First Person: Adventuring solo doesn’t need to be lonely

I was a shy 15 year old standing on a stage in front of 200 people on a ship called the Ocean Endeavour en route to the article circle. I was as far out of my comfort zone as I was away from home in Mistissini, Que.

My roommate and new friend on the boat, Gaba Malik Lynge, were doing a comedy skit in a talent show. Lynge, an Inuk man from Greenland was my bunk mate and we got along very well right away. He had a friendly vibe that surrounded him and a goofy nature that I connected with well. We talked about our cultures. Lynge is Inuit and I am Cree. We showed each other how to speak each others’ language, what we hunted and what traditions we did. What made us different brought us closer together.

As we cracked a lot of jokes together, it helped put me at ease with being somewhere I’ve never been. When I think about our comedy show now, it made no sense. But we made people laugh.

It took a lot of guts for me to perform that night. Or to be on than ship at all. But I’m proud that I moved out of my comfort zone.

Without these experiences – and making a stranger into a new friend – I’d have never challenged myself as much as I did to moving out of my comfort zone. The connections I’ve made are proof of the rewards that have come from my risks.

Fast forward to 2024 and this experience still helps me a lot in my day-to-day life. Especially in my post-secondary studies. I would not be able to do a presentation in front of people if I didn’t start socializing early.

I was 14 years old when I first heard of the non-profit organization Students On Ice from my mother. Their goal is to educate those willing to learn about climate change and the effects the world is having today.

I saw this as an opportunity to explore and learn some things about myself, but I wasn’t expecting the terrible amount of discomfort that was to come.

Up to that point in my life, the furthest I’d travelled from home was to Florida but I’d gone with my family. This trip to Greenland and Nunavut would be different – I would be alone.

It cost around $13,000 to send me on this learning journey. We raised $2,000 alone but the rest came from sponsors that I was very fortunate to have.

As I set out to leave Canada, I had to overcome many emotions. I didn’t want to leave my family and I was scared I’d end up alone the entire time. I felt a heavy load of anxiety and the uncertainty of what this experience may turn out to be terrified me. At this point, there was no turning back.

We flew out from Ottawa and landed at a Second World War airstrip at Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. Then we boarded a ship out onto Kangerlussuatsiaq Fjord to make our first stop at Qeqertarsuaq, Greenland.

The expedition’s ship, the Ocean Endeavour, was basically a hotel on water. There were about 100 staff on board and 200 students that came from all corners of the world.

All the new faces and backgrounds kept me on my toes as I did not want to embarrass myself in any way. That’s when I had my first conversation with my new friend, Lynge.

My friendship with him and the other human connections I made on that trip, moved me out of my comfort zone. The people I met helped me face my challenge. I’m not alone in this.

“I was a shy student one time and what helped me was having friends who would include me,” said Summer Wabasse, the events and communications officer at Mamidosewin Centre. “Being away from home is a huge challenge on its own.”

Rukundo Obed Junior, an Algonquin College international student from Rwanda studying fitness and health, agrees. Pushing outside of your comfort zone and having new experiences is important. But so are the people you meet along the way.

“I had no idea what Canada was like before I moved here, but I’m always excited to do new stuff,” said Junior. “Find friends from the same country, same region and speak the language from back home. It helps to get rid of the homesickness.”

Another thing that helped me throughout the expedition was journalling. I wrote down all the things I saw and felt. It kept me in touch with myself spiritually, mentally and emotionally.

I’d wrote a lot about what I did throughout each day so that I can look back at what happened when I was there. One of my favourite memories was watching a herd of musk ox graze upon the grass fields as I headed back to the ship after walking on an ice cap.

The time I spent with my journal also helped me to stay true to myself as much as possible when it came to conversing with other people. Also, emotionally-well connected to myself, I remember almost crying after leaving the people I met.

Without the experience I had on this expedition, I would not have made the much needed personal growth neither would I have met those incredible people from all corners of the globe.