Head up in the clouds

"I'm from Yorkshire, I don't get cold!" I shouted as I tore through the snow wearing nowhere near enough layers. It might have been a pretty bold comment to make when it was at least -10. But the fierce adrenaline pumping through my blood was keeping me warm and to be honest, I'd never felt more alive.

It wasn't that I was stupid. I knew I should be layered up. And usually, like most normal people in the heart of Finnish Lapland, I would be. Complete with a super chic thermal onesie and all. But that was hardly a priority then.

Why? Because for the second time during my month or so in the real life Narnia, the Northern Lights were out.

The first time they appeared, I missed them and spent several days completely devastated that they might never come out for me again. So this time, I was determined. The only problem is their randomness. Even if the app on your phone says they're there, if there's heavy cloud cover, they'll be hidden away and you'd have more chance of seeing David Cameron sliding past on a unicycle.

So there I was, rampaging down the staircase of a hotel in the middle of the Arctic Circle with all of my friends, desperate to catch a glimpse. We burst through the doors and out into the open, looking straight up at the sky. The bitter cold devoured at my airways and the hairs on my arms stood on end as we sped towards the forest, where it was darker and we'd get a better view. To any locals, I must have looked insane; surely not even a holiday maker would go out wearing a t-shirt in Lapland! (Not for long, I might add. I caved in and borrowed a fleece.)

No amount of photos could have ever prepared me for the real thing, though. Because when we arrived at the darkest part of the forest we could find, it wasn't dark, not at all. The untouched snow was tinged with a bright, eerie green, as if we'd suddenly walked through a wardrobe into an alien home land.

Our job was hard and hours were long, so we were all tired beyond belief and hugely unmotivated. But suddenly, a magical green glow danced and shone bright, flooding the entirety of the dark, starry sky above. Everyone was cheering, screaming, running around in circles. As the lights quickly spread above us, I stood in complete amazement as everyone around me tried to get the perfect selfie with the sky. It was like being in the most wonderful dream. We weren't tired now, we were flooded once again with the hugest love for life and passion for the world. I'll never forget that night.