Greetings to all of our friends, near and far,
We are saying goodbye to a year that can only be described as challenging, character building, frustrating, crazy, politically insane (if you live in the US, anyway), very difficult (especially for those moms and dads homeschooling energetic children), interesting, energizing and preparatory (for what is to follow).
Here at the Northwest Passage / PolarExplorers HQ, we have mustered along, pivoting inward and locally in attempts to keep it interesting for our team. No small amount of time has been spent dreaming of the adventure to follow in the new year and beyond.
It has been a time to reconnect with old friendships, make some new ones, walk more, think more and discover a way through the morass that life has thrown at us all.
It has been the only time in life that I remember, when the world and its peoples, have been united in a strange way as every one of us has confronted the pain and the hardship dealt out in a universal fashion as a corona hand.
Whilst few of us have strengthened our financial standing I reckon most all of us have banked a great deal of sleep. The long winter's nap is coming to an end, though.
I am privileged within our small "corporate" community to be amongst a strong, healthy, resilient and well centered team of lovely people.
You know them and would likely agree. I give a very large end of year shout out to them.
Nancy, Annie, Keith, Eric, CP, Chris, Taylor, Anna, Andrew, Elena, Nancy M., Niko, and our team of young summer staff.
They have proven their mettle both on and now off the trail. They are an amazing, thoughtful and stimulating group one and all and I hope you may spend some time with them in the new year.
We are privileged to have spent time with you all, from around the globe. Young and old and culturally diverse with at least one thing in common:you are strong, eager, energetic and willful. You make the trail your own and are quick "out of the bag" (mostly
You face problems as "rubble" to find a way through with discipline and fortitude. You are a pleasure to ski with, climb with, paddle with, walk in the cold with and tent with.
We are grateful for these once in a lifetime interchanges that bring us closer to one another and our diminishing wild and (sometimes) cold places. Together our appreciation helps to keep them so.
We have chosen our course for the above gifts, which rank higher and more important than financial gain. We are thankful for our blessings.
Having said all of the above, we need you. We require your patronage and continued trust into the new year following the harrowing trail that this virus has laid before us.
Please join us as we renew our love of the journey that we call adventure in 2021.
Following the most difficult past year, it will likely outshine all others.
"The holiday party will not be televised". (How many of you remember "the revolution will not be televised"?) but it will indeed come again......
Until next year we wish you all a rapidly spinning fun meter, a heightened appreciation for what we have and enjoy with our families and mother earth, good health and most of all......peace.
- Rick
