Yesterday's commute back home was one of the best ever. It started late, the weather was coldish (a couple of degrees below 0C) but calm. No clouds, so I could see the stars clearly.

I rode about 2/3 of my 16 km trip thinking "this can not get any better" when suddenly it did. I hit a stretch by the sea where there are few streetlamps or other artificial illumination and I suddenly noticed the Aurora Borealis lit up the entire northern sky. It had probably been there all the time, but I could not see it because of all the lights. I had to stop for a few minutes to watch the colors travel through the sky. I've lived here for 34 years, and I think this was perhaps the second time I see this here. It's relatively common more up north.

I continued home feeling strangely peaceful and relaxed, my everyday worries having been reduced to their right proportions for a while. Life IS great!

--J