This post is part 21 of a series of stories recounting all the ups and downs of my ~6 year journey around the world to all seven continents and seven seas.
September 2018
Greenland was the country I was most excited about out of all our ports with the Serenade.
I’ve been weirdly obsessed with the country since I was little, mainly because my favorite color has always been green and Greenland was the first country I always tried to conquer in the board game “Risk.”
As an adult, I loved that I was getting a chance to see a country that’s not often visited.
I also almost didn’t get to go either.
Just before we began our transatlantic crossing, I was notified at 6 p.m. that I’d been assigned a last-minute transfer at 9 the next morning to another ship without any negotiations or forewarning.
Despite the shock, frustration, and rushed packing, I was most upset that I wouldn’t be able to see Greenland, one of a few reasons why I’d exchanged an extension on my prior contract for this specific itinerary.
But that’s ship life.
Most of the time you have no control over these things, but sometimes— just sometimes— things work out.
After a final Hail Mary attempt and an hour before I was supposed to transfer, all was halted then eventually canceled, and I was given a second chance at the coveted crossing.
Prior to leaving our last port before Greenland, us crew were given a special safety briefing as we’d be crossing through lesser familiar seas in the polar region and navigating around icebergs.
We were reminded that while usually if we have emergencies, assistance could be dispatched relatively quickly; however, once we were on our way to Greenland, we’d be in such a remote area that the closest help would be days away.
After a few days of smooth sailing, we arrived in the little town of Qaqortoq; and despite the cold temperatures and even colder icy wind, I was ecstatic.
Even though I only had a few hours free, I was happy to just wander through the quaint, colorful town and get blown around in the wind.
It was truly one of the most special places I’ve been fortunate enough to visit and even more so after nearly not being able to.
Sometimes life on ships can be rough, but opportunities like this always make it worth it.
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