The morning passed aboard MS Fram with lectures from the Expedition Team — a fitting preparation for what was to come. After lunch, the ship reached the sea ice: the furthest north of the voyage. Guests took to the expedition boats in near-perfect conditions, drifting along the ice edge as the Arctic stretched away in every direction. Standing there, it is impossible not to think of the expeditions that pressed toward the North Pole from ice just like this — driven by ambition, underprepared, and often at enormous cost. We felt the weight of that history, and returned to the warmth of the ship with a deeper appreciation for where we were.