I was born close to the shore of the Indian Ocean,

It was a lifetime ago and a time so distant past

I have yet to understand the meaning of ocean

I grew up by the shore of the Great Lake

It's beauty was magical and its water nourished me

By the Great Lake, I learned the meaning of water

and grew to appreciate its essence

The Pacific Ocean was my first crush

I was smitten by its gorgeous sunshine

I was hypnotized by its mountains

and I was fully lost in its warm embrace

Alas it was not meant to be

For the ocean that is the most dear to my heart

is none other than the Arctic

The Arctic Ocean left an impact like no other

It opened my eyes and shined a light on my path

The stories of the Arctic

the generosity and warmth of its people

the pain its has endured

and the resilience is has shown

The Arctic is truly a land like no other

The brief time I spent here

​allowed me to experience feelings and emotions of a life time

The lasting impact of the moment

the magic of that glance

the Arctic truly touched my heart

The Arctic was where I rediscovered myself

and gave me purpose for my future

In the Fjord of Eternal

I became renewed, reborn and rediscovered

While I may have been born by the shore of the Indian Ocean

the Arctic gave me new life

By the shore of the Arctic Ocean

I was reborn

Now I continue that story of a new life

and a new path taken forward

and wherever I go,

I will always remember that time I found myself in the Arctic