The energy
on board today was celebratory; people seemed bonded over the close encounter
from yesterday.
We went
aground again today, mostly viewing the plant life in the area.
It is amazing how complex the flora is, all
while staying below an inch in height.
Even tiny willow trees, shorter than the tip of my pinky. Purple saxifrage was blossoming everywhere.
The big
event for today was the "polar plunge" -- swimming, if you could call
it that, in the arctic ocean.
I jumped
in from the side of a zodiac and time stopped.
I didn't want to move because every twitch moved my body further through
the freezing water.
I allowed myself to
float to the surface; I'm sure it only took a few seconds, but it felt like an
eternity.
People pulled me back on board
as I flopped my way up, gasping, all sense of dignity or grace blown away by the
intensity of the cold.
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