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The hallway was already full when I arrived. Patients had been flown in that morning and were waiting along both sides, quietly, without knowing when they would be seen. It was only 2 PM.

“Urgence. Restez penchés. Emergency. Bend down, head down.” I pressed my head to my knees. There was no time to negotiate emotion.

The North began for me as a small seed that grew with each visit, and on this trip I saw that same beginning in others. At some point, the north stops being an idea and becomes something you are part of.

This was my seventh trip up north, yet the feeling never fades. I looked forward experiencing the wide-open space of the North to bring me back clarity. As we boarded the plane, that familiar mix of excitement and focus settled in once again.