by Matthew Shupe, CIRES/NOAA scientist and co-coordinator of MOSAiC

We get little bits of news out here about the world beyond the Arctic. It sounds like COVID-19 has had a resurgence in many areas, as restrictions were lifted there have been new outbreaks. Renewed calls for staying at home, wearing masks, social distancing. The world itself is ill and faced with this immense challenge. Yet out here in our Arctic bubble there are actually days that I don’t even think about the coronavirus.  It doesn’t even pop into my head. I guess this would be impossible at home. But out here there is no virus, no social distance needed. We are all healthy… seemingly in all ways. No one is really coughing or sick in other ways. At least as far as I can tell. It’s such a feeling of freedom, from the new reality of life at home. Beyond the reach of COVID… and fortunately even beyond most of the reach of COVID news. Peacefully isolated in the Arctic.