August 1, 2015

Blog post from August 1st:

I am incredibly excited to be launching the 2015 summer ISAMR arctic trip blog. We will attempt to post an update every evening describing the day’s adventures, but inconsistent internet access may delay us for a few days; however, we will upload a post for each day missed. We will also be uploading photos in “Galleries.”

On another note, tomorrow at nearly 4:00 in the morning I, along with about 10 awesome people, will be venturing up north to the Canadian Arctic to finally meet the new friends I’ve made through a computer screen. I’m overwhelmed to say the least, but mostly out of my mind excited. I’ve been packing and unpacking my suitcase trying to fit as much as possible in the smallest space. As I make my way through checklists, I wonder if this experience could possibly live up to the magical stories told by ISAMR veterans of the vast tundra spotted with monumental polar bears and the beluga whales that scrape the water’s surface. I can only hope- and study lichens. I’m as ready as I’ll ever be for the culture and science that Churchill has to offer. Until then I’ll just try to make it through tomorrow’s early morning flight.

Cecilia Charney, Baltimore Polytechnic Institute