When I first came to Greenland back in September 2018, dog sledding was something that was on my…
Times visited: 2
Towns visited: Nuuk, Maniitsoq, Sisimiut, Aasiaat, Ilulissat, Paamiut, Qaqortoq, Narsaq and Tasiilaq
Villages visited: Kangerlussuaq, Qoornoq (abandoned), Kangeq (abandoned), Island of Hope (abandoned), Kangaamiut, Qeqertarsuaq, Qeqertarsuatsiaat, Arsuk, Narsarsuaq, Kapisillit, Kulusuk and Tiniteqilaaq
For as long as I can remember, I’ve dreamed of visiting Greenland. And when I finally did, I fell hard. So hard, in fact, that Greenland now rivals the Faroe Islands as my favourite country in the world.
Greenland was the first country I ever moved abroad to. I spent five unforgettable months living in Nuuk during my fifth semester at university. I shared a cozy apartment in central Nuuk with four other exchange students, and from the very beginning, the city felt like home. Between exploring Nuuk, studying, and working at the National Museum, I still found time to travel. I ventured into the stunning Nuuk Fjord on several tours and spent most of October journeying through North and South Greenland. I saw humpback whales, sailed past towering icebergs, chased the northern lights, went crystal hunting, stumbled across Norse ruins, met an Arctic fox, and even hiked solo to the very edge of the Greenland Ice Sheet. The South, in particular, completely blew me away.
Leaving Nuuk was heartbreaking – I cried on the plane – but I already knew I would be back. For my seventh semester, I returned to Greenland for an internship in Tasiilaq on the remote East Coast. Before heading east, I reunited with friends in Nuuk and embarked on an epic four-day trek to the village of Kapisillit with two friends – one of the most adventurous hikes I’ve ever done.
In Tasiilaq, I spent 11 weeks working on projects for the local museum, hiking every trail I could find, and falling in love with an adorable sled dog puppy. I also visited Kulusuk twice and joined a boat trip through the mesmerizing Sermilik Icefjord to the tiny settlement of Tiniteqilaaq – an experience made even better by the two friends who came to visit me that week.