Friday, October 17, 2008
Aloha, Oregon, USA


My bed is soft, my room a welcome sight, my parents comforting, and my home is sweet.....yet I wish with all my heart to be back in the Tundry Buggy, chatting and laughing and singing and dancing with Molly A., Molly M., Rachel, Alicia, Elizabeth, Katya, Abhishek, Alex, Emily, Ritika, Josue, Katie, Trisha, Elaina, Kasey. My friends. My family. Oh, how I miss you all.

First, I have many people who deserve my thanks; so many, in fact, that I can't name them all. Here are the main people, however, that I owe my deepest thanks and gratitude:

**The Oregon Zoo ZooTeen Program and Mia Reager: You are such an inspiration to me, and without the ZooTeen program I would never have had this chance of a lifetime. Thank you for believing in my and giving me the courage to take a leap into a different life.

**The Oregon Zoo ZooGuides: Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for paying for my plane ticket. I am so deeply grateful for having gone on this trip, and without you dear, wonderful people, it would not have been possible.

**My parents: Your love and support through the years has kept me going. I don't know what I would do without you both. I love you so much, and thank you for all you have done, are doing, and will do for me.

**PBI and Robert & Carolyn Buchanan: I look to both of you as a second grandfather and grandmother. Your passion and love of the Arctic and its polar bears is empowering and inspiring; I cannot thank you both enough for giving me this chance to change the world.

**My PBI family, teens and adults: You are all incredible, wonderful people. I am so lucky and blessed to have met you all. Keep on fighting for the polar bears, and know that I will always be at your side in spirit, helping you save our beloved bears.

**My loyal blog readers: Though many of you I know, those who have read this online at PBI's website are unknown to me, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking time out of your schedule to learn about polar bears and climate change. Go to www.thermo-stat.org and reduce your carbon footprint. Plant a tree. Turn off a light. The bears need you, and I'm begging you to help.

I've been home a full day now; I unpacked, did laundry, rode my bike to a friend's house, tried to clean up, and went to half of a football game. I have the PSAT's tomorrow morning, and then homework. Perhaps I thought that the world had stopped while I was gone; unfortunately, it did not. And now, coming home, I've been caught in the whirlwind of life, being tossed around as I try to catch up.

On Sunday, however, I have my first interview as an Arctic Ambassador. I'm meeting with three young girls who wanted to learn more about climate change and polar bears for a project, and wanted to speak to me, an expert. There are people now who look to me as an expert, a person with knowledge and leadership and the fortitude to help them and the bears.

When Robert told us in Winnipeg to "wave goodbye to yourself as you board the plane, for you will return a different person," I believed him, thinking that I would simply come back more knowledgable and ready to get to work. I realize now, however, that he was speaking about a much deeper difference, a much deeper change; a change that, for my family and friends, is not easily understood.

It is difficult to explain how I feel. I am forever changed because of this camp; I honestly can't imagine my life without the experience, knowledge, and understanding of people and the world that I have gained in the past week. I am not the same person I was only 9 days ago.

When I left Oregon, I left a naive, leader-wanna-be. I have returned inspired and empowered, a person with the understanding and ability to be a true leader, a leader who can save the polar bears and our world, a leader who, I am proud to say, inhabits my heart and soul and gives me the strength to keep going.

I am ready to face the world and speak out for the polar bears and the Arctic. I am ready to inspire my community to change their ways and save the polar bears. I am ready to create change. I am ready to change the world.

Tomorrow is another day; who knows what it will bring? For me, the PSAT's; for the polar bears, another day of waiting for the bay to freeze; for you, my dear blog reader, a mystery. It is up to you to decide what your future will hold. Will you take the leap with me and stand up for the polar bears? Will you stand by my side, and my friend's sides, as we take on the world in the name of the Arctic?

It is up to you. You have to make the choice. I hope, for the sake of myself, the polar bears, the Arctic, and future generations, that you make the right choice. As Ghandi once said, "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." I never understood this quote until now. I'm ready to be the change. Are you???


Until tomorrow,
--Erica

Thursday, October 16, 2008
Portland, Oregon, USA


As I type this, I am less than hour away from home. The sun is setting, the clouds are below me, I am excited to see my family, and yet I have never been sadder to be going home.

Yesterday evening was so much fun; all 15 of us were in partying Katya's room. I say 15 of us because Ritika left us at the airport, since she lives in Winnipeg. She was sharing a room originally with Katya, so that's why Katya now had a room all to herself. We stayed in her room until 1:00 AM, ordering room service, sharing food, jokes, and memories, and watching Cash Cab Canada style. Eventually, people had to leave; Kasey, Abhiseck, and Alex were on an early flight in the morning. Saying goodbye was so hard; I know it's not goodbye forever, for we will have a reunion someday, but it was difficult saying goodbye to people that I love so dearly and know so well, after only 7 days. The rest of us planned an 8:00 AM breakfast meeting, so we all headed off to bed. Molly A. and I were rooming again, and we stayed up until 2:00 AM packing and laughing.

We woke to the phone ringing at 7:30, as we requested. We dressed quickly and headed downstairs to eat. At 8:15, however, Kathy said it was time to go, and it hit everyone that this was it, really and truly. I was fine until I hugged Rachel; then I began sobbing, and could not stop for several minutes after everyone left. I love everyone, and saying goodbye was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. Rachel, Molly A., Katie, Emily, Alicia, Elaina, and Katya, along with Tim, Kathy, and Matt left, leaving Carolyn, Lenore, Bill, Molly M., Elizabeth, Josue, Trisha, and myself at the hotel. I was feeling pretty depressed by now, but then Bill said it was time to go, and so began the next part of my adventure.

On Tuesday, Bill told Molly M. and me that, since we were the last to leave, he could take us around Winnipeg, to the Assiniboine Zoo and the mall and just to get a feel for Winnipeg. We agreed, and so we had to say goodbye to Lenore, Josue, Trisha, and Elizabeth at the hotel. After saying goodbye, Molly, Bill, and I left to see the sights of Winnipeg. It was such a beautiful day today; the sky was clear and the clouds were few.
It was odd to see the sun shine so brightly, after having clouds and no sun for days on end.

Bill first drove us around Winnipeg, making brief stops at the government building and the headquarters of PBI in Winnipeg. Our next stop was the mall, which was a lot of fun to go through; I bought a scarf, and Molly got a carry-on rolling suitcase. After the mall was the zoo, but when we first passed by Debbie's exhibit, she wasn't out (Debbie is the famed, oldest polar bear in the world that we have on record. She is 43 years old, which is quite incredible.) we looked around at some other animals—cougars, lynxes, caribou, etc., and when we went back to see if she was out, there was Debbie, sitting so proudly that she appeared to be a queen with her loyal subjects who feed her, carry her stuff, etc.

We had a great time seeing Winnipeg with Bill, but Molly and I eventually had to go home. We were slightly late leaving the zoo, so Bill sped the entire way back to the hotel. Yay for Bill, eh! You gotta love the Canadians, eh!

Saying goodbye to Molly was much easier than the others; Carolyn and I were on the same flight to Minneapolis, and we both got to say goodbye to Molly right before her plane boarded. Spending time alone with her, as well as with Carolyn, made saying goodbye to each much easier.

After a 3 hour layover in Minneapolis, I am finally on the plane to Portland. I bought a book for the ride home, which I'm very excited to read. We're getting ready to land, however, so I need to shut down and get ready to officially go home. I will write again tomorrow to sum up what this trip was, exactly. I love you all!!!!!


Until tomorrow,
--Erica

Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada


Today was our last full day together. As Robert sang for us one last time, I couldn't help but tear up a little; the thought that I will go back to alarm clocks and school in a few short days was, and is, unthinkable.

As we drove away from the buggy, I couldn't help but feel sad. It didn't seem right that I was going home; I didn't want to go home, and I still don't, not really. However, we each got the chance to drive the buggy through the tundra; Kathy pulled me up and, to my dismay, said I was going first. To summarize, let's just say that I can drive a Tundra Buggy better than a car back home; it was much easier and so much more fun.

The ride was long, and Katya and I fell asleep for a little while. We finally reached our destination, and had to get off the buggy and onto the bus. I was the last to leave, for I had volunteered to help clean up the buggy after everyone was off. I said a fond farewell to the buggy I loved so dearly, then joined my family. We headed off to the Tundra Buggy Gift Shop, where we had the chance to purchase gifts for ourselves and our family/friends back home. I think I chose wisely, and while I might have splurged a little (okay, Mom, maybe I splurged a lot,) I used my own money, and on a trip like this, I wanted to not only give my friends something to keep polar bears on their mind, but give myself something to treasure and keep till the end of days. Plus, the next time I go, I won't have to get anything, because I already got everything today! My logic is impeccable, in my opinion.

Once I completed my transaction, Robert George and I walked to Gypsy's for dinner. It had started to snow in Churchill as we were driving out, and now the town was looking like a white Christmas; it was so beautiful, and I wish I had my camera with me, so I could take pictures. Unfortunately, it was still on the bus, so I was unable to capture the beauty of the snow.

Dinner flew by, and in no time at all we were in the Churchill airport, waiting to fly to Winnipeg. As the time for boarding finally arrived, the tears began to fall as we realized we had to say goodbye to a person we all loved dearly, a person whom I look to as a second grandfather, a person who had to stay in Churchill. That person was Robert Buchanan, and thanks to him I am forever changed.

I was, once again, last to say goodbye. I could hardly let go of him, and I couldn't stop crying. As he tried to comfort me, I shook my head and joked, "It's these damn hormones, I can't stop crying!" He laughed his loud, booming laugh, and I laughed along with him, reveling in our final happy moment for the time being.

He hugged me again, and said, "You'll do great things, sweetheart; don't give up when the people push you down. You're meant for something bigger." A kiss on the head, a wave goodbye, and I was out the door, walking through the snow, the tears falling freely as I left the world I loved. Climbing up the plane's stairs, I took one last look at Churchill, the tundra, the pure, real Arctic that I had to fight for back home. I am so ready.

I'm back at the hotel now, but am leaving to go hang with everyone one last time. I can't imagine that I'm going home tomorrow, and I don't want to; I want to stay here forever, and even though I'm leaving now, I'm going to come back. Don't doubt it for a second.

Until tomorrow,
--Erica

Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Churchill, Manitoba, Canada


Today I flew in a helicopter for the first time! This trip has been filled with many "first times" for me, but this was one in particular was incredible. To fly over the land I've always loved and have now grown to understand and love even more was an unbelievable moment for me. We were flying to an abandoned maternal den, which is where the mother polar bear gives birth and cares for her cubs during the winter.

I flew with Michael and Matt, which was a lot of fun. Finally being able to walk on the tundra was amazing; we hadn't touched solid ground for 5 days! Our helicopter took off first, and we landed a good half an hour before the others arrived. The ground was soft and spongy, as it was covered in layers and layers of moist soil and lichen, which is similar in composition and looks slightly like moss.

Standing on the tundra, watching the river below, feeling the wind blowing on my face and through my hair, I was struck, once again, by the beauty of the Arctic. I will never tire of staring out at the flat landscape, for there is always more to see. The mountains back home will be strange to see indeed; even seeing houses and tall buildings will be odd for a while.

The others finally arrived, and we took turns, according to our groups, going into the maternal den site. My group was last, and I was the last person overall to go inside the den. Sitting on the ground where a polar bear mom and her cubs once lived was amazing; I could hardly speak for words. We also ate fresh Arctic cranberries, which were surprisingly delicious, despite the tart taste. I like Arctic cranberries much better than Oregon cranberries; they taste much better than anything in Oregon, or the States in general for that matter.

Eventually, we had to come home; we had been out on the tundra for a good 2 hours or so. The rest of the day was spent blogging, working on presentations, and, for myself and Katya, prepping for our big surprise for the adults. Yesterday, we had the idea to do a skit for our last night on the buggy, with each of us kids impersonating an adult facilitator. We had already chosen parts (I was playing Dave, the Englishman who fixed our heater and was always there for a laugh) and were now working on the plotline. Everyone was jazzed for the evening.

As we got the room ready, we joked and laughed and practiced our lines. I was wearing Dave's one-piece, which was really hot, and had tied my hair in front of my face as a beard. The adults loved our skit; they were laughing the entire time, making us laugh as well. At the very end, we sang a different version of "Oh What a Beautiful Morning" for the adults; I had written the lyrics to reflect our time spent on the buggy and how much we loved our facilitators. Here's how it went:

"Oh what a beautiful family! Thank you for all that you do! We've got a wonderful feeling! We'll see everyone again soon!"

Laughs were plentiful and cameras flashed brightly for a couple hours as we all hugged and danced and had fun on our last night in the buggy. It is so hard to think that tomorrow is our last day. For tonight, at least, we were happy. Tomorrow will be another story entirely.


Until tomorrow,
--Erica

Monday, October 13, 2008
Churchill, Manitoba, Canada


HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!! I am so blessed to be able to celebrate two Thanksgivings this year; one with my related family and one with my new, chosen family. We had clear blue skies with a few clouds during the day, and with Bob the bear keeping watch outside, it was a beautiful day.

It was, of course, a crazy day as well. We had our first live video conference today, the first of four, and it was a hectic morning trying to get ready for it. After the usual stuff (Robert's singing, breakfast, etc.) the morning was spent watching our polar bear outside the window and practicing for the video conference.
After the video conference was a recap of what we did good/bad, and then we had lunch. And after lunch came the pivotal point of this trip for me; the point where I truly began to change, where I truly began to see, where I truly began to understand why I was here in the Arctic, looking at polar bears day after day in the afternoon glow.

Parker Fitzpatrick and Jim and Betty Settee came to speak to us. All three are close, personal friends of Robert and Carolyn. All three are kind, gentle, wonderful people. All three love animals and the Earth. And all three are trappers here in the north.

Now, before you go on a tirade on how terrible trapping is and how trappers are horrible, animal-hating people, listen to what I have to say; these three people have had a profound impact on my perspective of the world, my lifestyle, my perceptions of the people around me, and my life overall. I cannot even begin to describe the change that has occurred inside of me.

These three people kill animals for a living. While this statement is true, it is only half of what Parker, Jim, and Betty really do; those who do not take the time to understand their way of life only see half of a beautiful story. They do not kill animals for sport. They do not kill simply for money. They do not kill more animals than they need. When the population of an animal begins to decrease, or when they begin trapping more females and younger animals, they stop. They do not revel in the glory of killing an animal like many people do. They keep the population of multiple species at a number that is beneficial for all; when the trapping business stopped a few decades ago, disease broke out among some of the animals as their population exploded; most of the animals died slow, painful deaths. They trap humanely, using methods that kill the animal quickly, for they do not wish pain upon any living thing.

These people care deeply about animals and this Earth, though many might think the opposite. We each have our own ideas and beliefs on animals and how we should interact with them; this is simply another belief, one that I personally respect and admire.

As Betty said, "In order to live on the land, you must respect the land. If you take good care of Mother Nature, she will take good care of you." These words are truer than any I've heard before. To hear her speak of her life, of her love for all creatures, especially wolves, of her passion and dedication to this Earth is more than inspiring; it is empowering.

After their presentation, I had a chance to speak with Betty personally. Staring into her old, wise eyes that were filled with a brightness I've never seen before, I told her how much her being here meant to me. She took my hands into her own and held them tightly, saying, "When you walk through the forests back home, think of me. I am old now, and have only the strength to give my knowledge and love of this land to the next generation. It is up to you to take care of the Earth. It is up to you." She kissed my hands, and gave me the warmest hug, and said one last time, "Erica, it is up to you."

I was in a daze for the rest of the afternoon. Her words to me kept replaying over and over and over, like a tape that got stuck on part of a song and replays it until you fix it.

"It is up to you. It is up to you. It is up to you. Erica, it is up to you."

She's right. It is up to me. It's up to everyone at our camp, all 16 of us. It is up to us to save the polar bears, and not only the polar bears, but the rest of the world as well. When the polar bears die, the Arctic will be dead as well; it's beauty only a distant memory as the land is destroyed and mangled by climate change. No more ring seals, no more ptarmigans, no more Arctic hares, no more Arctic wolves, no more polar bears; they will be gone from the wild, a distant memory of how the world used to be.

I am determined, now more than ever, to stop this from happening. I cannot let this happen when I have the power to do something about it. I will fight to my dying day for the Arctic and its inhabitants, from polar bears to ptarmigans.

During dinner, our polar bear came to visit again. As I stepped from the pantry to go back inside the kitchen, I moved to stick my head over the railing, to see where Bob the bear was at. Nearly 2 feet away, I noticed a black spot amongst the white of the buggy. Bob the bear was standing against the buggy, ten feet up, and was sticking his nose between the buggy and the railing. I was standing two feet away from a beautiful, wild animal. He stared at me, and I stared at him, and for what seemed like hours (and was only a couple of minutes,) we shared a connection that I have never experienced, and will probably never experience again. I swear to you all, he was looking into my soul, begging me to help him and the rest of the polar bears. He finally went back down to the ground, and I finally leaned over, watching as he lumbered away into the night.

It has been a long, thought provoking day. I cannot believe this trip is almost over; I do not want to say goodbye to the family I love so dear.


Until tomorrow,
--Erica

Sunday, October 12, 2008
Churchill, Manitoba, Canada


Once again, I apologize for the lateness of this posting; blogging on time has been nigh impossible with the events of yesterday, as well as today!

Okay, so I know I said that our second day was the most amazing day here, but today comes in a very close second. There were three main things that happened that made today so amazing.

The first was right after I had taken my shower for the day. I stepped outside (in my tank-top and flip-flops) to look at the sunrise. Slightly stupid, I know, but there were clear skies and it was so beautiful, I had to take in the moment. Well, as I was walking back inside, I turned to the other side of the buggy to glance at the bay. What I saw was much more amazing and beautiful than any Arctic sunrise. It was.....A POLAR BEAR!!!!

It was a sub-adult male, about 3-4 years old, and was lumbering up towards the buggy. I stood in complete shock, watching him quietly creep up to our little home. He raised his head, only a few yards away, and looked me straight in the eye. This contact, his piercing gaze, startled me back into reality. I rushed inside as quietly as I could and called out “Guys, there’s a polar bear outside! I’m not kidding you, he’s right outside!” Everyone shouted joyously as I grabbed my camera. Robert, as we ended up naming him, went underneath the buggy, and walked down to the opposite end of the buggy. As we tripped and stumbled over each other, trying to reach him, he lazed about, rolling over and playing in the brush. We oohed and aahed, then gasped in horror as Robert began to chew on a piece of trash. This beautiful, wild bear was sitting right in front of us, on the tundra, chewing on trash, because some idiotic human had decided to litter.

I was so furious I could barely speak. How dare we humans think that the polar bears can survive in this changing world without our help? And for someone—or several someones—to leave trash lying in the Arctic, because they were too lazy to dispose of it properly, is not only idiotic, it is the most irresponsible and cruel thing a person could do. To purposefully leave trash in a place that has enough problems already is incomprehensible to me.

Anyways, to get off my soapbox, our new friend Robert stayed with us all day, sleeping and rolling around. It was fun to glance out the window and see ‘our’ polar bear.

The second main event was our dinner. Group B’s chosen theme was…Karaoke Night! Before dinner started, Group B sang for us, inviting us to join in. The song was “We Are Family,” and sitting there, in the warm kitchen, with 27 people whom I have known for only a few short days…I really did feel like part of a family. We changed the lyrics a little to include the guys, and we all sang at the top of our lungs, at the top of the world: “We are family! I got all my siblings and me! We are family! Stand up everybody and sing! Hey!” I have never felt as warm and content at any time in my life as I did in that kitchen, with all my family, and I doubt I ever will again.

The third part of our day--or rather, night--was by far the most spectacular. I was standing outside at the very end of the buggy, staring up at the multitude of stars, thinking about the magnificence of nature and our world…and how, very soon, it could all disappear. As I stuck my head over the railing, I noticed a green wisp in the sky, that was slowly getting larger. I stared at it for several minutes, unsure of what I was seeing. When it began to shimmer slightly, something clicked in my head, and I gasped in surprise, shock, joy, amazement, and pure wonderment. I was looking at the Aurora Borealis: the Northern Lights. They were faint, and they were just beginning, but it was the most astounding sight I’ve ever seen.

As the night wore on, the intensity of the lights waxed and waned, until 10 o'clock when, standing in the back of the buggy with the stars and lights above me, a brilliant flash of green, red, and violet danced across the sky for a couple minutes. I could only stand and gaze in pure, unadulterated awe. The lights danced on for another hour or so, and I stood outside staring until they told me to come inside. There's truly no more that I can say, other than to use my favorite poem from Robert Frost; for me, at least, this captures the essence of the Aurora Borealis:

"On Looking Up By Chance at the Constellations"

You'll wait a long, long time for anything much
To happen in the heaven beyond the floats of cloud
And the Northern Lights that run like tingling nerves.
The sun and moon get crossed, but they never touch,
Nor strike out fire from each other, nor crash out loud.
The planets seem to interfere in their curves,
But nothing ever happnes, no harm is done.
We may as well go patiently on with our life,
And look elsewhere than to stars and moon and sun
For the shocks and changes we need to keep us sane.
It is true the longest drought will end in rain,
The longest peace in China will end in strife.
Still it wouldn't reward the watcher to stay awake
In hopes of seeing the calm of heaven break
On his particular time and personal sight.
That calm seems certainly safe to last the night.


Until tomorrow,
--Erica

Saturday, October 11, 2008
Churchill, Manitoba, Canada


Well, this posting is a day late, but once you hear about what has happened in the past two days, you will totally understand!!

Today was a pretty relaxing day, compared to how exciting yesterday was. Our morning was entertaining, to say the least; Robert came in at 6:30 AM and began to sing “Oh What a Beautiful Morning,” very loudly and very off-key. Breakfast was at 7:30, but we soon became distracted by an Arctic fox who came to visit. He was running and leaping through the grass right outside the buggy throughout the day, giving us lots of photo opportunities.

In between random photo shoots of Freddie the Fox and snow buntings (large, brown and white, sparrow-like birds,) we worked on our presentations. Kasey, Elizabeth, Alicia, and I decided to do it news-caster style, and it's going to be hilarious!!

After lunch we packed up and headed out onto the tundra, around 1:30. During the ride, we saw several Arctic hares, and a whole flock of ptarmigans. Finally, we found our MC2 from yesterday. We stayed for about 2 hours, taking pictures and following slowly behind them as they walked along the road. I was hoping they were going to follow us home, but they loped off towards the sunset.

Our return home was entertaining as well, as Team Alpha gave their presentations. Once they finished, I, along with Kasey, Emily, Alex, and Katie, sang songs from musicals and Disney movies; Hairspray, Wicked, Sound of Music, Chicago, Oklahoma, Wizard of Oz, Aladdin, Lion King, Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and many more.

Dinner was served at 6:45, and it was simply astounding! Appetizers were served at about 6:15 (chips and dip,) followed by Team Alpha leading us into the dining car. The whole room was decorated with snowflakes, with a banner titled “Winter Wonderland” above the door and Christmas music blaring from someone’s computer. Team Alpha went around serving everyone, and overall it was a great evening.

The presentation after dinner, however, was the pivotal point of the day. Robert gave a presentation on polar bears in general; their lifespan, general height/weight, etc. Then he played a video that I had seen many times before, both online and at the zoo, but no matter how many times I’ve seen this video before, I still get chills and tear up each time I watch it. Here is the link: http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/iceage.php

I beg of you, please watch this. This video both incites and inspires me to do something, anything, to help these majestic creatures. Sitting in that room, with 15 other people who are as passionate as I am, watching this video and seeing pictures of drowned polar bears, of females who had been eaten by hungry, desperate males…seeing all that, made me stop and really think about everything that humans have done in the past few decades that has undone thousands upon thousands of years of evolution.

I hope that the video incites you to do something as well; you don't have to wait another day. It doesn't matter anymore who or what has caused climate change; the point is, it's happening, and it's up to humans to solve it.


Until tomorrow (which again is today),
--Erica

Friday, October 10, 2008
Churchill, Manitoba, Canada


I don’t think that I can begin to adequately describe how amazing today has been. It’s hard to pick a time, a place, a moment where the enormity of this experience hit me.

Watching the sun rise above the tundra this morning literally took my breath away. Flying hundreds of miles above the tundra, with clouds floating below us, and nothing but sky in our sight, we had a picturesque view of our first Arctic sunrise. The gold and red of morning mixed vibrantly with the darker blue of night, creating an image of pure beauty.

Later, standing at the edge of Hudson Bay, with the wind whipping around me and chilling me to the bone, gave me an image of a world that, while harsh and primitive at its base, is actually so unique and so beautiful in its own way. I did not breathe, I did not speak, I did not even think for several minutes; all I could do was listen to the sound of the surf breaking against the shore, the wind whistling through the grass, and my heart beating wildly at the sight of such raw magnificence.

And then came the pivotal moment of the day; our first polar bear sighting. I was one of the first to actually see the bear; once it became known that there was a bear outside, the bus became pandemonium as we scurried to grab our cameras, open the windows, and catch our first glimpse of a wild polar bear. As I stood there, completely entranced by the great white bear, I caught sight of something white in the corner of my eye. It was another polar bear! I shouted out in surprise, along with several others. The bus overflowed with excitement; two polar bears, on the first day! It was nearly unheard of in previous camps, including the camp just one week before ours. My heart stopped as I watched the two male polar bears walk with grandiose across the flat, desolate tundra. Hours later, I cannot express in words how amazing that moment was. I will have that vision of the bears walking on the shore in my mind’s eye for the rest of my life.

After we had taken our fill of photos, we traveled to the official Tundra Buggy; a huge, white bus that is 10 feet off the ground. We boarded excitedly, happy to finally be on our way to the Tundra Buggy Lodge. Barely an hour later, I, along with Molly A., Molly M., and Rachel, spotted a white rock. A very large, white rock. A very large, walking, breathing, white rock. It was another polar bear! And not just any polar bear; an MC2 (squared)!! That’s Churchill speak for a Mother and 2 Cubs. Pretty clever, in my opinion. Once again, we were filled with a rush of adrenaline as we hurried to grab our cameras and capture the image of the family. I was breathless at the sight of such innocence and majesty of the polar bears. The cubs were so playful, and the mother so stately, that it was hard to walk back inside to the safety of the buggy.

As we continued on our way to the lodge, we also saw an Arctic hare, several ptarmigans (known commonly as Arctic chickens,) and the rarest sight of all, even for the adults, a snowy owl. We were all ecstatic by the time we reached our home for the next 5 days. We divvied up the bunk beds, unpacked, and relaxed for a little while as dinner was prepared. After dinner, we sat down to blog for the first time.

And so, here I am, sitting in the lounge of the Tundra Buggy Lodge, at the end of a day that will forever be in my mind and heart. I still cannot say that I have had that epiphany, that realization of how greatly I will be changed by this trip. There’s still 5 days to go, and I can only hope that each day brings more for me to see, hear, and experience.

Until tomorrow,
--Erica

Thursday, October 9, 2008
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada


Hello all! I am so excited to be here in Canada! It’s technically the end of the second day, but I wanted to give you all a recap of my first day on this great adventure!

I flew from Portland, Oregon, to Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota (which took about 3 hours,) then transferred to a flight straight to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The raw beauty of Winnipeg was simply stunning; I couldn’t believe that I was really, truly, actually here in the arctic. The only glitch in my otherwise perfect 1st day was when I got stopped at customs. I got through the first check just fine; the guard at the second check, however, decided to send me off to speak with another security guard. I waited for an exasperating twenty minutes, wondering why I had been chosen (or if it was simply random,) and when they would get it over with so I could be on my way. Finally, a guard came, sent my bags through an x-ray machine, and sent me on my way. Ah, the trials and tribulations of immigration!

As I stepped out of the security room and through the glass doors, I was greeted by the wonderful Robert Buchanan, the current president of PBI. He led me out of the airport and into the hotel, which is literally right across the street. There, I met his wife, Carolyn, who gave me a big hug and proceeded to show me to my room. After that, I went downstairs to meet everyone else. I was the last one in there, which was slightly embarrassing, but everyone just laughed when I told them it was because I got stopped at customs.

After a fun icebreaker, Robert, Carolyn, and Kathy Myers all talked about some of the things we were going to do, what to expect, what not to expect, etc. We also learned (and I quote this from Robert directly) what the most important thing is up here in Canada: FOOD! And the hotel had prepared an amazing dinner for us; it was easily one of the best meals I've ever had (sorry Mom, your cooking is great too.)

After dinner/during dessert, Robert Taylor, the most amazing photographer ever, presented a slide show of his photos, and gave us some insight into the beautiful world that is the tundra. I can't wait to take my own photos, and see this world with my own eyes! If you'd like to see some of his photos (which I highly recommend you do,) his website is: www.polarbearphotography.com.

After Robert T's presentation, we each received a gift from Canada Goose: a parka filled with duck down and lined with coyote fur! The parka is so warm and beautiful, and after using it all day, I can now say I am extremely grateful for the wonderful gift.

And so ends my first day on this great adventure. I cannot even begin to express how nice and wonderful everyone is here. Already we've begun to bond and become family. And living on the tundra for 6 days will definitely bring us even closer. Technically, we only have 5 days left now, and I’m going to cherish each and every minute of it.

Until tomorrow (which is technically today),
--Erica