Underice

Underice was a midwinter river gathering inspired by an unforgettable swim—my first return to the water after years of staying away for medical reasons. Beneath a gray sky and frozen trees, I discovered an unexpected emerald world, shimmering with trout and wonder.

Wanting to share that magic, I hid message-in-a-bottle invitations along river trails. Those who accepted were led on a reflective walk before arriving at a glowing green bubble tent, where they were met with warmth, wild-herbed dishes, and a river mermaid named Nereva.

Nereva, a personification of the river’s spirit, invited guests to consider what lay beneath their own surface. Together, we sipped tea from trout-adorned teapots, reflected, and shared a meal in the shelter of the river’s hush.

Underice was about returning—but also about revealing. A celebration of beauty that waits patiently beneath what seems too cold, too distant, too strange.