After hearing General Roméo Dallaire speak in Comox, explorer Sunniva Sorby reflects on the third quarter of life as a revolutionary time — a stage to scale up, share wisdom, and collaborate across generations in shaping a more conscious, connected world.

There’s a moment where Cameron describes watching sperm whales dive into the depths — hundreds of feet below the surface — and then, astonishingly, surface and reunite with one another in what looked like a graceful underwater dance. He’d heard about this behavior, of course, but seeing it with his own eyes was something else entirely.

He called it a moment of raw awe. I couldn’t stop thinking about that phrase.

Raw awe. The kind that strips away everything unnecessary and familiar and reminds us of our smallness and our capacity for wonder wherever and whenever.

Join Us Live: October 24th, 1400 EST

I’m thrilled to share that on October 24th at 1400 EST, Cady Coleman — former NASA astronaut, author and dear friend — will join us live on YouTube for Pioneers of the Possible.
Together, we’ll talk about courage, curiosity, and what space and polar exploration have in common: both remind us that Earth is not simply a planet we live on, but a living system we belong to.

“Exploration doesn’t just take us outward. It calls us inward — to who we are, and what we care about.”

I have stood on the summit and slopes of Kilimanjaro five times. Each climb has tested me, inspired me, and left me profoundly aware of how many people make those steps possible. But none of my climbs felt more meaningful than in 2012, when I climbed with eight extraordinary women -we named ourselves the Sistahs of Kilimanjaro.

That year, I climbed with Rosie Berard, Jody Foster, Bettina Breckenfeld, Margaret Webb, Shena Hinks, Kathleen Urdahl, Kelly Dunfee, Barbara Falco, and Sarah Macdonald

We weren’t just a climbing group—we were sisters, partners, friends- old and new…

I watched The Longest Goodbye recently, the documentary that follows NASA’s psychologists and astronauts like the amazing Cady Coleman as they confront the invisible payload of long missions: isolation, latency, distance, and the knot in your throat when it’s time to come back. On paper, a Mars flight is thrust and trajectory, oxygen and fuel. NASA's goal to send astronauts to Mars would require a three-year absence from Earth, during which communication in real time would be impossible due to the immense distance. But the movie makes clear the mission also lives inside the people who fly it—and in the families who wait for them, and the clinicians who try to stitch both worlds together when the capsule lands.

The ball of sun pushes gently between the trees as I sit with a steaming cup of tea outside the grand meditation hall. Plum Village is alive with silence: the shuffle of feet, the sight of lily ponds, the rustle of leaves. I notice all of it. I hve gone from overdrive to a hard stop in what feels like minutes. Even the young woman who jogged past me moved quietly, her breath folding into the stillness.

Welcome to Embrace the Planet News!

I suppose that when we decide to do big things in our lives—have a family, accept a job, travel to a new place, leap into a new venture, create something we dream about, or pick an adventure—there is always the reason that gets us there and another reason that reveals itself when we are “in it.” I had Steinbeck’s quote next to my desk for years, and I always thought I understood it, but I really didn’t until I was peeled back so far that I could feel the core of me.I was on the Expedition in Antarctica skiing to the South Pole when everything started changing. This trip was taking me, and I wasn’t sure where I was going.

For years, I thought being an explorer meant skiing to the South Pole, overwintering in Svalbard, or crossing Greenland’s ice sheet. I have loved and learned so much from all my sufferings and adventures which are a huge part of any expedition.If you fail to find the meaning in our personal “ into the wild” then it’s rather …pointless, yes? Here’s what those expeditions taught me…

Dear Friends,

Welcome to the fourth edition of Embrace the Planet News! I’m really happy you are spending a bit of time with me here in this space. It means alot- thank you!

What if the greatest battle of our time isn’t political, but spiritual?

We’re drowning in fear, division, and disinformation—engineered to keep us fragmented and hopeless. But here’s the truth: we are not powerless. Consciousness is the battleground, and our most powerful tools are art, storytelling, and media that inspire rather than divide.

Dear Friends,

Welcome to the third edition of Embrace the Planet!

I’m so happy you are here reading this. Thank you for joining me on this journey of discovery, action, and connection. Together, I want us all to explore how to engage with our planet, each other and to inspire a bit of change—whether through small steps at home or through stories of resilience and innovation. I hope this month’s edition sparks new ideas and conversations that resonate with you.

Our new event series, Pioneers of the Possible, begins January 14, 2025, at 1:00 PM EST.

Join us live on YouTube for a conversation with Gemita Samarra, a synchronized swimmer, stuntwoman, and storyteller who has worked on 007’s Spectre and Game of Thrones. Gemita shares how adventure, resilience, and storytelling can inspire us all. Join Live on YouTube

Sunniva has had the privilege of meeting extraordinary visionaries who are infinitely curious—scientists, adventurers, artists, writers, innovators, and activists—whose work is shaping the future of our planet.

With Pioneers of the Possible, Sunniva aims to bring these inspiring individuals into classrooms and communities across Canada and the U.S.

Hi Friends!

Guess what? This is the very first edition of my newsletter—think of it as a compass pointing toward inspiration, adventure, and action! Whether you’ve been with me in spirit on icy expeditions, hosted me for a keynote, joined me on a voyage or you’re just tuning in, I’m so excited to share this journey with you.