June 24, 2015

            We disembarked from the Explorer shortly after waking up.  It was sad to say goodbye, but the experience was lovely.

            Once again we toured Longyearbyen a bit before catching our plane.  The highlight was being able to stand next to the door leading into the Svalbard Global Seed Vault.  Most amazing door ever!  It was moving to stand there on the side of a mountain, realizing that below the permafrost and stone lay a bank that holds millions of seeds representing hundreds of thousands of species of plants.  Moving to see such a beautiful memorial to humanity's ability to overcome regional differences in order to come together to help secure the future of our planet.  Truly amazing.

 

            In the afternoon our plane took us back to Oslo.  Weird to go a week without ever seeing a sunset.  Weird to be preparing to fly back home.  Beautiful though, and I look forward to being back in Lincoln.