Fifth Journey Day 15: The Uninvited Calm

Date: May 23, 2025
Location: Tasiilaq, Greenland

Today, I arrived in Tasiilaq under a heavy, silent sky. The plane flew close to the ground over snowy mountains and dropped icebergs into the water before landing on the small airstrip. The air felt cold and pure. I put my scarf more tightly around my neck, but the cold still found a way to get in.

I followed the narrow path along the shore towards Kong Oscars Havn. The landscape feels like it's been reduced to its most basic elements: rock, ice, sea, and air. The muted colors of slate greys, glacier whites, and distant steel-blue water created a peaceful scene. It was quiet, except for the sound of water lapping the shore and the slow movement of distant icebergs.

I sat on a round boulder for over an hour. At first, I waited for inspiration to "arrive" as though it were a guest I had invited. I realized that this wasn't a place of answers, but of presence. I watched the thin current carry pieces of broken ice, each piece catching the cold light like tiny sculptures moving through the water. The sound of their drifting was relaxing to me.

Later, as I walked back, I passed the scattered bright houses of the village. Their bright colors—red, yellow, green, and turquoise—stood out against the starkness of the landscape. I admired how bold she was, even though she wasn't speaking.

I haven't drawn today. I decided to let the place draw me in instead. It feels right.