Permafrost

Summary

• The surface air temperatures in Svalbard are warming at twice the global rate due to climate change.
• Icebergs are doing somersaults because the warming waters are dissolving them from beneath, causing them to become top heavy.
• The permafrost on the Svalbard land is thawing which causes landslides and avalanches that could destroy local wooden houses.
• Nora reflects on her life during this journey which she finds intense yet more rewarding than her previous life which she considered bland.
• Nora's family history is filled with regrets, crushed hopes, and disappointments. This includes her grandad Lorenzo, who had moved to England from Italy with high hopes but ended up settling in Bedford working a job that wasn't as glamorous as he thought.
• Other family disappointments include Nora's mother Donna, who had a mental breakdown and never went back to work. Her father, Geoff, who forewent his chance at a professional rugby career due to injury and became a resentful PE teacher instead.
• Nora realizes that everyone's lives are filled with disappointment and monotony, but also have moments of wonder and beauty. She starts to question whether the expectation to achieve certain things leads to unhappiness.
• While reflecting, Nora forgives her parents completely for their shortcomings.