Miek was born and raised in the Netherlands, but she was recently drawn to the Arctic capital.
- Together with two of my friends, we discovered the island. Tromsø is one of those cities you easily fall in love with. The cold and snowy city has a very cozy vibe with cute coffee places and Christmas lights everywhere. That combined with all the outdoor activities and the Northern lights is just magical, Miek says.
-On the airplane back to The Netherlands one of my friends said: “Imagine we’re not coming back to this place in the coming years, or ever!” The thought of that made me kind of sad, so I finished my studies in the Netherlands and decided to move to Tromsø. For a long time, it felt like just an idea, which was never going to happen anyways. But here we are!
Exciting jobs
Miek has a master's degree in chemistry and worked actively as a policy writer in the progressive environmental party "Volt" in the Netherlands.
- What are you doing in Tromsø?
-Currently, I am working at Magy and Pust kafé! At Magy, I am a storyteller and write articles for Tromsolove magazine. You may know it from the Instagram page which is also called ´tromsolove´. I don´t think I could have wished for a better job here. I get to try out all the fun things in and around Tromsø like whale watching and husky tours. Besides that, I get to know a lot of citizens, Miek explains.
The return of the sun
- What are you looking forward to in Tromsø?
-To the return of the sun! Since I arrived here in November I started off in the middle of the polar nights. I really had to get used to the fact that there’s only a little bit of light in the afternoon. The dark days are cold, and you easily feel tired. You don’t really get used to the darkness during this period. When the days are getting brighter and longer there’s more room for all the outdoor activities too! I really look forward to snowboarding, hiking, ice skating and cross-country skiing!
-And of course, I’m curious about the midnight sun! Since I’m so excited about seeing the sun again, I hope I don’t get bored of it.
She admits it was a tough decision to leave friends and loved ones in the Netherlands.
-My parents and sister found it rather hard, especially since it’s quite far away. I really love spending time with my family. But luckily they accepted my decision and are coming to visit me soon!
