It was Day 4 of what was supposed to be our quick, long holiday weekend trip to Greenland [see post: Northern Lights, Icebergs, Dog Sleds: Ilulissat]. My mother and I were supposed to be onboard a flight back to Reykjavik, Iceland. Instead, we were moved to a different hotel (Hotel Arctic) on the other side of town, where we spent the entire afternoon canceling reservations we were now going to miss.

I never travel with a camera – I bought my Sony Xperia XZ phone, which is loaded with advanced photography technologies, solely for that reason. However, it does not capture the night sky. Or at least I do not know how to use it for night photography. I figured Greenland would have an incredible star display, so I brought my Canon EOS Rebel T2i with me on the trip. Unfortunately, the weather had been so bad the entire weekend that I did not even take it out of my backpack. Ironically, out of all days, the weather was clearing up. By nightfall, the clouds gave way for the stars to make their grand appearance. Sitting by the window, I saw something move in the sky. I quickly grabbed my camera, set a long exposure, and waited. A green flare appeared across my camera’s display. I shot up from the seat and screamed for my mother, who was already sleeping, to get dressed. The Northern Lights were finally out to play!

This was my first time seeing the Northern Lights. I sat outside for hours trying to capture the beauty of the Aurora. Simply magical.

Day 5
We woke up to a notification from my travel consultant at Greenland Travel telling us that our flight to Reykjavik was canceled again. And again, we were told that we would receive new information the following morning. There were no flights operating between Iceland and Greenland at this time.

Again, there was nothing that we could do but try to make the best out of the day. I quickly called World of Greenland and tried to rebook the Iceberg Sightseeing Boat Trip that they canceled a few days prior.

Unfortunately, they were overbooked. Frustrated, another passenger suggested that we rent and split the cost of a helicopter to see Greenland’s Eqi Glacier. Why not?

Side note: If you are going to pick a place to get stuck in, do not pick one where getting around is limited, where there is no free WiFi and where your cell phone company does not provide free phone service, and where there is limited daylight, activities, or food options.

Day 6
After staying up another night to watch the North Lights dance in the darkness, I woke up to another notification from my travel consultant advising us that our flight to Reykjavik was canceled again. And again, we were told that we would receive new information the following morning.

This time, I was not all for “making the best out of the day”. I started freaking out. I needed to be home by Sunday. Well, I needed to be home days ago, but Sunday was the absolute latest that I could get home. If the flight the following day was canceled for the fourth time, there was no way I could make it back home by that Sunday. Panicking, I overheard two other women on the phone with their agents rebooking their flights with Air Greenland to Copenhagen, Denmark (versus Reykjavik). Without a second thought, I grabbed the phone and contacted my travel consultant.

With no confirmed departures between Greenland and Iceland, and no hope of getting out by Sunday, my mom and I decided it was best to part ways since I needed to be elsewhere on Monday and it would not make sense to cough up that kind of money for a flight to Copenhagen from a different city and then to Chicago (out of pocket) since Air Iceland Connect was paying for everything in Ilulissat as compensation for leaving us there with no aircraft.

So, I hopped on a local commuter propeller plane and headed for Kangerlussuaq – an old military base in western Greenland.

The town is known for its airport. There is nothing there but the airport and the only other international flight to a country other than Iceland. There was only one flight scheduled to Copenhagen that week, which happened to be the following morning.

With 10 Danish Krone in my pocket (a little less than $2 USD), I asked the receptionist at the airport hotel what I could do. They said go on a walk around the perimeter of the airport (it was about -30 Celsius) or take a bus to the old military base for 10 DKK one way. The “town’s” engineer overheard and offered me a “sightseeing” drive down the only street. So, I hopped in his truck and learned about life in a city that does not even have a doctor.

I ended up inviting the kind man and the two German women out to dinner at the airport’s nicer restaurant.

Day 7
I could not sleep all night. Tossing and turning, I was waiting for yet another cancelation notification. I saw the Airbus land, and I still did not believe that I was actually leaving Greenland.

I did not believe any of it until we were up in the air.

After making it to Copenhagen, I had to book myself on the first flight to Chicago the following morning which was via Frankfurt, Germany. Although I had to part ways with my mother, I am glad I made that quick decision. My mother ended up receiving two more flight cancelation notices and was stuck in Ilulissat for an extra two days before finally getting out to Reykjavik and then to Chicago the following day – 7 days after she was supposed to be home.

Note to self: Do not take long holiday weekend trips to remote, inaccessible places.

My advice? Plan your trip loosely and leave more than enough time to get back home. A simple three-night trip could quickly turn into being stranded for seven or eight. Oh, and purchase travel insurance if your credit card does not provide trip interruption or cancelation insurance. [see post: Credit Card Travel Insurance]