lotI’ve made it no secret; over the years, I’ve become obsessed with polar travel.
In fact, I’ve become so obsessed that I am now an expedition guide, spending roughly half the year at sea in Antarctica and the Arctic. And I’m not slowing down anytime soon. I’ve already started a three-month season with Adventure Canada in the Arctic for this summer in Canada and Greenland.
These polar places are almost inaccessible. The easiest and most efficient way to visit is by expedition ship. Most of the year, sea ice locks the Arctic away. Only for a few months in the summer does it melt enough to allow access. Most people get around by small planes, boats, or snowmobiles (in winter). Personally, I find this isolation fascinating.
Here, whales swim by us all the time, polar bears peek out from behind the sea ice, and colorful communities give us the most incredible welcomes. The Arctic is vast, wild, and unpredictable. It gets under your skin.
If you’re already keen to go, you can fill out this form, and I’ll help you find your dream trip!
Lately, I’ve been reflecting a lot on my work over the years, blogging, writing, and taking photos. I managed to craft a career out of thin air, getting paid to travel the world and write about it. But if I’m being honest, I’ve felt somewhat disillusioned since the pandemic. I’m tired of hustling. I’m tired of the meaningless competition. It’s not good for my headspace or creativity.
Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t change a thing in the past. But I think I’ve grown and stepped onto a new path I’m keen to explore more of. Guiding.
Visiting the Arctic and writing about it isn’t enough for me. Deep down, I yearned to be part of a team again, a community. Adventure Canada feels like family. Owned and operated by three siblings (started by their dad, uncle, and friend), as soon as you step on board, you feel a connection like no other. The same guides always come back year after year – it feels like going to summer camp and reuniting with all of your friends. And it’s the same with the passengers.
On most trips, half of the passengers are returning, having traveled with AC before. I mean, you can’t invent that kind of loyalty.
I know it sounds super cheesy, but working in the Arctic fulfills me in a way I didn’t know I needed. It’s freaking hard work but so worth it. I feel like I belong here. It’s an area I know really well, and I love sharing it with others.
Whether I’m driving zodiacs around icebergs the size of skyscrapers, looking for wildlife from the bridge with my eyes glued to my binoculars, or hanging out with everyone in the evenings listening to live music as we steam onwards to our next destination, I’m just so happy. On one trip alone last year, I saw 20 polar bears, including a mom and cubs eating a beluga whale. I walked on sea ice and followed in Franklin’s footsteps on Beechey Island before falling asleep beneath the dancing northern lights in Greenland. I mean, come on!
Over the past year, I have considered the direction I want to take with my work, and I always end up in the same place: polar travel. So, I’ve decided to try something new. In addition to continuing to write and share travel stories, I’m also going to start selling polar trips.
If you or someone you know is interested in traveling to the Arctic, let me help connect you with the perfect trip.
Almost like a travel agent, if someone books a trip to the Arctic through my referral, I’ll make a small commission. I know that no one likes to be sold to, me included, but I’m hoping that by using my knowledge, skills, and experience in the Arctic to help people book the perfect trip there, it’s worth it. I will also be on many of the trips, so you can travel with me (if you want, haha). I’m fun, I swear!
To be honest, I already do this kind of thing anyway; this just makes it more hands-on and a little more official. Being honest about this is really important to me. Changing direction with my income means that I can step back from the Influencer world and focus on the things I really love. It will free me up to be creative, play, and have fun again. It will also give me free reign to never shut up about the polar places I love. Sorry, not sorry.
I promise not to be annoying about it, either.
To me, this should be natural and organic. Perhaps you’ve followed me for years, and your curiosity about the polar world is piqued (as it should be). Or is it your lifelong dream to see polar bears in the wild? Maybe you have an auntie who loves Inuit art and wants to spend time in the most northerly communities. Or do you want to experience the far north sea ice and diminishing glaciers of Greenland?
Reach out, and I can help you make these dreams a reality. You can also send along my information or this page here if you feel inclined.
I care about our polar worlds more than you could ever imagine. And I firmly believe that everyone who visits becomes a lifelong ambassador for them. We need this now more than ever. Come play in the Arctic; I promise you won’t regret it.
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