Extreme weather boots.
Hat.
Insulated gloves.
Balaclava (baklava, optional)
Back, neck, hand and foot heat packs
Thermal socks…and…and…and.
The list was long.
About this time three years ago, I was packing for an arctic adventure.
Thirty-six months ago, I had no idea what lay before me. I just knew I had to do it. Today, two-hundred-fifty-two weeks later, aspects of that trip still creep into my day, every day.
A suburban sunrise reminds me of the spectrum of blue hues native to East Greenland’s extraordinary landscape.
A city-scape sunset recalls the serenity I felt
gazing at a mountain chain underlined by the sea on the distant shore.
A scrubbed sky brings to mind the wide-eyed wonder that made my heart somersault at the sight of an ancient block of ice, paralyzed by a long winter’s nap, patiently waiting
to break loose and wander the world in its original state,
free to splash upon distant shores, including the bay near my home.
The drone of a passing plane transports me to the helipad where once a week on Wednesdays the whine and whirr of steel blades sliced the deafening silence to the accompaniment of a chorus of children eager to greet newcomers to their remote Eden.
My neighborhood’s barking dogs at play evoke feelings of my own excitement, as well as what turned out to be unfounded trepidation, at spending four days and three nights traveling on dog sleds in sub-zero temperatures. The mere sight of us preparing to head out set off a chain reaction of yowls and howls of joy over finally getting back to work…
Greenland ~ Kalaallit Nunaat ~ Ittoqqortoormiit ~ At least once a day for the last one-thousand-seven-hundred-sixty-four days, in some way, shape, or form I have thought of this stunning land, this far off village and its gracious, tenacious, welcoming people who have taken up residence in a corner of my heart. Qujanaq to everyone who helped make this a safe and remarkable experience.
And Thank You, Dear Reader,
for stopping by today
❤
Have you ever had such a memorable experience that you can’t get it out of your head? I’m sure you have! Please share it with the rest of us in the comment section below. I’ve got a stash of doubloons waiting to find a home.
For more about the trip, press HERE.
Donna Gwinnell Lambo-Weidner 
Wow. What an amazing experience! Nothing that memorable in my life so far. I love the photos, especially the one with the swing. Thanks for a fun post.
LikeLike
It was phenomenal, Rosi. And I would do it again in a heartbeat. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
LikeLike
Memories . . . . Thank YOU!!!
LikeLike
So when do we do it again?
LikeLike
I want to play on that swing!
LikeLike
If you are ever in the San Francisco Bay Area, you can swing on it. It hangs from the Hippie Tree. https://www.destinationtiburon.org/places/hippie-tree Let me know if ever you’re in the neighborhood, Naomi.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, wow, now I want to go – it looks amazing!
LikeLike
Oh, it was. Do it. Add it to your bucket list 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
What joyful huskies!
LikeLike
Happiest when working…well, eating too 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
🙂
LikeLike
What an incredible, amazing trip!!! I am so impressed that you did that—and you’d already been to Greenland twice! (Loved clicking through to earlier posts that I hadn’t seen.) The trip that comes back to me in unexpected moments is one I took to England and Scotland that was wrapped around King Arthur sites (yes, I’m a weirdo.) The crashing waves on the coast of Cornwall, the flattop hill that purported to be Camelot, the field where Mordred killed the king. This, too, was from a childhood longing that did not abate as an adult —am I the only person who has actually read Le Morte D’Arthur? 🙂
LikeLike
Oh you’re not a weirdo Ellen! The King Arthur sites are on my bucket list too! I’ll make sure I read Le Morte D’Artur beforehand 🙂
LikeLike
Wow Great story. Wonderful photos.
LikeLike
Thanks, Mark. It was a life-changing, fantastic trip.
LikeLiked by 1 person