by Rachel Bonet and Matthew Borden
 |
| The group at Arlanda airport. |
The start of our journey can best be described with the
saying “good things come to those who wait.” Each subway train, bus, commuter
train, taxi, escalator, and moving walkway seems to take an eternity when you
realize that you are heading to a place few have been before; a place you have
read about and dreamed about going. Today is the day we head off to the Arctic, and all we can think about is how long this bloody
flight check-in line is. Though the waiting seems to be without end, our spirits
remain high for the expectations of what we are about to experience are already dancing around in our heads. If you wished to join us one must simply take a
plane to Oslo ,
another to Tromsø, and one final plane to Longyearbyen. There you would have found us
standing on a tarmac surrounded by Arctic waters, snow-capped mountains,
glaciers, and an un-setting sun. The air is fresh and crisp and the smiles are
the widest they have ever been. It was quite late into the night before we
finally settled in, but that did not matter. We made it. We are here. Hello Svalbard .
 |
| Landscape in Svalbard around 2:00 am. |
Despite
a unanimous feeling of exhaustion generated by nearly a full day of travel, we
strapped up and headed down into town to UNIS (University Centre in Svalbard)
for our first interview with Eva Therese Jenssen, an Information Advisor and
researcher at the university. She gave us a very enlightening and
enjoyable lecture about the university, its programs and goals, as well as
information on Svalbard and the various topics that often receive the most
attention in both Longyearbyen and Svalbard . Following
a quick tour of UNIS’ beautiful complex we found ourselves enjoying our first
of many self-prepared lunches before hurrying off to our next meeting at the
office of the Governor of Svalbard.
 |
| Group presentation at the Governor's office. |
At
the Sysselmannen’s (Governor’s) office, we were welcomed by both cultural and environmental
advisors who gave a presentation about the history of Longyearbyen, the
responsibilities and workings of the Governor’s office as well as a number of
interesting facts and ideas about the cultural heritage and environmental
history of both Svalbard and Longyearbyen. Without even realizing it, we had
spent almost two hours at the office discussing these various topics along with
more recent issues and questions such as current environmental practices,
foreign interaction with Svalbard, future endeavors of Norway , and the
issue of global climate change. The Governor’s office gave us a much needed
perspective into the inner workings of Svalbard
and we would like to thank them again for all of their efforts and time spent
with us.
After
a short post-lecture discussion on a hillside overlooking Longyearbyen, we
headed back to the Spitsbergen Guesthouse for some greatly needed and
appreciated rest and relaxation. With day one of our adventure coming to a
close, our band of tired and weary researchers slowly crawled into bed for a
goodnight’s sleep.
Rachel Bonet is a senior studying Anthropology, Animal Sciences, and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She intends to study Environmental Law. Rachel comes
from Darien, IL.
Matthew Borden is a senior studying Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, concentrating in Human Dimensions of the Environment. Matt hails from Oak
Forest, IL.
from Darien, IL.
Matthew Borden is a senior studying Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, concentrating in Human Dimensions of the Environment. Matt hails from Oak
Forest, IL.
Posts
