MOUNTAINS and POLES
It's been six days since arriving inside the Arctic Circle, but it's still hard to comprehend that we
are actually here. Sailing in the cold is exhausting, a similar feeling to the one I have after
surfacing from a scuba dive. When my body has been in survival mode for an extended period,
matched with extreme wonder and awe. Because people weren't really built to be underwater or
in the Arctic. Yes- we have done it, but not without the help of the animal skins of the past or the
technological clothing of today. Our modern weather forecasting, accurately detailed charts, and
trusty radar allow us to understand and predict the world in a way we could not do solo. But, as
unnatural as it is, it also feels very human. Because as a species, this is what humans do. They
seek to bend the constraints that nature has over us. They strive to push it further- into outer
space, to the depths of the ocean and the poles of our world. Faster, smarter, smaller, more
efficient with each expedition. So all I can do is smile, because in this moment I feel proud to be
human.
