Entrepreneurial Adventures in Greenland: Three Inspiring Takeaways!

Adventure and connection are two things that are very important to me. But I haven’t really had much of either for the past 18 months because well… you know.

While I’ve had the opportunity to adventure closer to home and have a connection with close family and friends, what I’ve missed is some of the bigger adventures and meeting new people.

So, when the invitation came in from Mike Brcic from Wayfinders to travel to Greenland, it felt like a gift.

Wayfinders specializes in once in a lifetime adventure experiences for entrepreneurs and there were some cancellations for the upcoming trip and if I could make a quick decision, I was invited to join them. Having just read Shonda Rimes’ Year of Yes, it felt like the perfect opportunity to practice!

Then, the questions started pouring in, “What will happen if I’m gone for 11 days!?” “Could I really just up and venture to Greenland!?”

Yes. I could!

So, I said YES.

Was the timing ideal? No, but when is the timing perfect for anything?

The trip was one part adventure, one part community and connection, and one part quiet, reflective space for thinking and being.

Three things I’ve been needing desperately.

Our group was eighteen people - three women and fifteen men. We had to take a total of nine flights and two boat rides to get to and from our destination so not exactly an easy place to get to....and it was totally worth it!

The first night, we flew into a small town called Illulissat where we stayed overnight. It was too windy to take the boat to our home for the week. Ilulissat is a town of approximately 4,600 people and just about as many Greenlandic sled dogs. I'll never forget our first sunset and the sound of the towns many dogs barking.

Our next and final destination was Illimanaq, which had a total of 53 inhabitants in 2020. This is where we stayed - in 15 tiny cabins - overlooking the water and many, many icebergs.

Located on the West coast of Greenland, Ilulissat and Ilimanaq sit approximately 250km north of the Arctic Circle and flank either side of the awe-inspiring Ice Fjord that calves magnificent icebergs of all shapes and sizes (some of which make their way to Newfoundland here in Canada!)

We had the amazing Nivé, Frank and Niels from Diskobay Tours as our guides. They shared their amazing country and culture with us. If you ever go to Greenland, make sure to look them up!

Was it all sunshine and rainbows? Nope. A lot of it was tough both physically and mentally.

But I kept going. Taking imperfect action. And accomplishing things both big and small that I wouldn't have thought I would ever do!

Here are my top three takeaways and lessons from my time there. Hopefully, you’ll find some inspiration too!

You are Capable of SO Much

I often share about how we are capable of so much more than we think. That was never truer than on this trip.

I opened up my soul to this amazing group of people and was welcomed with open arms.

I pushed myself physically (long, challenging hikes, camping in a snowstorm, and freezing my butt off on a long boat trip). It was hard, but I was also rewarded by doing this. I took the time to breathe deeply and take in the beauty of where I was and connect to the earth in a new way. I had amazing conversations on these hikes and also time alone to think and just be.

I tried new things - eating muskox, seal blubber, and whale - just to name a few. Some I liked, some not so much, but I tried them and pushed myself out of my comfort zone. I also jumped into freezing cold water in a survival suit. Which was SUPER FUN!! I'm still smiling from that experience.

The Ripple Effect is Powerful

This is something I've also talked about for years, and it was something I needed to be reminded of.

The moment on the trip when this hit me deeply was when we were doing a mini vision quest on our camping trip. We each found a quiet spot away from each other for about an hour to sit and just be. I found a wonderful spot midway up a rocky, mossy hill overlooking the water. The sun was setting in front of me and the reflection was dancing on the water.

It was beautiful.

I'm not used to sitting without something to “do” (can anyone relate?). No phone, no music, no people, no book, just me, silence, and a beautiful view.

It took a while, but I did settle in and found I was connecting to myself.

Awhile later someone who had found a spot by the waters started throwing rocks.... at first, I was pissed that they disrupted the silence and my groove. I felt myself starting to vibrate (and not in a good way). Then, I stopped and looked down and saw the ripples in the water. I knew this was a message meant for me. To remind me of the power of the ripple effect.

I have this big vision of helping millions of people - which most days feels so out of reach. But, if I can have a profound impact on 100 people a year, that impact would ripple out from each and every one of those people. If the work I do gives 100 people the chance to impact just 10 people each, that's 1000 people. And so on…

I walked away reinvigorated with my focus on creating the greatest impact I can have on people - no matter the number.

Fun is Essential

As adults, we often take ourselves WAY too seriously.

There are so many responsibilities and things to do before the fun can be had. On this trip I had fun. SO MUCH FUN!! I built a snowman on a glacier. I’ve never built a snowman on a glacier, and I couldn't tell you the last time I built a snowman without the prompting of my kids. We had snowball fights, we danced and sang Bohemian Rhapsody at 1:30 in the morning.

We stayed up too late, we told dirty jokes and we said YES to everything.

Fun fills the soul! I saw how freeing it was to not take myself too seriously. I allowed myself to have fun and be fully present in each moment. What a gift to bring home.

This whole trip was such a powerful reminder to me that by taking action - imperfect or otherwise - can be a catalyst for others to think about their lives differently.

The next time YOU get an opportunity, I encourage you to be a part of the ripple effect that changes someone else’s life.

It’s in all of us!