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I Am A Polar Bear

Travel, adventure & wellness with plenty of snow

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Category: Travel Toolkit

Travel Toolkit: my latest first aid course | iamapolarbear.com

Travel Toolkit: my latest first aid course

June 11, 2026

Welcome to the first of a new series, hopefully monthly, covering all the tools you should have in your travel toolkit. I don’t mean literal tools – no penknives or hammers to be taken away at security here! – but your skills and abilities toolkit to be able to make the most of your travels. … More Travel Toolkit: my latest first aid course

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Who am I?
I'm Julie, a travel, adventure and wellness blogger. I love Iceland, I love jumping into hot water and I do love a bit of snow.

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Most popular posts

  • Zedwell Capsule Hotel review: what's it like to sleep in a coffin?
  • Tent review: Eurohike Sendero 4 vs Cairns 5 DLX
  • The Guide Camp Kit List part three: the bedding roll
  • How to visit and explore Brijuni National Park from Pula
  • Which is the best public swimming pool in Reykjavik?
After a slightly intimidating UK train adventure this weekend, I’m off to Iceland for some geothermal and volcanic adventures next week, so I thought I’d go back to this volcano where I inadvertently became part of a Channel 4 documentary three years ago (see link in bio and skip to 32:27!) I often casually mention the boathouse and boat club, so let’s talk about it! I have a niece. She's three months old and I have very little interest in or enthusiasm for the baby stage - there was no, "Oh, I've suddenly realised I need one of these!" moments when I first met her, just a "yeah, I was right, I'm not a baby person". I just don't get the appeal of babies. Maybe there's a gene I'm lacking. This week has been #volunteersweek Week and as a long-term Girlguiding volunteer (adult leader for nearly 19 years but I started as Brownie helper when I was 13), I’m seeing a lot of “Thank you for volunteering!” and “we love our volunteers!” posts from every level and I have mixed feelings about it. I’m supposed to be promoting my book, A Polar Night’s Tale, this week but that moment of bravery has passed - I can see that I’ve sold one copy but I’m pretty sure Lulu is hiding another two or three from me. Thank you everyone who’s been positive about it! MY BOOK IS OUT!!! This is my adventure, from Helsinki to the wilds of Iceland, via a journey across the north of Scandinavia and up to the northermost settlement in the world on Svalbard, by train, bus, boat, snowshoe, dogsled and snowmobile in the long dark polar night... Last picture of Málaga, at least for now. The three of us on the last night. I’ve tried to more or less keep Catherine & Esther off Instagram because it feels kind of intrusive to throw pictures of them everywhere (and also because Catherine never likes the same pictures I like!) but they absolutely deserve a post. 📌 Gibralfaro, Málaga

About Julie

I'm a blogger, adventurer, lover of hot water, amateur paddler and polar bear who wilts in hot weather. Time (by day, I'm a researcher) and funds keep me within Europe and I make regular trips up to the north, especially to Iceland. I like the occasional adventure across Europe by train and I'm starting to make use of my weekends for 48-hour adventures. This isn't my only creative outlet - I've written two travelogues (one on a winter adventure across the Arctic Circle and one on exploring volcanoes during a warm summer road trip around Iceland) plus a little book of Icelandic pools and I have a fourth book in progress right now.

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