Katja Scholz

Less than two months. That’s my answer to the question of how long it took from hearing my first story about Svalbard to deciding to move there.

Everything happened fast—almost unreal. At the time, I was living in the UK and had spontaneously visited a travel fair. There, someone spoke about Svalbard: the ice, the atmosphere of the dark season, the midnight sun, the wildlife, and its unique community life. I knew immediately that I had to see it with my own eyes.

And then it completely captured me. I had planned to spend just one adventurous week on the archipelago—joining a multi-day snowmobile trip, dog sledding, and exploring the town. Instead, I somehow ended up accepting a local job offer, flying home to resign from my job, selling my belongings, and returning only a few weeks later.

Since then, the rollercoaster has never stopped. Each summer, my world has expanded as I’ve travelled aboard expedition ships—to the north, east, south, and west. To the ice edge. To Greenland. Antarctica.