What It’s Like Living In The Arctic

I got the lucky chance to visit Svalbard in the Arctic Circle and when there I asked my friends who live there what it’s like living in the Arctic.

This is what four of them had to say and their advice for you if you are thinking about living in the Arctic.

Yana

Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Yana, I’m 25 and I’m Ukrainian. I am an illustrator and character designer but as far as there is not much to do for an artist here I’m working as a bartender.

Why did you move to the Arctic?

Last winter I came to visit my friend who’s been living here for four years already. And I really fell in love with the place. So I decided to come back. Just bought a one-way ticket and here I am.

How does it feel living in the Arctic Circle?

It feels like living on the Discovery channel! My friend says that after four years she still doesn’t realise she lives here. This is how unreal it is!

I don’t have problems with cold because we also have severe winters back in Ukraine. But polar nights and days are a real challenge. The way your brain and body reacts to these conditions is hard to explain if you don’t experience it yourself. 

Also, the fact that you have reindeer walking on the streets of the town and polar bears hunting nearby I find it pretty fascinating.

Have you got used to the conditions? Such as needing a gun to leave town for protection.

It definitely took me some time to get used to leaving the apartment door open or the freedom of going anywhere you want without any restrictions or police watching you. I haven’t experienced such freedom before. 

I’m cool with guns though I don’t have my own. But it always feels safer to have a friend with a big ass revolver while going out of town 🙂

How does it feel living in such a small community?

I come from a big city so it’s a new experience for me. Sometimes it drives me crazy, especially in the wintertime when everyone stays home and you don’t see a single person on the street.

On the other hand, people here are very nice to each other because everyone is in the same conditions as you are. Everyone is open to help. So it’s ok as long as you have friends.

But I miss busy city life from time to time, to be honest.

Would you recommend living in the Arctic Circle?

I can say that it’s a challenge for sure. But if you are looking for adventures and ready to test your boundaries — there is no better place.

As my friend said, this is a place to grow some balls!

Eivind 

Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Eivind Trondsen, I’m 42 years old and work as a pilot and an operations engineer on Svalbard. My background is originally software engineering, and after spending some years in that industry, I decided to go ahead and get my pilots licence.

I then worked for 7 years as a pilot flying Dornier 228 short field aircraft, doing both local transport and fishery patrols for the Norwegian Coast Guard.

This year I wanted to try my hands at technology again and got a job at Svalsat, the northernmost Satellite Ground Station in the world, located on a mountain just above the airport in Longyearbyen.

Why did you move to the Arctic Circle?

Originally, I moved here for the job. This was the first pilot job I got. After a while, though I fell in love with the place, and right now the most important thing for me is to live here. The average time people live here is 3-4 years, now I’m starting my 8th.

What’s it like living in the Arctic?

It is wonderful, full of contrast. The polar night is balanced with the midnight sun. Up here it is very different from the Norwegian mainland, where they boast their dark season.

Here the year is much like a day. The winter is night. In the morning there is ice, snow and then spring. Then there is the eternal day of summer, and finally, the town settles in with the twilight of autumn.

Everything here is powerful and uncompromising, from the few species of wildlife to the warm and caring people. You have to love a special kind of nature to be here.

What would you say to people thinking of moving to the Arctic? Specifically Svalbard in this case.

If you consider yourself a pretty normal person – don’t.

How do you cope with 24 hours light in summer and 24 hours darkness in winter?

The summer is the most difficult. It is harder to create darkness than light. You have to have good blinds on your bedroom windows. A good trick is to create your own evening.

I like to close the blinds and sit down in relative darkness with a good book or a movie before I go to bed.

The dark season is the favourite of many people living here. There are fewer tourists, and people have a chance to get together and be social after the hectic summer. You have to be disciplined though, and not start dimming the lights or lighting candles in the middle of the day.

You can easily get caught in the trap of messing up your day and night, and many people who work in the restaurant industry do.

Anything else you would like to add?

Don’t underestimate the cost of living here. You need an insane amount of equipment to experience Svalbard to the fullest. 

Susanna

Who are you and what do you do?

I’m Susanna. I’m 30 years old and have a background in ecology/land management, and am currently working as a receptionist at the Radisson Blu Polar Hotel Spitsbergen.

 Why did you move to the Arctic?

I fell in love with Svalbard when I came here as a tourist in July 2014, and knew immediately when I stepped out of the plane that I had to move here. It was just a feeling. 

How does it feel living in the Arctic for the first several weeks?

I’ve only been here since December, so I’m experiencing my first weeks now. It’s exciting! I’m amazed by the beauty of my surroundings every single day.

It really depends on what season it is when you move up here. I came during the winter darkness and had to adjust to that. Not seeing the sun for weeks didn’t really bother me, except the fact I’m sleeping more than normal.

And I learned quickly that -42 degrees with the wind chill effect don’t kill you 😉 

What would you say to people thinking of moving to the Arctic?

Prepare yourself for a life-changing experience! 

Have you got used to the conditions yet, such as needing a gun when leaving town for polar bear protection, living in a small community etc?

It didn’t really take me long to get used to the new conditions, but I know from experience that I adjust easily. Before I moved here I read everything I could find about Svalbard, and I watched every documentary or film, It was like an obsession.

I was lucky and met some great people here early on, that helped me ( and still do) with everything I wasn’t prepared for.

For example how to dress properly for the freezing temperatures. I thought I knew, but it didn’t take me long to realise that I knew nothing about proper clothing in the arctic. 🙂 

Longyearbyen is a small community, but it is a very social and fun community to live in. I grew up in a small town in Norway and believe me, Longyearbyen is far more exciting than the place where I’m from.

I love the fact that we have people living here that come from all parts of the world. 

Cecilie 

Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Cecilie Hem Klausen and I work as a receptionist at Svalbard Hotel.

What’s it like living in the Arctic?

Living in the arctic is nice. Nature here is beautiful, the ever-changing light is amazing, and the people are very open and friendly. I really love living here! Also, it does not feel like the Arctic most of the time because of the gulf stream that makes this place habitable.

Why did you move to the Arctic?

I moved to Svalbard because when I visited this place the first time I really fell in love with the scenery. I felt like painting and taking photos and I got a surge of creativity that I have rarely experienced before.

When I left I just knew that I had to move here and explore and figure this place out.

Would you recommend living in the Arctic?

I recommend everyone to live here for at least a short period of time. It is very peaceful and you get this calm lifestyle with no stress and lots of beauty every day.

The dark season is very long though, and next winter I will definitely go somewhere warm for a few weeks. Just to get some vit.D and warmth.

This winter was very tough, and my energy level was very low. The summer with 24-hour sunlight can also be a bit difficult because the light is pretty much always the same when the sun is up.

This makes the body naturally more awake, and I found it difficult to get a good sleeping rhythm.

However, it is such an amazing place to be, that if you are curious about living in the Arctic, just do it! I do not think you will regret it.

I recommend using SafetyWing Travel Insurance for your trip, just in case, it’s best to be prepared.

Some Facts About The Arctic Circle

Arctic population: Roughly 4 million people.

Svalbard Population: Roughly 2700 people.

Does anyone live in the North Pole?  Yes, they do…

North Pole population: Roughly 2000 people.

The population of Greenland: Roughly 57,000 people.

Arctic climate: Long cold winters and short summers that are cool but outdoor activities much easier.

Animals living in the Arctic: Polar bear, reindeer, moose, walrus, narwhal, pinniped, killer whale (orca), snowy owl, Arctic fox, seal, and more.

Arctic Circle map:

The Arctic Circle

For some good reading on these Arctic environments, these are 20 books set in the Arctic and Antarctica.

One of the best experiences I had in Svalbard was doing some ice caving near Longyearbyen.

For the best guide for Svalbard get the Bradt Svalbard guide.

If you liked this article about living in the Arctic a share would be appreciated.