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Science

Airbnb host wakes up guest in the dead of night so she wouldn't miss the northern lights

"I thought it was a prank."

via MissPencyl/TikTok

Pency Lucero watches the Northern Lights.

Seeing the northern lights is a common bucket list adventure for many people. After all, it ticks a lot of boxes—being a dazzling light show, a rich historical experience, and a scientific phenomenon all rolled into one. Plus there’s the uncertainty of it all, never quite knowing if you’ll witness a vivid streak of otherworldly colors dance across the sky…or simply see an oddly colored cloud. It’s nature’s slot machine, if you will.

Traveler and content creator Pency Lucero was willing to take that gamble. After thorough research, she stumbled upon an Airbnb in Rörbäck, Sweden, with an actual picture of the northern lights shining above the cabin in the listing. With that kind of photo evidence, she felt good about her odds.

airbnb, sweden, sweden northern lights, night sky sweden, green lightsThe Northern Lights in Sweden.via Airbnb

However, as soon as she landed, snow began falling so hard that the entire sky was “barely visible,” she told Upworthy. Martin, the Airbnb host, was nonetheless determined to do everything he could to ensure his guests got to see the spectacle, even offering to wake Lucero up in the middle of the night if he saw anything.

Then one night, the knock came.

In a video Lucero posted to TikTok, which now has over 12 million views, we hear Martin ushering her out to take a peek. Then we see Lucero’s face light up just before seeing the sky do the same.

“I thought it was a prank,” the onscreen text reads in the clip. “And then I see it….”

Watch:

@misspencyl

I’m on the verge of crying every time I watch this video I still cannot believe it. 📍 Rörbäck, Sweden


“I was mostly in awe of what this Earth is capable of,” Lucero recalled. “I never expected it to be THAT beautiful for the naked eye.” This is a hopeful sentiment against the widely accepted notion that the northern lights are often better looking in photos than they are in real life.

As Lucero asserted in a follow-up video, “Our video doesn’t do it justice at all…I would argue it’s even better for the naked eye.”

@misspencyl

Replying to @PatriotFamilyHomes I would argue its even better for the naked eye. Our video doesn’t do it justice at all. To be fair our Airbnb host said the one we saw doesn’t happen very often so I guess we were just very very lucky 🥹

Others were quick to back Lucero with anecdotes of their own experience. “It’s definitely possible to see it like in the pics. I saw it this winter in Norway, there was bright green, purple and so much movement.”

“They’re so much better in person, the way they dance and move around is insane and beautiful.”

iuceland night sky, iceland, nortern light iceland, aurora, night light, iceland beachThe Northern Lights in Iceland.via Nicolas J. Leclercq/Unsplash

Of course, if you ask Martin, who everyone agreed was the best host ever, seeing guest reactions of pure wonder and joy is even “better than the lights themselves.” But still, he can’t deny that there’s a breathtaking magic to it all. He shared with Upworthy that “Sometimes it feels like it will pull you up in the sky like you are in the middle of it. I wish everyone would have the chance to witness it.”

norway, northern lights, nature, beautiful night sky, lights in sky, snow, Amazing light display from Mother Nature.via Lightscape/Unsplash

When it comes to tips for actually seeing the northern lights, Martin admits it still mostly comes down to being in the right place at the right time. Luckily, his Airbnb listing can help with that.

What causes the northern lights?

The Northern Lights, scientifically known as Aurora Borealis, occur when charged particles from the sun collide with the atmosphere near the poles. The charged particles interact with gases such as nitrogen and oxygen to produce credible, colorful light displays that float magnificently above the night sky. The Northern Lights are most visible in high-latitude regions such as Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Alaska, and Canada.

Nature has a great way of reminding us that beyond the distractions and distresses of modern life, there is sublime beauty waiting for the chance to capture our hearts.

This article originally appeared two years ago.

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Identity

57-year-old former model Paulina Porizkova had the perfect response to ageist comment online

"We have earned our beauty, we understand what it is, and we can see it so much better."

Photo by Malin K. on Unsplash

Paulina Porizkova took on a commenter who said she was in "pain" being "old and ugly."

Aging is a weird thing. From one perspective, it's something we should be grateful for. Few people would wish for the kind of short, uneventful life that would remove aging from the equation completely. The longer we live, the more we grow and learn and experience life, and "aging" is simply the mathematical sum of those experiences. All good, right?

On the other hand, American society does everything in its power to stop and even reverse aging. Especially when it comes to women. According to Statista, the global anti-aging beauty market is estimated to be worth $58.8 billion. People will try all manner of creams, serums, masks, acids, lights, technologies, and surgeries to try to prevent wrinkles, lines, sagginess, spots and other signs that our bodies are changing with time.

Most of us live our daily lives somewhere in the middle of these two realities, wanting to embrace our aging selves but also hoping to stave off some of the more obvious signs that we're getting older. It's natural to resist it in some ways. The older we get, the closer we're moving to the end of our lives, which we don't want to hasten for plenty of reasons: love for family, friends, relationships, adventures, food, etc. Plus, that reality can cause us some anxiety.

While Fear of Getting Old (FOGO) is real, it can be helpful to see people gracefully embracing their age. Case in point: former supermodel Paulina Porizkova who confidently shared photos of her 57-year-old self on social media 2022.


Porizkova shared a photo of herself in a bikini and a screenshot of a comment made by a person who felt the need to critique her aging body. And phew, was it something. The commenter wrote:

"You must be in so much pain to keep posting bikini pictures at your age. I've always thought that getting old and ugly is hardest on the pretty people. The fall from grace is so much farther when you were beautiful. Ugly people were always ugly so getting old and ugly isn't a change. In summary, I feel your pain. I pray you can come to terms with your mortality. We all get old and ugly…you just had to fall from a greater height than the rest of us. Tears Times Infinity!"

So many things to unpack here. First of all, the comment is weird. Second of all, it's rude. Third of all, it's clearly ageist, which, according to the American Psychological Association (APA) is "one of the last socially acceptable prejudices." Yikes.

Porizkova shared her thoughts on the comment on Instagram.

"Here’s a good follower comment- echoing a few others," Porizkova wrote. "A woman of 57 is 'too old' to pose in a bikini - no matter what she looks like. Because 'Old' is 'Ugly.' I get comments like these every time I post a photo of my body. This is the ageist shaming that sets my teeth on edge. Older men are distinguished, older women are ugly."

"People who believe prettiness equals beauty do not understand beauty," she continued. "Pretty is easy on the eyes, partly because it’s a little bland, inoffensive. It’s easy to take in and easy to forget. Not so beauty. Beauty can be sharp. It can wound you and leave a scar. To perceive beauty you have to be able to SEE."

"This is why I believe we get more beautiful with age," she added. "We have earned our beauty, we understand what it is, and we can see it so much better. There is no such thing as ugly and old. Only shortsighted and ignorant."

On X (formerly Twitter), Porizkova was a bit more sarcastic, writing, "Thank you for feeling my pain, rickaroo777. As you can see, I’m suffering indeed."

That tongue-in-cheek response prompted others to share their aging selves in photos, sharing how their "old and ugly" phase of life is going. The thread turned into a veritable celebration of middle-to-late age, with posts about how much more comfortable people feel in their bodies as they get older and the freedom that comes along with not caring what other people think.

You suffer beautifully

There are two big ironies with the original trolling comment. Most obviously, Porizkova obviously looks freaking amazing in a bikini, so the whole "ugly" and "fall from grace" line of thought is objectively off base. The second is that if you look through Porizkova's Instagram feed, she doesn't pose in bikinis very often at all. It's not like she's plastering her bikini selfies all over social media trying to feel better about herself, as the commenter implies. She just…sometimes wears a bikini. Whoop dee doo.

People don't have to wear bikinis if they don't want to. But to tell strangers what they can wear crosses a line. All bodies are bikini bodies, and if the person in the body wants their body to be in a bikini, more power to them.

The "suffering" and "pain" in the posts were so funny to see.

The thread brought inspiration to those who may fall prey to the idea that people shouldn't wear certain things after a certain age or that only people with certain body sizes or shapes should wear certain things.

The hashtag #oldandugly started trending as people responded to Porizkova's call for a celebration of aging beautifully.

"Todays thread has been my absolute favorite of all time," Porizkova wrote on Twitter. "Thank you all you 'old and ugly' women (and a few men) showing the world how much we 'suffer' at in our old age. You’re all breathtaking!"

May we all age beautifully and gracefully in whatever way those words are meaningful to us, and show those who think that aging means "suffering" and "pain" due to being "old and ugly" that they have no idea what they're talking about.

(And here's an extra shout-out to Porizkova for using her beauty and her age to make an important point—not only about celebrating getting older, but also about how propaganda works. Brava.)


This article originally appeared three years ago.

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Joy

Woman asks strangers, 'What's it like being beautiful?' Turns out it's a magical question.

People's reactions speak volumes.

Tanya Sangani/Instagram (used with permission)

So many people aren't used to getting compliments.

Asking random strangers questions has become a fun way to utilize social media in the 21st century, with viral gems like "the corn kid" and couples sharing their love stories delighting audiences. But one woman in New York has a unique twist on the "asking strangers" trend that has people inspired to see the beauty in everyone.

Tanya Sangani, whose social media content focuses on kindness, asks random people in New York City one question: What's it like to be beautiful? That's it. So simple. But the way people respond to that question speaks volumes about how they're used to—or not used to—seeing themselves.

Watch these reactions:


@tanyasangani

Hope core in New York #god #hopecore #actsofkindness #humanity #actsofservice

First of all, "Oh bro, that's so wholesome," is the most wholesome response possible to that question, right? And clearly the guy at the end needed to hear the compliment embedded in the question.

See how everyone's first reaction to the question is to smile and then seem sort of humbly embarrassed? Being told they're beautiful as the baseline of the question takes them off guard. The question they're being asked to answer is "What's it like?" but the underlying message is an unequivocal "You are beautiful, no question about it."

That's the wisdom of the question itself. Sangani doesn't ask people, "Do you think you're beautiful?" or "Do you see your own beauty?" Their inherent beauty is not in question. It's a given. And just that simple wording disarms people in way that's truly beautiful to see.

"When I ask others, 'What’s it like to be beautiful?' my intention is not only to explore the meaning of beauty but to help each person recognize it within themselves," Sangani tells Upworthy. "I want them to see their own light—the radiance that starts from within and shines outward. Through their stories, I hope to remind all of us that beauty is not just seen, it is felt. It is within all of us."

In video after video, we see similar responses, with some people even getting teary as they try to figure out what to do with the question.

@tanyasangani

Hype up these amazing humans in the comment section ! #hopecore #actsofservice #actsofkindness #wordsofaffirmation #newyorkers

"I started asking people what it’s like to be beautiful because, growing up, I was bullied for not fitting into conventional standards of beauty," Sangani tells Upworthy. "It made me question: What does it really mean to be beautiful? Is beauty something we can see and measure, or does it come from a deeper place within us? This question stayed with me for years, shaping how I saw myself and the world. There were times when I felt I looked good on the outside, but something still felt missing—I didn’t truly feel beautiful. It was in those moments of disconnect that I came to understand: beauty isn’t just about appearance. True beauty is found in the essence of who we are and the energy we bring into the world."

People in the comments share what seeing these videos means to them and how simple acts of kindness like this can make a surprisingly bit impact.

"Normalize treating people with love and watching them glow."

"Omg the lady who cried. Why is it the most beautiful people and ypu just feel her beautiful aura too that just never know their true beauty."

"This was wonderful because those young men will remember that compliment when they are 80. Guys almost never get an honest compliment so it will hold with them."

"I love this. You be amazed how many people are shook with a question like this. It shows you how many people struggle with their self esteem. This was a sweet experiment."

"Girl you healed something inside each one of them that day. 🫶"

"Sometimes I really really love humans. Wow."

"If only we could all see the beauty in ourselves and others.... what a wonderful world this would be."

What's interesting is that the responses are so similar, whether it's a person considered "conventionally beautiful" or not. People often don't see their own beauty, even when others do, and

The word "beautiful" also means so many things—it's not just about meeting some arbitrary criteria for social beauty standards. It's not the same as "pretty" or "handsome." Beauty is something bigger, deeper, more than what someone looks like on the surface.

As one person said, "I was noticing how they actually look more beautiful after you asked them the question." So true.

As Sangani says, "Beauty is the kindness that lives in your heart, the part of you that touches others and never fades. It’s the warmth you give—the way you make people feel seen, loved, and valued. It’s found in the how you make others laugh, the comfort of being with those who matter most, and the light you carry that can brighten someone’s day, even without a word. Beauty is an energy, an aura, a presence that can touch lives even before a conversation begins."

Who would imagine that a question as simple as "What's it like to be beautiful?" could elicit such emotional responses, both from the people being asked and the people witnessing their responses?

"This made me cry. Love it. We need to compliment each other more!!!!"

"My eyes are getting watery, what’s happening 🥺 ugh, i love this!!!!!!!!"

"Crying for everyone of us that doesn’t know how to respond to this question. This touches my heart so deeply. ❤️"

"Thank you for making me cry and I mean that in the most awesome way. 🥰"

"This is the most positive life affirming act. It is so easy to tell someone they are beautiful and mean it. Why can’t we do this more?!?"

It's true. This is something any one of us can do at any time. Clearly, most of us could use the confidence boost, and who wouldn't want to see a stranger's face light up the way these folks' do?

Thank you, Tanya, for the inspiration. Let's all vow to pay people more compliments, however we choose to do it.

You can follow Tanya Sangani on Instagram and TikTok for more examples of humans being beautiful.


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Pop Culture

Kate Winslet explains why women become more beautiful as they get older

She's not wrong.

Photo credit: Movieway PL

Kate Winslet on TIFF red carpet in 2017

In 2005, Kate Winslet was named one of PEOPLE magazine's Most Beautiful People. But even then, at age 29, Winslet had a remarkably grounded view of beauty. When asked what made her feel beautiful, she said, "The happiness I feel in having a family has brought me a real beauty."

Nearly two decades later, Winslet's take on beauty is even more revealing of her down-to-earth character. In a video sit-down with Harper's Bazaar UK, the 49-year-old actor shared some of her life lessons on different topics, and in responding to what she's learned about beauty, she shared:

"Number one is that women get more beautiful as they get older, for sure, because our faces become more a part of who we are, they sit better on our bone structure, they have more life, they have more history. Things I find incredibly beautiful are wrinkles around the eyes, the backs of hands. I think those things are very beautiful.”

She also talked about the importance of taking care of yourself from the inside. "Not just what you eat and how you look after yourself from a nutritional standpoint, but how you look after yourself from a mental wellness standpoint," she said. "How you feel about yourself emotionally, physically. Your place within the world. How you walk through the world. How you live with integrity and sincerity. I think those things matter and those things do come out in how we look and subsequently, of course, how we feel. And beauty is really a feeling, I don't think it's a thing that we look at."

People loved Winslet's commentary on aging and beauty, which run counter to so much of the societal messaging we get about wrinkles and other signs of aging being ugly or undesirable.

"As a little girl I remember looking up at my piano teacher as she sat next to me on the piano bench and I looked forward to getting crows feet like she had because I thought she was so beautiful! 😍"

"To me, this is an obvious truth. I feel sorry for people who cannot see the beauty in an ageing face. It's like going to an historic city like Venice and wanting to put new plaster or new facades over all the crumbling walls."

"Every line tells a story. Growing old is a privilege. It’s incumbent upon all of us to unlearn the lies we’ve been sold by the beauty industry that only youth is beautiful."

"More of this thinking please 🙌❤️ let’s celebrate what is natural and re-balance our attitudes towards aging. As a 45 year old woman who is about to be a grandmother this video made me feel really good 😌🦋🙏🏼✨"

"My AGE is a BLESSING not a BOUNDARY.🔥"

"Exactly one of the reasons I adore Kate Winslet and will watch anything she’s in. So strong. So wise. So real. So fully human. A luminous beauty — and she’s right, she is more beautiful with age. Even when she plays characters with very plain make-up and clothes."

In the full video, Winslet also shared what makes her feel beautiful:

"I think the answer to that question is that it just changes all the time. Often I will feel my most beautiful when I'm just relaxing. I'm working on achieving the relaxing thing more and more. In fact, this year I'm doing quite a lot of that. But often I will feel my most beautiful, perhaps, when I'm just at home with Ned and the children, just being my natural self."

Winslet has previously shared that women get more powerful and sexy in their 40s, which is music to middle-aged ears:

"I think women come into their 40s, certainly mid-40s, thinking: ‘Oh well, this is the beginning of the decline and things start to change and fade and slide in directions that I don't want them to go in anymore.’ And I've just decided no," she said. “We become more woman, more powerful, more sexy. We grow into ourselves more, we have the opportunity to speak and speak our mind and not be afraid of what people think of us, not care what we look like quite so much. I think it's amazing."

In her Bazaar UK video, Winslet also shared what she's learned about friendship, confidence, style, empowerment and more. Watch the full video here:

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

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