Anyone who has ever visited the Arctic probably knows the meaning of this old Jewish proverb. There’s no point in planning anything here. And if you do plan something, you have to be prepared for something to go wrong. This is sort of part of the Arctic package. Remember, it’s not humans who rule here, but nature, so there’s no point in expecting anything. For example, for several days now, no plane has arrived in Sisimiut, and this certainly wasn’t a planned interruption in the flight schedule. As I write this, it’s Saturday, and I’m sitting at the Sisimiut airport. I nervously glance at the departures board. Flight GL 232 to Kangerlussuaq, and the comment: delayed. However, I’m still hopeful that a small red Dash-8 200 will arrive in Sisimiut today and take us to Kangerlussuaq. It’s not that far: 30 minutes by plane, seven hours by boat, seven to ten days on foot. And from there, it’s really just a stone’s throw to Europe, but first you have to get out of Sisimiut.

Thick fog outside the airport window. You’re a bad omen, you’re a very bad omen, I thought. At that very moment, the commentary for flight GL 232 changed to: canceled. The plane didn’t land; the pilots turned back. So I, too, joined the ranks of the unlucky ones stuck in Sisimiut and unable to get out. We often pass each other on the streets in town. For the past few days, all I’ve heard is:

– We don’t know when we’re leaving yet – a couple of friends from France.

– They’ve switched us to a flight next week – a married couple from Switzerland.

– Our new flight is tomorrow, Sunday, but it’s unclear if any plane will arrive to pick us up – a group from the Czech Republic.

The airport was temporarily closed on Sunday. All flights were canceled.