In the Arctic, there is a belief that the Northern Lights bridge the world of the living to the world of the dead. Five years ago, I began exploring Iceland searching for those lights. My hope was to feel the soul of my father whom I lost when I was 22. Since his departure, my heart and mind have circled around each other, analyzing and evaluating the meaning of life and death: Why are we born? Why do we die?

Each of my journeys to Iceland was punctuated by unforgiving conditions of severe weather. The devastating snow storms killed natives and tourists alike. Similarly, the lack of sunlight killed human spirits, leading to depression and other mental illnesses. I found that these extremes felt very familiar to me and what started off as a search for my father, soon became an exploration of my own personal, inner landscape.