Almost a year ago today, I was given the opportunity of a lifetime through an absolutely incredible program called Students on Ice. Along with 60+ other students, ranging in age from 13 to 29, we were going to embark on a two-week student expedition to one of the least visited places on Earth: Antarctica. Between having a traveling soul and being what my friends have kindly dubbed "the walking epitome of wanderlust," Antarctica had always been on my list of places to visit. After all, if I wanted to visit all seven continents, didn't that have to include the Antarctic? But what started off as more of a superficial reason to travel, at least on the surface, became so much more than I ever could have expected.

I can vividly recall literally crying the moment that I set foot on the Antarctic continent for the first time, not only because I had finally achieved a dream of mine that I'd had since I was a little girl, but also because I was so taken aback by the sheer beauty and natural state of the continent. There are few places in the world left that are truly untouched as the Antarctic continent is, and quite honestly, it's an image that even the best of photographers cannot do justice, no matter how hard they may try. It is majestic, it is beautiful, it is one of the most amazing sights I've ever seen and that I'm sure I'll ever see, and above all else, it's natural.

In a world as industrialized as ours, it's hard to imagine a place that has absolutely no buildings, no machinery, no oil wells, no anything. Nothing but sheer, untouched rock, snow, and ice, traversed by only the few and fortunate individuals and the wildlife that calls the continent home. Being able to sit atop a glacier, in absolute silence, was more peaceful than I can adequately describe. It gave you time to reflect, time to appreciate the world around you, and time to realize just how important the world around you is.

During one of our moments of silence, we witnessed an avalanche on a nearby glacier, and to see something like that, so up close and personal, and to be able to hear the roaring and crashing of the falling snow and ice? It's not something that you can experience in everyday life. The closest one can ever get to that in a city is dodging the drifts of snow falling off the roof of a building. The closest we can get to the Antarctic in our everyday life is through snow-covered streets, frozen-over lakes, and zoo exhibits.

But, it's not the same. It's not the same as being able to experience an untouched wilderness, to be able to witness these sights first hand. It's not the same climbing up a snow covered hill as it is trudging through knee deep snow up a snow-covered glacier. It's not the same seeing a penguin swimming around behind plexiglass in a zoo exhibit as it is cruising alongside them in a zodiac. You don't get these experiences from a distance, from the detached media like photographs and video. That's not to say they don't serve an incredible purpose of informing, because they do, but nothing is quite as moving as experiencing it firsthand.

And, yes, I am very aware of the fact that I am extremely fortunate and privileged to be able to have this experience and that there are many people in this world who never will. It's because of that that I want to urge everyone to learn from those who have, because being able to witness these beautiful sights and to have these experiences also meant playing witness to one of the most devastating environmental crises of our time: climate change.

When we were visiting various glaciers in the Antarctic, we were shown pictures of what those same glaciers (as well as ones from different parts of the world) had looked like from 10-20 years ago to 50-60 years ago to what those same glaciers looked like now, and the difference was absolutely astounding. As the world has become more industrialized and dependent on fossil fuels, such as coal and natural gas, the environment as a whole has paid the price. Glaciers that were once covered in snow and ice have become lakes and waters that were once never warm enough to sustain certain forms of life are becoming too warm to sustain the forms of life already there.

And that's only the tip of the iceberg—no pun intended. Environmental issues as a result of climate change are rampant globally, and that's exactly why the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, better known as COP21, is so important. As a result of this conference so far, nations like China have pledged to cut their coal emissions by 60 percent by the time 2020 hits, because the reality of the situation is that it's just that big of an issue. Not to mention, the host country, France, is one of the most environmentally friendly countries, generating over 90 percent of energy through zero-carbon sources, such as wind, hydroelectric, and nuclear power. The topics being discussed throughout this conference of the utmost importance for the continued health and stability (and very likely existence) of our environment and thus our world as a whole.

All of this and so much more is exactly why I've been paying so much attention to COP21, and you should be too. No matter what your reason and motivation is, there's no reason not to be passionate about the world around you and ensuring it has a future so that you can have your future. So, if you have a little bit of spare time this week in between studying for finals, be sure to give the COP21 talks and topics a better look. I think you might be surprised (for better or for worse) at what you find, and who knows? Maybe you'll find the same passion and drive that Antarctica has given me. All it takes is a chance, and the more people that believe this change is necessary, the better chance we have at a better world in years to come.