I see hills and mountains.Far, far away. Everything is… so white. For as far as I can see. The sun is high. There is a cloud in the sky…far far away. Not a single living soul anywhere. Lonely trees and bushes, every now and then a house, painted red. It is so very cold. The snow is reflecting the sunlight and I have to put my sunglasses on. I just can’t be without them. The sun is blinding me. It’s so quiet. Only the train is rushing through the countryside. No living soul anywhere. As far as I can see.
Northern exposures. Their overwhelming charisma. The cold beauty of the North. Its tranquility is pulling me back. To the north. Even though I am freezing there. The cold North is calling me back. Forcing me to leave my daydreams. Forcing me to stop admiring its icy cold beauty.Forcing me back to reality. Back to here and now.
For me, northern exposures are like a fix. Always pulling you back into their cold embrace. Inviting you to leave your comfort zone. Inviting you to go with their flow. Back in their cold embrace. Forcing you to face your most vulnerable self.
Because once you are in the north, everything is so simple. You realise what really matters in that moment. The cold clears your mind, your thoughts stop wandering around. The simple beauty of the icy countryside is a little dull and plain, I admit. But only on the first glance. The north hides its beauty carefully. Unveiling it slowly, one step at the time. You see it when you are ready for it.
It is only up there, far north, where the land is covered with cold, ice and snow for the most of the year, in the high north, beyond the polar circle, where you start to appreciate what you take for granted. The warmth and the light. The heat of the fire, that chases the cold away, starting your blood circulation again. The warmth that separates life from death. The cold sobers you up, clears your mind. The warmth is that force that pushes you forward. To the future. Towards the light that chases away the darkness and gives you the determination to persevere. Because the darkness… it embraces you, it protects you, it gives you shelter. But the light reminds you to start anew. To start fighting again.
The South is soft, gentle and fluid. It’s a little flirt. That sometimes becomes something serious, but mostly it’s just that – a little flirt. The North is serious, stable and maybe a little boring. On the first glance. The North is far more than just a flirt. It’s the real deal. That one true love. Because you see, you start loving the Northern Exposures when you’re ready. Ready to see their beauty and their depth. In that moment you see that the north is far more wild than the south. That is hides its hot passion for the right ones.That it’s relentless. Because it forces you to come full circle. To find out who you really are. Deep down. And enlightens you of what really matters in that moment: the warmth and the light. That’s when you see its true colours. And its eternal beauty.
