Students On Ice - The Arctic journey continues. In this episode: sea and sky united as one!
Arctic Expedition 2008
By Students On Ice's Youth Contributors
Our Students On Ice's Youth Contributors share with us their Arctic experience!
By Alexandra Polasko, Student
I would like to share a moment that impacted me enormously and will for the rest of my life. Today started out unusually: fairly calm. First we had breakfast, then a lecture on sea ice and Arctic mammals, and then some free time. It was at that moment a new doorway opened. I decided to go up to the seventh deck on the ship to catch a glimpse of a great view and take in some fresh air. While on deck, I started to see a few sea ice sheets floating by one by one – more and more of them as we travel further north. Suddenly the ship stopped, and right before my eyes lay hundreds of pieces of ice. What made it so spectacular was how the grey sky matched the water almost exactly. Where I come from, in Scottsdale, Arizona, the sky tells one story and the land another, never matching each other. I never thought I would see the day that the sky and land told the same story. I never thought the day would come when the horizon did not lie before my eyes clearly.
Once again, my expectations were exceeded; this whirlwind of inspiration came to me, telling me that, “Yes, I can make a difference in this world. Every move I make affects both what I can and cannot see.” I may only be 15 but that doesn’t mean I cannot make a difference. My time to start change happens now. Whether it be on a ship, at a computer, or exploring new places I will do whatever it takes to protect the poles, and to the protect the planet.
Out on the ocean, in the middle of nowhere there are no traces of human contact. Today, even though it was overcast, you could see the amazing turquoise and sky blues radiating from inside the ice. The ice rises out of the fog, accompanied by mountains breaking the never ending grey of the ocean.
It is this most magical place that makes you decide what kind of student, what kind of person, you want to be. It feels as if we lowly humans are intruding on the solitude of a place that existed thousands of years before we were even a thought and will continue to exist until we are nothing more than dust.
In truth, we have an obligation and a responsibility not to interfere with this place but to respect and revere it. As humans we are proud enough to assume Mother Nature needs our help, but in truth, if we leave her alone, stop emitting and reduce our impact, she can take care of herself. People have lost touch with reality. We exist on earth for less than a moment in the grand scheme of things. In that moment we must respect the world and thank it, not destroy it. It is places like the arctic that make you realize how little time you really have on the third rock from the sun.
The ice is magic. I can’t say it enough and it’s changed the way I myself my role in the world.
Image credits (from top): 1) Floating ice in the sea.; 2) Students' first encounter with a seal.; 3) Fogbow over the zodiac.; 4) Group picture Students On Ice 2008
Posted by on 08/11 at 12:13 PM