My cousin, Hayley, maintains a long and growing bucket list in her iPhone, complete with links and pictures. Mostly, it’s nature destinations and phenomena: this Iceland waterfall and that Arizona rock formation and also that bioluminescent bay in Puerto Rico, and, and, and... Near the top of her list, for as long as I can remember: See the northern lights I, too, have always wanted to see the aurora. I’ve been captivated by its shimmering, otherworldly images my whole life. Aren’t we all? But for some reason I never sought out the when-where-and-how specifics. Someday, I thought, and went on with my life. Why didn’t I pursue a hope that was dear to me? Oh, things got busy, and it’s easier to prioritize surer things. But part of me wonders if it’s because the hope was so dear. Lowering my expectations is sneaky protection against the vulnerability of a big dream. On our decade birthdays, Hayley, her sister, Leslee, and I celebrate with a trip. Leslee turned 60 this year, and it was time to choose a destination. Leslee also keeps an ambitious bucket list and doesn’t hesitate to grab a good opportunity. In the last several years, she has boldly remade her life despite a full-time job, life-altering tragedy and other formidable obstacles. She’s on a self-made adventure none of us would have predicted for the introverted, bookish girl of her youth. But then, life rarely turns out as predicted. Fairbanks, Alaska! she said. Let’s go see the lights! Lights, camera, action! We hashed out the dates, chose the accommodations and booked the flights. We picked a place called Borealis Basecamp but that didn’t mean we were guaranteed to see anything besides snow. The weather and solar conditions must cooperate for the aurora to be visible. We kept our eye on the weather and an aurora app (there’s an aurora app). Forecast: Overcast, cloudy, overcast. Eclipse-chasers, I know you know how this feels. I’ll cut to the chase. On our second night there, the clouds unexpectedly burned off, the solar storm lined up, and it happened.
We saw the aurora borealis, this thing I’ve wanted to see my whole life. This wonder I could have forgotten to pursue. No more someday. And all it took was a little nudge.
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Notes of note
As ever, thank you for making room for me in your day. This newsletter’s open to all — you’re welcome to forward it to a friend who’d enjoy it. To text or share a link to the Web version, click the Share button. 🫱🏽💞🫲🏽
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Wednesday, April 10, 2024
Someday is now
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