"I think over again my small adventures, my fears,

These small ones that seemed so big.

For all the vital things I had to get and to reach,

And yet there is only one great thing,

The only thing,

To live to see the great day that dawns,

And the light that fills the world."

-Inuit song, anonymous, 19th century

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In 2019, I traveled throughout Greenland and the Northwest Passage. Our days were ruled by the extensive measures we had to take in order to safely explore the vast arctic landscape, truly the kingdom of the polar bear. Armed with guns and flares, we ceaselessly scanned the horizon for bears, always ready to evacuate or alter course. We saw many polar bears, in addition to arctic wolves, belugas, and bowhead whales. We sat on boats rocked by waves from massive glacial calvings and listened to the thunder of glaciers. We visited Inuit and Greenlandic communities, learning about their culture, language, and perspective on global change.