I was only supposed to stay for the summer…
After meeting my husband in the French Alps, where we used to work as ski instructors, he took me on my first journey to the far north. In May 2011, I travelled to Svalbard for the first time. Hiking, fishing, hunting, skiing and dog sledding – you need more than a lifetime to explore everything.
Greenland dogs, wilderness and freedom – that was it. I found this place incredible and unique.
After a couple of years of travelling back and forth, we left everything we had, packed our car and drove across Scandinavia to reach our dream life in the Arctic.
Moving to Svalbard meant choosing a lifestyle. We never lived in town; we chose the simple life in an off-grid cabin with the dogs. Cooking on a wood-burning stove, waking up to 0°C inside the house, running outside to dig out the toilet door because a snowstorm had buried it. Reindeer, foxes and geese are our closest neighbours.
My dogs teach me so much. They don’t talk, but they make me grow. Living and working in the dog yard is like living on a farm; there are always things to do. The day starts with happy tails wagging and kisses on the face, and sometimes cute puppies to cuddle too. That is the charming side of the work on sunny days.
When an Arctic storm hits, hours are spent shovelling snow, pulling cars out of the ditch, driving a snowmobile in a blizzard and riding a dog sled in a whiteout. Those shitty days make you realise how amazing the dogs are. All the work we put in together makes our connection with them stronger.
The dogs are here for you, and you are here for them too. Life is not always sunny
Going on dog-sledding expeditions is my absolute favourite; it brings me peace. April is the golden month up here. The never-ending sunrise and plenty of snow give us the opportunity to go and explore any corner of the map.
I love packing, falling asleep with the dogs howling, waking up in total silence or with a full blizzard blowing against the tent, drinking my morning coffee wrapped in a sleeping bag, melting snow in the teapot for the dogs’ breakfast, reading the map to find the next place to go and camp, and playing cards and sudoku before packing down the camp.
Every meal is a party; food always tastes different on a trip. Being together with the dogs, loving them and sharing every moment of the adventure – this is what I’m living for. These are pure moments of hard work, joy and happiness.
Today, I call Svalbard our home. We are living in Bolterdalen. Nature is our everyday backyard; I can’t see it any other way. Raising our kid with our Greenland dogs brings many challenges into our lives, but I would never swap it for anything else… I love it!
Welcome, and see you soon at Green Dog
