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31 Days: Brave


About a month ago, I made a trip to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. It is 250 miles south of the Artic Circle at 62.4540° N, 114.3718° W. That's way north. It took me 12 hours of traveling to get there. I was terrified. I'm not afraid of flying, I was afraid of going all that way by myself. Of navigating 3 airports, of finding a hotel shuttle, and visiting a new city on my own. But I did it and look at how my bravery was rewarded. I saw the Northern Lights.

For the most part, I did just fine navigating by myself. I did take a wrong turn in the Calgary airport when heading to the gate and was met with locked doors and the fear of missing my plane but I took comfort in the fact that 3 other people had done the same thing.

I also survived being the first on the agenda of the conference for earth science editors, the purpose for my trip to Yellowknife. 


I had some of the best fish and chips of my life, twice, in this place called Bullocks' Bistro.



I saw this plane land on water.




And this crazy road that has been reshaped by the ice underneath it.


I also got to spend some time with a person who makes me laugh constantly and another person who may be one of the sweetest people on the planet. And did I mention...



I SAW THE NORTHERN LIGHTS!

I am so glad I was brave enough to go it alone and spend 12 hours on a total of 3 planes. The experience and the boost to my self-esteem for doing it were almost as priceless as seeing the Northern Lights. Almost. I'm going to be brave more often.

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