Kellie Floyd, Family trek under the midnight sun (PEOPLE WILDERNESS 2024)

Under the glow of Svalbard's midnight sun, my family treads carefully along the icy terrain. My husband, our two children stay close to Marsha, our guide, whose expertise is as vital as the warmth of our heavy coats. From her backpack, a big game rifle can be seen poking out — our protection against the majestic polar bears that wander near Longyearbyn, the northernmost settlement on the globe. Here, a mere whisper away from the North Pole, the air bites with a chill of minus 13 degrees. This is nature's most splendid isolation.

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