A day in the life of a woman who lives on the rugged Svalbard Islands, where it’s dark 4 months of the year and locals run into polar bears

Sophie-Claire HoellerFeb 5, 2021, 23:00 IST

Cecilia Blomdahl and her dog Grim enjoying the view from their cabin.Cecilia Blomdahl

Cecilia Blomdahl, originally from Sweden, has lived on Svalbard for five years.
The small Norwegian archipelago sits about halfway between Norway and the North Pole.
Anyone can move there visa-free, but it can be a tough place to live.

Cecilia Blomdahl, 31, originally from Sweden, moved to the rugged Svalbard Islands in the Arctic Ocean with her boyfriend in 2015, planning to stay only a few months.

While she fell out of love with him, she fell head over heels for Svalbard and has lived there for five years now.

Svalbard is a small Norwegian archipelago that sits about halfway between Norway and the North Pole. Longyearbyen, its largest settlement with around 2,000 residents, is the world's northernmost town.

While anyone can move to Svalbard visa-free, it's not an easy place to live. Polar bears outnumber humans, temperatures range from 6.8 degrees Fahrenheit in winter to 42.8 degrees Fahrenheit in summer, and there are 24 hours of complete darkness per day from mid-November to late January.

In fact, Blomdahl went viral for a video she posted on how exhausting simply walking a dog on Svalbard can be, from spending 15 minutes getting dressed for arctic temperatures to braving pitch-black darkness in the middle of the day.

This got us curious about what life there is really like. Luckily, Blomdahl was happy to give us a glimpse into an average day for her.

Cecilia Blomdahl moved to Svalbard with her boyfriend, planning to stay only for a few months. She's no longer with said boyfriend and has lived on Svalbard for five years.

Blomdahl and her dog, Grim. Cecilia Blomdahl

Cecilia Blomdahl moved to Svalbard with her boyfriend, planning to stay only for a few months. She's no longer with said boyfriend and has lived on Svalbard for five years.

Blomdahl lives in a cabin without running water outside of Longyearbyen. She said that this is somewhat unusual: Most people spend weekends in such cabins but live in town full-time.

Blomdahl's cabin has incredible views. Cecilia Blomdahl

Blomdahl lives in a cabin without running water outside of Longyearbyen. She said that this is somewhat unusual: Most people spend weekends in such cabins but live in town full-time.

She tries to get up before 9 a.m. - a struggle in the winter when it's completely dark for 24 hours a day. She relies on an alarm clock that wakes her up with light.

Blomdahl's alarm clock uses light to wake her. Cecilia Blomdahl

The first thing she does is feed her dog, Grim, who gets to play outside for a little bit, before making herself a cup of coffee.

Blomdahl loves her coffee. Cecilia Blomdahl

She then sits down at her dining table with her laptop as she doesn't have a desk or dedicated workspace.

Blomdahl has a few gigs, but mostly works from home. Cecilia Blomdahl

She works until about 11 a.m., which is when she takes a break to walk Grim for around 40 minutes while listening to podcasts.

Blomdahl likens walking her dog to "an expedition." Cecilia Blomdahl/TikTok

She has to bring along a rifle every time she leaves the house.

Rifles are mandatory outside of settlements. Cecilia Blomdahl

After shedding her many layers, Blomdahl makes her bed and eats a late breakfast or lunch with more coffee. She makes sure her meals have all the nutrients she needs since there's no sunlight.

Blomdahl tries to eat healthily. Cecilia Blomdahl

After shedding her many layers, Blomdahl makes her bed and eats a late breakfast or lunch with more coffee. She makes sure her meals have all the nutrients she needs since there's no sunlight.

She then spends some time editing photos and answering questions people have on her Instagram and YouTube pages.

Blomdahl answers questions about Svalbard on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Cecilia Blomdahl

At around 2.30 p.m., she often goes to the gym - which is also where she showers, since she doesn't have a shower at home. If the gym is closed, she calls a friend.

Blomdahl at the gym. Cecilia Blomdahl

Longyearbyen is 15 minutes from Blomdahl's cabin by car. She said she can't leave anything in the car, because it'll just freeze.

Longyearbyen is the world's northernmost town. Cecilia Blomdahl

When Blomdahl stops at the supermarket on her way home, it's usually without a plan for what she'll buy: That's because you never know what the supermarket may or may not have on any given day.

The Longyearbyen supermarket has rifle lockers. Cecilia Blomdahl

When Blomdahl stops at the supermarket on her way home, it's usually without a plan for what she'll buy: That's because you never know what the supermarket may or may not have on any given day.

Buying alcohol is another adventure, as residents can buy only a certain amount each month.

Svalbard is home to the world's northernmost brewery. Shutterstock

Blomdahl has to pick up any items she has ordered online at the post office.

Longyearbyen's main shopping street. Cecilia Blomdahl

Depending on the weather, she'll take some photos on her way home, and usually returns around 5 p.m., which is when she and her boyfriend will start making dinner and play with Grim outside.

Grim loves being outside, no matter how cold it is. Cecilia Blomdahl

Depending on the weather, she'll take some photos on her way home, and usually returns around 5 p.m., which is when she and her boyfriend will start making dinner and play with Grim outside.

Some evenings, Blomdahl and her boyfriend will go snowmobiling. Due to COVID restrictions, most activities with friends are outdoors these days.

Life on Svalbard is all about being outside. Cecilia Blomdahl

Most nights, however, she and her boyfriend will just hang out at home.

Blomdahl's home epitomizes hygge. Cecilia Blomdahl

Blomdahl said they won't be seeing any sunlight until March 8, but she loves life on Svalbard and says it's the "incredible" nature that has kept her there for so long.

Blomdahl's cabin lit up by the Northern Lights. Cecilia Blomdahl

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A day in the life of a woman who lives on the rugged Svalbard Islands, where it’s dark 4 months of the year and locals run into polar bears

Cecilia Blomdahl moved to Svalbard with her boyfriend, planning to stay only for a few months. She's no longer with said boyfriend and has lived on Svalbard for five years.

Blomdahl lives in a cabin without running water outside of Longyearbyen. She said that this is somewhat unusual: Most people spend weekends in such cabins but live in town full-time.

She tries to get up before 9 a.m. - a struggle in the winter when it's completely dark for 24 hours a day. She relies on an alarm clock that wakes her up with light.

The first thing she does is feed her dog, Grim, who gets to play outside for a little bit, before making herself a cup of coffee.

She then sits down at her dining table with her laptop as she doesn't have a desk or dedicated workspace.

She works until about 11 a.m., which is when she takes a break to walk Grim for around 40 minutes while listening to podcasts.

She has to bring along a rifle every time she leaves the house.

After shedding her many layers, Blomdahl makes her bed and eats a late breakfast or lunch with more coffee. She makes sure her meals have all the nutrients she needs since there's no sunlight.

She then spends some time editing photos and answering questions people have on her Instagram and YouTube pages.

At around 2.30 p.m., she often goes to the gym - which is also where she showers, since she doesn't have a shower at home. If the gym is closed, she calls a friend.

Longyearbyen is 15 minutes from Blomdahl's cabin by car. She said she can't leave anything in the car, because it'll just freeze.

When Blomdahl stops at the supermarket on her way home, it's usually without a plan for what she'll buy: That's because you never know what the supermarket may or may not have on any given day.

Buying alcohol is another adventure, as residents can buy only a certain amount each month.

Blomdahl has to pick up any items she has ordered online at the post office.

Depending on the weather, she'll take some photos on her way home, and usually returns around 5 p.m., which is when she and her boyfriend will start making dinner and play with Grim outside.

Some evenings, Blomdahl and her boyfriend will go snowmobiling. Due to COVID restrictions, most activities with friends are outdoors these days.

Most nights, however, she and her boyfriend will just hang out at home.

Blomdahl said they won't be seeing any sunlight until March 8, but she loves life on Svalbard and says it's the "incredible" nature that has kept her there for so long.