Farewell, for now.

So it's been a while. Quite a while. Nearly 5 months in fact since the last time I updated this site. I'll say that the reason for not much being added towards the end of my time in Svalbard was due to my time being taken up by the dogs.

For those that weren't aware, I worked with Svalbard Husky for 3 months and got an insight into life on Svalbard for the locals. I'd lived of course as a student and that was incredible, the ties to UNIS and all. But life as a local was something else. Yet at the same time there wasn't much different. We spent the majority of our time outside doing interesting and awesome things like hikes, as usual, BBQs, breakfast on the roof, evenings at Svalbar, you know the drill if you've been reading this blog. And of course there were the tours with Svalbard Husky. Some of which was tiring and stressful but most of which I enjoyed and sorely miss.

But I haven't been working for Svalbard Husky back here in the UK. It's true that there have been other things to steal some of my time but I guess the real reason I hadn't written a closing post much like that of my peers is, I didn't want to admit it's over. I don't want to admit that I was so incredibly happy there despite being given the opportunity I had been gunning for since I was in high school, a PhD. I didn't want to admit that I came this close to throwing it all in and staying there.

For those reading that I have spent the last 4 years around at Aber, you'll know that I wanted nothing more than to continue in academia and excel and perhaps one day continue to becoming a lecturer, and I'm 70% sure this is something that I still want but for a short while, I got to experience a life that I loved just as much. Maybe even more.

Perhaps it was the people on Svalbard that I met that made and make me miss it so much. And so there's validity in the claim that going back would not fulfill this void I feel. But I can't seem to shake that there is more to the place than just the people.

I've seen Svalbard change people, relieve stresses and add a simplicity to life that I've never seen before. Maybe it's just the Norwegians relaxed approach to everything, who knows. But damn was I infected by it.

I've since settled into the new place and begun the PhD. It's been challenging and I don't think it's just me that's struggled to settle back into the life pre-Svalbard but I'm here and I'd be a fool to not make the most of it. Plus there's Kit and ohhhhh man had I missed him.

So I write this, in the middle of the Surrey hills, as an attempt for closure and also as a warning. Svalbard is an incredible place and many of the people that live there will tell you about how it trapped them and made them never want to leave. Well I left and I can certainly agree that it very nearly did trap me too.

I miss you Svalbard.

I will be back.

Jack

... Time for a cuppah I think,

The Crew

Tip of the day: Jeans are underrated.

It's bounded about a lot here amongst the group but it's really difficult to imagine that it's only been 3 full weeks since we arrived and met the people that we now can't imagine not seeing when we rock up to UNIS for a day of lectures.

Kieran has described a few of the ones that we've adopted and done a rather good job, but just to fill in around the obvious, we have:


Noel
Age: 21
Major: Geology and Physical Geography at Bates College

This guy is your typical redneck hillbilly, prone to outbursts of "YES SIR-IE" and as you can see from the accompanying picture, sports a rather fabulous goatie which only adds to his already incredible demeanor. Also the orange staff he is holding contains a rifle so naturally he's an American but by this point that's already a given. Joking aside, he's a great addition to the group and was likely the first person that both Lucy and myself met as he was originally in the room opposite Lucy in Barrack 3, from that point onwards and as has been with the majority of our friends, we've bonded over the pure fact that we're different to each other culturally and the sort of funnies that can arise from this are never ending it seems... He's a hiker and a general outdoors-ie orientated person, so much so that we were privy to pictures of his butt-cheeks from a nude photo shoot he did with his climbing group back in Maine, naturally I couldn't sit straight and a fun, additional for-no-extra-charge fact, his beard trimmer is completely out of this world. If I was to sum Noel up in a short phrase: "Honorable, hilarious, and genuinely interesting"

Heather

Age: 21

Major: Physics at Bowdoin College

The second American of the group bringing our total to 1 and a half Americans. Viscous doesn't quite describer her adequately as both me and Kieran found out in the first week; it seems she's somewhat adversely affected by short people jokes. Ooops. A few dozen bruises later she seems to have calmed down a bit. Nonetheless I had the (ehhh) luxury of being in a group with Heather in the safety training week so take full responsibility for having introduced her to the rest of the Aber group. I know. I'm sorry guys. Similarly outdoors-ie as with Noel, funnily enough they go to college maybe 30 minutes away from one another back in Maine and had never bumped into each other, anyway they're now inseparable and natter on about climbing and hiking all day long; it's somewhat surreal hearing all these phrases from American films being used and realising it's actually how these weirdos speak. I'm likely going to regret these comments but only time will tell. If I was to sum Heather up the same way: "A small (had to), goofy yet grounded, inspiration."

Peita

Age: 31
Major: Marine Biology

Our resident Australian (Someone has to be, right?), still seems taken back each and every time banter is thrown her way, though she's slowly getting on form and figuring out some decent retorts. She's the groups mother and we make it ever evident whenever we can, usually but shouting "MOTHER" in a high pitched voice coined by Bryan (Ryan) and gleefully prancing in her general direction, inventive right? That aside, she's a very early riser and puts us all to shame, we can barely get out of bed for 8am and by that time she's climbed to the north pole and back. Sort of... Either that or she's cooked up a storm in the kitchen and the smell has been enough to raise us from the dead, I don't know how she does it but she manages to make the simplest collection of foods smell and taste so damn good! If I was to sum Peita up: "Easy-going, caring, and wholly driven"

To sum us all up though, this one is more than apt:

There's so much more to these people than I've detailed here, unsurprisingly. The most important part is that they're each awesome in their own right and I'm 90% sure none of us could imagine what life would be like here without each other. #Soppy

Anywho, currently working on another post that'll be up shortly that documents, mostly, the recent snaps that have been taken and also a little about the first real excursion we did as a group!

Stay tuned!

Time for a cuppah I think.