It’s been hard to describe our time in Alaska to friends and family other than by saying it was an adventure of a lifetime and I just hope I get to visit again. The ruggedness, beauty and sense of discovery are already calling me back. I was initially invited on the trip by CDR Hager so a very grateful thank you to him! While on the ice off the coast of Barrow, Alaska I mainly helped CDR Hager and Penn State grad student Sam Denes with acoustic field work. Among other things Sam was looking at how sound propagates through the arctic water.
I think all of us thought about spring breakers in Florida or Puerto Rico at some point but all in all I couldn’t have asked for a more awesome experience. We even got to throw the frisbee out on the frozen ocean one day. Aside from the rewarding scientific work we helped contribute to I was able to explore the culture of Northern Alaska not to mention ride snowmobiles almost everyday and have fun in Alyeska and Anchorage. When we weren’t busy the locals and guides were always willing to share their experiences and stories in the Arctic and they are truly amazing people that I was able to get to know thanks to this trip.
Thank you so much to everyone at the Academy, STEM and all the officers for making this possible. Special thank you to the Umiak guys and everyone working on bromex who made us feel so welcome up in Barrow! I hope we can make more visits in the future and let more people expeience this part of the world.
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