When I woke up it was still dark, but the lightness of the snow made it seem so much brighter than it was. At this time of year, where I was living, there were only 3 hours of sunlight per day. I gathered my warmest clothing, bundled myself up and walked out to a bridge over a frozen lake. The temperature must have been -15C, just as it had been all week. I waited and watched the sky.
In Sweden, I learned to appreciate how beautiful the sky can really be, a fact I often neglect having been raised here in Oregon where the weather is often gray and drizzly. This sunrise, which happened at the end of my experience with less than a week before I left the country, was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. The vibrant colors rippled across a sea of clouds, expanding in every direction as the sun slowly rose over the horizon. One of the most vivid nature experiences of my life, this sunrise etched an unforgettable image into my head that could only be partially captured by any photo.