As a tour guide, Valentina Miozzo no longer had many work opportunities when the pandemic broke out. With no more international trips, Valentina had to sustain her life by focusing on building her travel blog and promoting accommodation services. However, “online travel” was not enough, she missed the feeling of traveling here and there, learning about new cultures.
And luck came to her in September 2020 when Valentina received an invitation to manage a guesthouse in... the North Pole. For many people, the harsh climate in the North Pole would be a concern, but Valentina didn't think twice and immediately accepted the invitation.
Tour guide Valentina Miozzo (photo: CNN).
This is not the first time Valentina has moved abroad, she lived in London for 3 years. In recent years, she has often chosen destinations in hot climates such as India, Indonesia and Senegal or Southeast Asia. Moving to a cold place like the Arctic is a new experience for Valentina.
“My life is full of travel. I spend six months away from home every year. Going to the North Pole was never in my plans, but this was a great opportunity to explore new lands,” the owner of the travel blog Viaggiare Libera told CNN.
In October 2020, Valentina packed her bags and left Emilia Romagna (Northern Italy) and moved to Kongsfjord (Norway).
The Arctic and its uniqueness
Far from the bustling hometown, Kongsfjord has only 28 residents.
“The nearest supermarket is 25 km away, and the hospital is 321 km away. The local airport is too small. In winter, the wind is strong and there is ice everywhere, residents go to the grocery store every two weeks because the bad weather makes it too difficult to move,” Valentina said.
Kongsfjord is remote with a population of only 28 people (photo: CNN).
Before leaving, she had already determined that she would have to leave the conveniences of the city. She knew clearly that she would be going to an isolated place where everything was lacking and difficult to access.
“As soon as I moved here, I experienced the polar night. There was no sunlight in December and January, I had to live in complete darkness for 2 months. It was an interesting experience. It was not as bad as people think, in fact, the feeling of having to live in light 24/24 is worse,” Valentina shared about the changes in time.
From mid-May to mid-July, Kongsfjord has no sunset, so people here have to get used to the bright sunlight all day long. For newcomers, this is definitely a difficult challenge.
“The light, the shadows and the climate were all new to me. It was my first time experiencing the feeling of living in the tundra. All around me was white – of ice and snow and of the animals that live there,” Valentina said excitedly.
The best part is that Kongsfjord has not recorded any cases of Covid-19. Life here continues as normal, and people do not have to wear masks every day.
Experience a new form of tourism
After living and experiencing the remote Arctic, Valentina realized that travel doesn't have to be about luxurious trips, what matters is the experiences we have in new places:
"Before the pandemic, many people traveled with the mindset of needing to express themselves, showing off where they went, taking lots of photos to post on social media. Travel gradually lost its value in terms of self-discovery.
Now, the pandemic will certainly change the way we travel. Learning about cultures and contact with people will be limited, tourism will gradually turn to nature and the natural environment to understand and preserve long-standing values.
Valentina herself has been pursuing sustainable travel since 2007: Traveling to explore more deeply, not focusing on quantity but on quality, going slower, experiencing more thoroughly.
No... homesickness
Valentina's time in the Arctic was supposed to end in April 2021, but she decided to stay in Kongsfjord for another 2 months to extend her experience in this harsh land.
Next, she will move to the Svalbard archipelago, located at the northernmost point of Norway, home to polar bears. After Svalbard, Valentina will move to the Lofoten Islands, where she will take over another lodge.
Summer came, Kongsfjord thawed, Valentina decided to move to new land (photo: CNN).
Sharing about returning to Italy, Valentina considered returning home in the fall if the epidemic situation is under control and travel is convenient again.
"I chose my current career because I can travel while working. I have developed a beautiful relationship with the people of Kongsfjord. I will definitely come back to visit them in the future," she said.
