Q&A: How Michigan native Dub Paetz spent 80 days completely 'Alone' in the Arctic Circle
Published in Entertainment News
DETROIT — Dub Paetz is still reveling in the small pleasures of civilized life after being alone in the Arctic Circle for nearly three months of History Channel's "Alone." Like eating pizza. And sleeping in a real bed.
Paetz, 46, who was born in Saginaw, finished third on Season 11 of the popular show, overcoming food scarcity, loneliness and sickness before he officially tapped out.
Now back in Michigan, the survivalist didn't win the grand prize — which he hoped to use to buy a campground with his family — but he's still friends with several of his fellow contestants and grateful for his "Alone" experience. And as tough as it was, he learned a lot from it and he's grateful he was "able to share my true self with the world through all of it."
"I was blessed to be there, and at the time I did my best," he said.
He described his "Alone" journey — which can be streamed on the History Channel app, history.com, and across major TV providers’ video on demand platforms — in an email interview with The Detroit News.
Q: You lasted 80 days in the Arctic Circle on “Alone.” What would you say you learned the most in your time alone?
A: There was a day before I left for the Arctic where I was behind an older woman (in her 90s) in line at a grocery store. Everyone around was in a hurry and visibly frustrated by how slow she was moving. She said “Everyone is always in such a hurry now, I’m so sorry. It never used to be like this” in a very scared and upset voice. That played over and over in my head during the dark days in the Arctic. I learned that everyone is going through things and we all need to chill out a lot. Essentially, I learned to be much more patient with people.
I also learned that people are so much more important to me than I ever realized. Until you don’t have anyone around, it’s hard to grasp how much human interaction actually means.
Q: “Alone” is known for not just how it tests survival skills but the emotional toll of being by yourself without interaction. How difficult was the isolation during that time? You crafted a very unique little guitar in one episode.
A: The isolation was the hardest part of being on "Alone." Thoughts creep into your head and they can be very difficult to get rid of. There are no distractions. It’s you battling in your head the thoughts about everything you’ve ever done wrong throughout your entire life. You will either resolve them to conclusion, put them aside and say “I will address this when I leave here,” or go down a very dark path of dwelling on negative things; which will inevitably result in tapping out.
Q: You were very concerned about tapping out and then really regretting that decision later. Do you have any regrets now?
A: If I put myself in my exact headspace of where I was when I tapped out, I have no regrets. Could I use the money, oh yea! It would have changed my life in so many ways. But I’m very happy for the winner and it could not have gone to a better human.
Q: You grew up in Michigan. Where did you grow up in Michigan and how did it prepare you for “Alone”?
A: I was born in Saginaw and spent as much time as possible going north to go fishing and camping. I was such an outdoor nut that I actually used to hitchhike before I had my driver’s license so that I could go camping and live off of trout in the Grayling area. (Sorry Mom. I never told her that.)
Q: You were very open during “Alone” about being bullied when you were a kid and how hard that was, but you also said you wouldn’t change anything. Do you still feel that way? How did your childhood prepare you for “Alone”?
A: Recently, someone contacted me online and asked me advice about how to make it through school dealing with bullies. I was so honored to be able to help them. I have been able to help so many people with my story. If I had not been through all of the stuff I had experienced during school, I would quite literally be a different person. I know I would not be as mentally strong as I am. Every hard time I’ve had in my life prepared me for "Alone." I would not change a thing about my past.
Q: What was the first thing you did when you returned to civilization from the Arctic Circle?
A: I went to Vegas! I ate so much food and met my family on the Las Vegas strip. I wanted to soak up all of humanity. I appreciated every person I met. There are so many different people, and everyone is going through things in their lives. I’m not sure if I can articulate this, but I found myself staring at people and watching their body language. I was amazed at how much I could read about people just by looking at them. In the real world (out here) we see so many people every day. I don’t think we ever just look at a stranger and say, "That person looks very sad, I should go talk to them," and try to make their day better. I found myself doing that after I left "Alone" and got back out here.
Q: You’ve become pals with your fellow “Alone” contestant Timber — even watching episodes together. Tell us about that.
A: Timber is amazing! He was not far away from me out there in the Arctic. We have a special bond that very few people will ever understand. We went through so many of the same troubles out there. I’m happy to have a good friend that went through the same experience that I did. We’ve been able to help each other move forward since the show ended and I’m grateful for that. The same goes for all of the competitors. We are all great friends that I will always be grateful for.
Q: Where are you now and what’s next for you? Are you living in Michigan? You talked about wanting to buy a campground with your family if you won “Alone.” Is that still a possibility?
A: We will see about the campground as that is currently out of my budget. But, I am excited for the next chapter of my life, which I hope involves starting a family and getting involved with the woman of my dreams. I know there is a gem out there.
I am also strongly considering doing some public speaking to try to cut down on bullying and to motivate people to pursue their dreams. I think I can help people and will try.
Q: Lastly, anything you would’ve done differently on “Alone”?
A: It’s easy to imagine as I sit here with my bare feet getting sunlight on a 70 degree day. If I were to ever get another shot at the experience, I’m not sure I would do it a lot different. I would just push a little harder at the end. I battled my mind every day out there, nonstop problems and challenges. Just getting clean water to drink was tough, let alone food. But, I’m grateful that I was able to share my true self with the world through all of it. I was blessed to be there, and at the time I did my best. Next time, I’d do better. But like my Dad always says, don’t focus on “the would have, should have, could haves.” It’s a beautiful day out here and I’m blessed.
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