In tough times, I think about my mother. I know that might seem odd for a fella in his 50s, but, like all moms, she was pretty special.
My mother was an activist, spending weekends in the 1960s and 70s marching in Washington against the war and for civil rights, while my brother and I stayed with our Russian grandmother who made us blintzes and had no idea that we had a bedtime. She was an attorney at a time when that was a rarity, and mostly she was an activist in support of women’s rights.
Today I’d like to share a newspaper story that I think would make my mom proud. It’s a first-person account of a group of intrepid women and their Nat Hab journey to the sub-arctic to see the northern lights.
This trip was the brainchild of Annie Van Dinther, one of our senior Expedition Leaders. I was hesitant to offer it at first, as I didn’t quite understand what would be different about women-only departures or why women would choose them. That may be typical of men — if we don’t get it, we say “no.”
But Super Annie is not one to be denied and I eventually came around.
I understand that historically women have had it much harder than men, and there is a natural bond that forms partly based on that shared experience. The women on this trip described an easy camaraderie, and increased comfort in trying new things simply because they were in the company of other women doing the same.
If my mother were still alive she would have understood the power of women joining together to explore the world and discover themselves. And she would have signed up for this trip in a heartbeat (if only to get away from my brother and me).
I hope to see you out there,
Ben Bressler
Explorer, Founder, President
This letter originally appeared in Nat Hab’s weekly eNewsletter. Click here to subscribe to future updates from Ben.
