{"componentChunkName":"component---src-gatsby-entities-reflection-tsx","path":"/perspectives/mo-olelo-stories-that-carry-us","result":{"data":{"platform":{"reflection":{"id":"6a8d9c25eef6ed3a761e99e1","slug":"mo-olelo-stories-that-carry-us","path":"/perspectives/mo-olelo-stories-that-carry-us","name":"Mo‘olelo: Stories That Carry Us","name_fr":null,"title":null,"title_fr":null,"pretitle":null,"pretitle_fr":null,"subtitle":null,"subtitle_fr":null,"published":"2026-08-25T13:44:46.49","edited":null,"content":{"plain":"Antarctica did not meet me with chaos, but with stillness. For most of our time, the weather was calm, almost gentle. Wrapped in layers, I expected to struggle against the cold, yet I found myself overheating, peeling them off within minutes. What I had imagined as something to endure became something I could learn from.\nSmall routines began to define each day. Warming my clothes inside my sleeping bag overnight. Stepping out of that cocoon into the cold. Applying sunscreen, pulling on my buff, adjusting my UV glasses. And then, the moment that grounded everything: unzipping the tent.\nSome mornings revealed vast mountain ranges stretching beyond 50 kilometers. Others offered nothing but white, visibility reduced to a few meters. Yet the feeling was always the same.\nCalm. Peace. Existence.\nRituals at the Edge of the World\nIn a place like Antarctica, structure becomes survival.\n“Bronco-5” was one expression of that mindset. Be five minutes early. Not just as a rule, but as a form of respect. For the team, for the mission, and for the environment itself. In conditions that can shift quickly, preparation is everything. Showing up early became a quiet commitment: I’m here, and I’m ready.\nAt the same time, Antarctica is not untouched by human presence. In the FRAM, our shared space, we met people from all over the world. Climbers, tourists, explorers, each drawn here for different reasons.\nThose encounters were meaningful, but they also raised questions. How do we balance access with preservation? What does responsible presence look like in a place this fragile?\nOur work added another layer to that responsibility. Collecting data for NASA on dry permafrost, found in only three places in the known universe, connected this landscape to something far beyond itself. Antarctica is not just remote. It is relevant, scientifically and globally.\nAnd yet, its most important lessons are not technical. They are human.\nThe Stories We Choose to Carry\nAntarctica teaches adaptability. Conditions change without warning, and plans rarely unfold as expected. What matters is not control, but how you respond.\nThat lesson extends far beyond the ice.\nWe are living in a world shaped by uncertainty, where environmental change is no longer abstract. Places like Antarctica are not separate from us. They reflect systems we are deeply connected to, whether we recognize it or not.\nTourism here is still limited, but that may not always be the case. The decisions we make now, about access, protection, and responsibility, will define the future of places like this. Preservation cannot be reactive. It has to be intentional.\nFor me, this experience reinforced something I have come to believe strongly: young people are not just participants in these conversations, we are stewards of what comes next.\nThat belief led me to create @theantarcticdiary, a TikTok platform dedicated to uplifting young voices from around the world. Because mo‘olelo is more than storytelling. It is how we carry knowledge, values, and responsibility across generations.\nYour story matters. Your voice carries weight.\nCreating space for honest, meaningful dialogue is essential. It is okay to disagree. Growth often comes from discomfort. But moving forward requires a willingness to listen, to engage, and to reflect on the impact of our choices.\nAntarctica may feel distant, but the responsibility it represents is not.\nThe stories we choose to carry will shape the future we create.\nMahalo,\nEric P. Gee\n","text":"Antarctica did not meet me with chaos, but with stillness. For most of our time, the weather was calm, almost gentle. Wrapped in layers, I expected to struggle against the cold, yet I found myself overheating, peeling them off within minutes. What I had imagined as something to endure became something I could learn from.\n\nSmall routines began to define each day. Warming my clothes inside my sleeping bag overnight. Stepping out of that cocoon into the cold. Applying sunscreen, pulling on my buff, adjusting my UV glasses. And then, the moment that grounded everything: unzipping the tent.\n\nSome mornings revealed vast mountain ranges stretching beyond 50 kilometers. Others offered nothing but white, visibility reduced to a few meters. Yet the feeling was always the same.\nCalm. Peace. Existence.\n\n## Rituals at the Edge of the World\n\nIn a place like Antarctica, structure becomes survival.\n\n“Bronco-5” was one expression of that mindset. Be five minutes early. Not just as a rule, but as a form of respect. For the team, for the mission, and for the environment itself. In conditions that can shift quickly, preparation is everything. Showing up early became a quiet commitment: I’m here, and I’m ready.\n\nAt the same time, Antarctica is not untouched by human presence. In the FRAM, our shared space, we met people from all over the world. Climbers, tourists, explorers, each drawn here for different reasons.\n\nThose encounters were meaningful, but they also raised questions. How do we balance access with preservation? What does responsible presence look like in a place this fragile?\n\nOur work added another layer to that responsibility. Collecting data for NASA on dry permafrost, found in only three places in the known universe, connected this landscape to something far beyond itself. Antarctica is not just remote. It is relevant, scientifically and globally.\n\nAnd yet, its most important lessons are not technical. They are human.\n\n## The Stories We Choose to Carry\n\nAntarctica teaches adaptability. Conditions change without warning, and plans rarely unfold as expected. What matters is not control, but how you respond.\n\nThat lesson extends far beyond the ice.\n\nWe are living in a world shaped by uncertainty, where environmental change is no longer abstract. Places like Antarctica are not separate from us. They reflect systems we are deeply connected to, whether we recognize it or not.\n\nTourism here is still limited, but that may not always be the case. The decisions we make now, about access, protection, and responsibility, will define the future of places like this. Preservation cannot be reactive. It has to be intentional.\n\nFor me, this experience reinforced something I have come to believe strongly: young people are not just participants in these conversations, we are stewards of what comes next.\n\nThat belief led me to create @theantarcticdiary, a TikTok platform dedicated to uplifting young voices from around the world. Because mo‘olelo is more than storytelling. It is how we carry knowledge, values, and responsibility across generations.\nYour story matters. Your voice carries weight.\n\nCreating space for honest, meaningful dialogue is essential. It is okay to disagree. Growth often comes from discomfort. But moving forward requires a willingness to listen, to engage, and to reflect on the impact of our choices.\n\nAntarctica may feel distant, but the responsibility it represents is not.\n\nThe stories we choose to carry will shape the future we create.\n\nMahalo,\nEric P. 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It felt like a responsibility.\nComing from a small town on Hawaiʻi Island, I grew up watching climate change reshape the environment around me. That experience shaped how I see the world and my place within it. Still, being dropped into one of the harshest climates on Earth felt surreal. Before leaving, I kept asking myself: Am I going to get frostbite? Will the UV rays scorch my skin? Can I really adapt to a place this extreme?\nThe truth was far less dramatic, and far more revealing.\n","text":"Being selected to attend the Ice Station Expedition was more than an honor. It felt like a responsibility.\n\nComing from a small town on Hawaiʻi Island, I grew up watching climate change reshape the environment around me. That experience shaped how I see the world and my place within it. Still, being dropped into one of the harshest climates on Earth felt surreal. Before leaving, I kept asking myself: Am I going to get frostbite? Will the UV rays scorch my skin? 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Maintaining a 3.9 GPA within the Honors Program, he bridges the gap between financial literacy and environmental policy.\n\nA dedicated advocate for youth representation in government, he served as the Inaugural Chairperson of the Hawaiʻi County Youth Commission and Treasurer of the Hawaiʻi State Youth Commission. In these roles, he advised top-tier officials, including Mayor Mitch Roth and Senate President Ron Kouchi, on critical policy and budget allocations. His influence extends to the national level, evidenced by his selection as a featured Roadtripper for a national PBS documentary series on higher education and his participation as a panelist at a Congressional briefing in Washington, D.C.\n\nIn December 2025, he served as a representative on an international polar expedition to Antarctica’s Union Glacier Camp. Led by polar explorer Robert Swan, OBE, the team engaged in cutting-edge environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling and the testing of renewable energy systems in extreme environments. He co-facilitated the first-ever live educational broadcast from the continent, a landmark event that connected the Antarctic frontier to nearly two million students globally, cementing his commitment to large-scale climate education and advocacy.","html":"<p>Currently a sophomore at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Eric is pursuing a degree in International Business &amp; Finance with a minor in Political Science. Maintaining a 3.9 GPA within the Honors Program, he bridges the gap between financial literacy and environmental policy.</p>\n<p>A dedicated advocate for youth representation in government, he served as the Inaugural Chairperson of the Hawaiʻi County Youth Commission and Treasurer of the Hawaiʻi State Youth Commission. In these roles, he advised top-tier officials, including Mayor Mitch Roth and Senate President Ron Kouchi, on critical policy and budget allocations. His influence extends to the national level, evidenced by his selection as a featured Roadtripper for a national PBS documentary series on higher education and his participation as a panelist at a Congressional briefing in Washington, D.C.</p>\n<p>In December 2025, he served as a representative on an international polar expedition to Antarctica’s Union Glacier Camp. Led by polar explorer Robert Swan, OBE, the team engaged in cutting-edge environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling and the testing of renewable energy systems in extreme environments. He co-facilitated the first-ever live educational broadcast from the continent, a landmark event that connected the Antarctic frontier to nearly two million students globally, cementing his commitment to large-scale climate education and advocacy.</p>\n"},"organisation":{"id":"65d547d5d5bcca2bcbc9e158","name":"Villars Institute"},"linkedin":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericpgee/","photo":{"id":"image_villars-institute/person/eric-gee_photo__C9EBC54C-EA0D-4ED2-9B0E-D2A5E3E11AE2_1_105_c_qkdpv8","url":"https://res.cloudinary.com/shapeable/image/upload/v1773669946/villars-institute/person/eric-gee_photo__C9EBC54C-EA0D-4ED2-9B0E-D2A5E3E11AE2_1_105_c_qkdpv8.jpg","url2x":null},"positions":[{"id":"699716a725ad9bc4b94fa5fc","primary":true,"positions":[{"id":"699716a525ad9bc4b94fa5f9","name":"Antarctic Expedition Villars Fellow","name_fr":null}],"organisation":{"id":"65d547d5d5bcca2bcbc9e158","name":"Villars 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