Special moments - Greenland

I must start by saying that this whole trip is made up of a lot of travel (obviously), many encounters (every country brings new friends), some work (there’s no such thing as a free lunch!) and great fun (although this last one can happen anytime, anywhere and with anyone).

But then sometimes there is something more… Sometimes there are the special moments that appear out of nowhere and stay with us forever.  These moments cannot sit in any given category. They can be the result of an encounter, a moment of fun or simply something we saw or did. Sometimes the moment passes quickly and sometimes it lingers and bends time to make it last longer. Sometimes we can share this moment with each other – after spending so much time together we understand each other perfectly and a simple look will suffice to know that we all are feeling the same way – or sometimes we experience it alone. These special moments would sometimes seem like not much to you but to us they are priceless, never to be forgotten. Of course things can be stored in memory but the feelings, once felt, start to fade and eventually become only a shadow of what they were at that very second the moment started to happen. To prevent any further fading I must write them down and this is where I start.

I would like to tell you about a special moment I experienced in Greenland. I decided to go for a walk in the evening to clear my head and get some fresh air. It was 9pm and the sun was slowly deciding to start its long descent. About five minutes from my hotel there is a beautiful rocky beach. I headed there and as I approached the water with a steady pace and a beat in my eardrums something happened. I stopped abruptly at the edge of the water. My breathing suddenly got heavy. You think the phrase ‘take your breath away’ is just an expression? Nope it really happens. I can say without a doubt that the sight I saw before me took my breath away. The surface of the deep blue water sparkled like a million diamonds swirling on a piece of the softest silk. Here and there the remnants of melting iceberg broke the surface to shine in the last of their glorious moments as nature’s ice sculptures. The sea rocked back and forth like a choir moving to the melody of their grand harmonious finale while the mountains in their sunny golden cloaks looked on.

At first I felt nothing. It was as if my mind was making way for something too big to contain. Then it all came rushing in as a gasp escaped my lips. The sight before me was so extremely beautiful it was impossible to tear myself away from it. There was almost too much for me to take in. The best way I can describe it is: it felt like there was a big smile spreading inside me, as if my whole being was grinning at this spectacular sight. Everything else seemed mundane compared to what I was feeling then and there. Right then I felt like the luckiest person on earth because I was experiencing this. No one else was there to see this. This is also why I want to share the moment so badly.

I spent three hours out there watching the sun set. I alternated between sitting staring at the horizon and running around on the rocks like a kid. I felt like I was in a different world. I enjoyed every second of this long special moment. Thank you Greenland for giving me this special moment I will never forget.