TikTok user Cecilia Blomdahl has gone viral for sharing her daily life in Svalbard, a Norwegian island that is one of the northernmost habitable places on Earth.
Svalbard. Jason Ahrns. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
Svalbard, a territory of Norway, is about the closest to the North Pole that one can live. There are three seasons: polar summer, northern lights winter and sunny winter. Polar summer marks four months of constant sunlight, while during northern lights winter, Svalbard residents don’t see the sun for about two months. Due to the extreme conditions in Svalbard, there is no known Indigenous population. Explorers are thought to have found the island as early as the 12th century, but it didn’t become the established community it is today until the 19th century.
Because of the harsh weather, daily life in Svalbard is different than pretty much anywhere else in the world. Residents have become popular on social media for sharing their daily habits. Some of these habits are rather alien to the overly busy, deeply technology based cultures many are accustomed to. Blomdahl (@sejsejlija on TikTok), for example, has posted about how she sends her dog over to her neighbor’s house with borrowed items tied to his collar on days that it is too cold for her to walk over herself.
She also says that Svalbard schools have security, but it’s primarily to prevent polar bears from entering the grounds, as violent crime rates in Svalbard are extremely low. This simplicity and peace makes many people find life in Svalbard alluring.
Blomdahl doesn’t have running water in the cabin she lives in, so she and her partner shower at the local gym and have an incineration toilet.
An incineration toilet does not require any water and only releases a small amount of non-toxic gas. This alternative is far more environmentally friendly than a standard toilet.
Communal showers result in saved water and an incentive to go into town on extra cold days. Both communal showers and incineration toilets save significant water; while not having running water might be considered a major inconvenience by many people, it does allow some of the residents of Svalbard and places like it to decrease their waste and water usage.
Incineration toilet. Sterilgutassistentin. CC-BY-SA-3.0.
While life in Svalbard is far from relatable to most people, the town Longyearbyen (the most populated town on the island) does have typical features such as schools and restaurants, as well as tourist attractions. Svalbard has a website for visitors, advertising the attractions in Svalbard. While the lodging for travelers in Longyearbyen tends to be far from rustic, most recreational activities have to do with exploring the vast wilderness of Svalbard.
House in Svalbard. Villa Fredheim. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
Despite the many positive attributes of Svalbard, its climate and remote location make it both an expensive travel destination and place to live. The largest hotel in Svalbard, the Radisson Blu Polar Hotel, averages about $300-400 a night for a standard room. Since most tours and excursions require an experienced guide, daily activities for a trip to Svalbard can also cost hundreds of dollars each. The location and the sustainable practices that make it so appealing also hike up prices. The cost of living is significantly higher than the average in mainland Norway, and basic items are also more expensive due to shipping costs. Svalbard highlights that a unique, beautiful and sustainable life is not always accessible to everybody, despite its perks.
Cecilia discusses visiting costs on her TikTok, saying it is expensive mostly because of the activities. According to her, the only free activity in Svalbard is hiking, which requires a gun in case the hiker encounters any dangerous wildlife.
However, most of Cecilia’s content is simply about her daily life. She shares a regular day during “polar night”—the portion of the year where Svalbard residents don’t see the sun for months at a time—running errands in complete darkness.
It is the sharing of mundane activities like this (in anything but mundane circumstances) that have gained Cecilia her 1.7 million followers on TikTok, all fascinated by her life in Svalbard.
Calliana Leff
Calliana is currently an undergraduate student at Boston University majoring in English and minoring in psychology. She is passionate about sustainability and traveling in an ethical and respectful way. She hopes to continue her writing career and see more of the world after she graduates.