What I Learned About Myself After Living in the North Pole for a Year

Living in Thule, Greenland was the year I grew the most

One year in the North Pole was an inspiring and humbling experience. One that taught me lessons that have stayed with me throughout my life.

Receiving the Transfer Orders

In 1987 I was stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base just outside of Spokane, Washington, when I received transfer orders that I could not believe, Thule Greenland.

I still remember the moment I found out. I had come back to base and was told to see the First Sergeant, eight sets of orders had come in, and one was for me. They said that seven were for Korea and one for Thule. My first reaction was I was screwed; I am going to Thule, which was confirmed when I received them.

I felt an unbelievable doom descend over me. The laughter from my fellow Airmen did not help me feel the dread of going to one of the most inhospitable places on Earth.

The low point of my feelings was when I was stopped by the Oregon Highway Patrol when I departed Fairchild heading home to California before going to Thule. He pulled me overdoing 80 in a 55 zone. When I told him why I was driving so fast and where I was going to, he laughed and told me he would give me a break. There wasn’t anything that he could do to me that was worse than going to Thule.

Living in the north pole

It was November when I landed at Thule, and it was dark and cold. When I got off the plane and looked around, I thought, I want my mommy.

It was 40 degrees below zero when I arrived, and then it got cold. The wind and ice storms made the cold even harsher. Being in subzero weather with 100 mph winds blowing ice sideways is something I never want to experience again.

Not seeing the sun for months, and then having the sun stay for months throws your body clock completely out of whack. I can not count the number of times waking up thinking it was 8 am when it was actually 8 pm.

The most challenging part was the isolation. We lived in a barracks with eight other people. These were the same eight people you worked with every day. The base had around 2000 people assigned there, and you got to know many of them. But there was no escape, nowhere to go and nothing to do.

The lessons I found while there

Discovering people and who they really are. When you are trapped with someone, you really find out who they are and what they are about. You also begin to appreciate the diverseness that people have. We would talk for hours about their experiences, views, and opinions on life. It not only opened my mind but being there also helped me appreciate people for who they are.

The power of seeing the Earth’s raw and natural beauty was humbling. Seeing Greenland’s natural glory was inspiring and made me appreciate the planet we live on. Our Earth is a unique place. Its beauty is far more profound and complex than just trees or oceans.

I can succeed and thrive in any environment. The one year I spent on top of the world was the best of my military time. It was also the most difficult and is the place where I came into myself as an adult.

The most powerful lesson I learned while there was that one person could make a difference. This lesson was realized when I helped stop a person from committing suicide. For that person, at that moment, I changed the world just a little.

Final thought

We, as humans, are exceptionally adaptable if we allow ourselves to be. We can overcome any obstacle or challenge and become better while facing it. You just have to do it.