stuff I learned in Svalbard

Woolen underwear is very comfortable. No, really, it is! Norwegians ain't lyin' when they say the weather can change in a minute. In three minutes we had sun, wind, a little rain, and then sun. This kind of weather makes it very hard to dress. On...off...on...off...on...on...off. You can go from just wearing a t shirt to needing full on t shirt, wool undershirt, fleece, sweater AND jacket like THAT (snaps fingers). I got sort of sick of carrying around clothes all the time, 'just in case'. There are no trees on Svalbard. At all. Anywhere. Very strange looking for about a minute and then you get used to it. Trees look strange when you see them again. It's amazing how fast you can get used to looking like a scruff. Cuz, you know, me? Not so much sporty girl. But that shit is comfy. While I missed my wardrobe (and hairdryer!), it was kind of nice to wake up and know you pretty much had to wear those same jeans and shoes again because that is all you have. My jeans stretched out alot. By the end they were REALLY baggy. And they did not smell spring fresh, but more like wood smoke, sweat, stark fear and beer. Laundry is my primary goal for this weekend. I think I lost a couple pounds, what with the climbing, relative lack of food on the boat and the seasickness. Oh GOD the seasickness. One thing that is marked off my List of Future Careers? Sailor. (Also Geologist and Mountain Climber. Too much uphill climbing.) I did make up for the lack of food and seasickness with an amazing amount of drinking. I think I could enter the Olympics of drinking, if there was one. I never saw a polar bear. I drank a Pink Polar Bear. Made with vodka, Bohl's strawberry, lime and Sprite. I did see an Arctic fox and alot of reindeer. And I saw a seal peep its head out of the water for a split second. And two crazy Norwegian manly men who jumped into the 36 degree (fahrenheit, people, fahrenheit) water. I have now pretty much finished organizing my pictures and can show them to you. Which I will begin doing over this weekend. In the meantime, please read up on this place, as I will have many pictures and things to show you, as it is one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. I have now been to Russia, circa 1972.