“Last year, right before the fire, I went on the trip of a lifetime. I spent a week in the backcountry of the Yukon packrafting on the Alsek River with a group of hearty souls. The river begins as a winding vein, as you progress further it opens to football field wide highways.

Let’s be clear, I’ve never packrafted in my life. Not only was this physically challenging but it also required mental endurance. Something happens though when you overcome challenging outdoor obstacles, you realize how much you are capable of holding.

Because the river is fed by glaciers, the water carries silt, a fine grit suspended in motion. Our hands not only holding this endurance, but also our paddles. With every stroke our hands were slowly eroded with cold water and sun. Late at night, hands tucked into our sleeping bags I noticed my fingers were vibrating. I turned to Angela, concerned, I whispered, is this just me? We pulled our hands out to examine. By the end of the trip, each person had two tiny burnished furnaces in our palms.”

— Celina, The Creative Traveller