I find myself back in Helsinki Finland having arrived today from Murmansk Russia. This is to be my first full day on land and my legs look forward to the stability of a motionless ground under foot.

Last night on board 50 Years of Victory, passengers gathered before the farewell dinner for parting words from Quark staff and the ship’s captain. The last night was used to snap some final photographs and obtain that last contact information from new found friends made during the expedition.  Many of us resisting the parting of ways have decided to share dinner tonight in Helsinki and to delight in a final cocktail at the Arctic Ice Bar in Helsinki before we go our separate ways in the morning.

This trip for Kerrie and I has been like no other we have ever taken, much because the arctic and the North Pole with its lunar landscape is like no other place on earth. There is a nature I had not expected. I have come to understand why so many migratory birds would choose the area to pass through and call home in the regions summer months. I’ve come to appreciate the perfection of nature in how the polar bear and walrus are so ideally adapted and suited to the environment they inhabit.

There may seem to be little to be found in this icebound world but there is enough to sustain its wildlife.  Up in the high north nothing goes to waste. The Inuit make use of the entire polar bear, fox, and seal. Aside from the meat used to feed oneself, bones are used for tools, and hides and furs used to cover kayaks and to keep one warm. Besides the wildlife, this region breeds simplicity and solitude.

I will return home with lessons learned. I see as a species how man has grown from simply sustaining himself to over consumption. As our modern world has grown and developed, I at times see it socially fragmented. I witness at moments humanity’s loss of harmony with the land and sea, and a gradual disappearance of innocence from our lives.

Through this expedition, from what I’ve seen and the people I’ve met, I’ve gained reconciliation with nature and a sense of renewal rather than despair for the future of our planet.

Thank you for tuning into my blog. I’ve found through this experience a sense of peace and understanding. I wish the same for you. This planet holds so many places that can nourish you both visually and spiritually……Go out and find them!

 Cheers,

 Giovanni Savaglio  

Similar Posts:

• All In A Day
• Exchanging brick and mortar for water and ice
• The Arctic Ocean
• A Monster of a Melt Down!!
• A Defining Moment