Final Reflection By Joe

So as the trip has wound down I have learned quite a bit, not only from within the group but out on my own as well. When we first arrived I didnt quite know what was to be expected way up here in the far north. When we had set out Mr. Johnson had told us that everything is possible and nothing is possible.
When Dalen and I found out that Andy spent a lot of time on the land we were ecstatic. Andy taught Dalen and I many things about being on the land including a plant called heather which the basic fuel for fire starting kind of like our birch bark, and it also makes a fantastic bedding for new born puppies. He taught us everything from building an igloo, to the names of mountains and plants.
It was really interesting to socialize with the young members of the community as well. They were so interested in us and always asking us questions like what our name was, where we were from, and how old we were. When we went out onto the land on Friday I learned the basics of seal hunting and I finally started to realize that something that looked close wasn't all that close and could be 40 kilometers out. The perception of depth is totally different up here because it is so flat and open.
Also while I've been in the Arctic I've learned that plans don't always go according to plan. For instance, we were suppose to leave on Saturday, but couldn't because of weather and there were no flights on Sunday. Also the death in the community basically shut everything down and most plans were cancelled for the day.
The highlight of this trip, for me anyway, was actually two things. The first one was being able to go out on the land so many times with Andy and the group to see the breath taking scenery and meeting up with the Global Warming 101 Expedition once again on the trail. The other was visiting the old Clyde River community on the other side of the bay along with the old cemetery and getting to learn about how it was formed and the reason they moved from where they were to where they are now. I also found a quote by Andy quite interesting. He said, "It's a community that went from the 'stone age' to the technological age, basically overnight" and it really is. It use to be a totally self-sustainable community, but now relies heavily on sea-lift goods which they purchase for the year and recieve in late August early September. This trip has been an extraordinary experience, and will never be able to be duplicated. Even if the school travels to Clyde River again, the events and opportunities that came upon us will never happen again. This truly was a once in a life time experience.

The Final Post,
-Joe