were bundled up like marshmallows since it was ice-cold. My fingers were as stiff as icicles even with my gloves on. We were in the middle of nowhere, trees and snow and stars, along with our guide, Erik. He claimed that this was the best place for “aurora hunting.” I didn’t even know auroras could be hunted!

Then, it happened.

Initially, I believed that my eyes were tricking me. A gentle green wavy glow appeared behind the hills, a little similar to the glow stick a person opened up in the air. More lights followed, winding and curling — green, pink, even purple. They rolled as if dancing specifically for us.

I didn’t even know my mouth was open until Dad chuckled and told me, “Close your mouth, Aryan — you’re gonna catch snowflakes.”

But I couldn’t turn away.

Mia was shrieking and twirling in the snow as if attempting to capture the lights in her arms. Even Mom got emotional. Dad said, “Now this is a proper Norway adventure holiday.” And I think he was correct.

The following day, we ate pancakes with cloudberry jam (magic in your mouth) and went for a sleigh ride on reindeer. It was dreamlike — the kind of dream you don’t want to wake up from. Erik explained to us about the Sami people and how they thought the Northern Lights were supernatural beings dancing in the sky. I found myself believing it too.

Each night, we wished the lights would return. And they did — brighter and larger than ever before. I thought I was the luckiest child in all the world. I asked Mom if we could stay here forever, but she told us we’d go through all our socks in a week.

She assured us that we could return someday. She even bookmarked additional Norway trip packages with Catch A Trip and began reading reviews on her phone while she was still with us! She mentioned there are other destinations to see too — fjords, glaciers, midnight sun, and plenty of snow more than I ever thought possible.

Our entire trip was part of one of those Norway vacation packages where everything is taken care of — where you sleep, eat, and what you look at. I didn’t even realize people could do that! Dad said it made it all easy and hassle-free, and this is amusing because he always gets lost in supermarket, and this time he didn’t even require a map.

I attempted to paint the Northern Lights in school art class. But nothing was quite as wonderful as the real thing. Even the most colorful crayons couldn’t compare. How do you paint magic? My teacher told me to write about it, so I am.

If your parents ever mention going on a vacation, let them know about Norway adventure tours with Catch A Trip. Explain to them that it’s not so much a trip — it’s more like entering a snow globe of light and magic. I thought Disneyland was the best thing in the world. Now I think Norway takes the prize, hands down.

And if you’re reading this and your family hasn’t taken advantage of the numerous trips to Norway packages available. What are you waiting for?

The sky is dancing.

You just have to go see it.

Author’s Note:

This is a true account of a trip a family went on in winter 2024, written by 9-year-old Aryan. He now wants to be an astronaut — not to travel to space, but to reach the lights.