There are people in this world that don’t quite fit into the everyday world. They always feel the pull of something more. These people are travellers. However, these travelers can be broken down into further subdivisions, and when you widdle away the excess and locate the pure traveller – they are on a boat headed to Antarctica.

English – The variance in this language is amplified on a cruise with only 100 passengers. There are the Americans with the ya’lls, the Canadians with their abouts & ehs, and the Aussies with their sayings that are impossible for a non-native to decipher. However, through a united effort & a stream of ‘what’s?’ & ‘huhs?’ we become a diverse family of so-called English speakers that have shared an experience that none of us will ever forget.

AMY

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The cool breeze hits me as I head up the stairs. This is the Drake passage and I’m about to fight the undulating water in a way unlike any other. I’m about to attempt a run.

As Cage the Elephant fills my ears, I step onto the track and learn the new machine… The most important part being the emergency stop. I push the buttons summoning the machine to creep forward. The tread slowly moves and I follow willingly. As I move forward, the ocean ebbs and flows, side to side as does an amusement park ride with no end in sight. Suddenly, I’m headed on a roller coaster ride, running steeply uphill, then suddenly reaching a peak and falling forward, my only saving grace being my hands holding onto the rails. As sweat begins to pour from my face, I look first at the ocean and then the sky while running this exquisite marathon amidst vast nothingness. Can there be a better feeling?

REJ

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Clear days, cloudy days, snowy days……there are no bad days when on a journey with great people to see unique places. There are “moments” when everything stands still and a traveler can see with a clarity of mind what is and what was…..to feel the cosmic tumblers all click into place and feel the oneness of mind, soul, and universe. I am blessed to feel these “moments” and today there were several. Antarctica has a way of presenting the “moment” and we are soaking them in. What a special place, what a special time, what special friends, and what great “moments”.

JOE

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“On Top Of The World At The Bottom Of The World”

The most commonly asked question on board this expedition ship must be “So why did you come to Antarctica?” For some, it is the seventh and final continent they have reached on their life’s travels. For others it is a chance to see wildlife & nature as unique as the destination – penguins, seals, whales, and icebergs.

For me, it is the adventure of going to a place in the world where no one I know has ever been. A remote continent at the far end of Planet Earth, covered in snow and ice. It is a challenge to get to Antarctica – that is the reason this is called an ‘expedition’ and not a ‘cruise’ or a ‘tour’.

Although I have traveled throughout North America, the Caribbean, and parts of Europe, this trip was a challenge for me because for the first time I would be traveling further away from home in Canada than ever and I would be traveling on my own for the first time. I was nervous at the start: Would I meet other people? With whom would I be sharing my cabin on board the ship? What kinds of people go on this trip?

Well, I quickly learned that great journeys bring together great adventurers, and I have made fantastic friends right from the first day I arrived in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

I will take home many souvenirs from this trip – breathtaking photos, treasured keepsakes, and awesome stories of adventure. Stories like meeting penguins, sliding down mountains, hiking volcanoes, zodiac cruises and even swimming in the freezing ocean! However, my most cherished souvenir will be the fun I had stepping out of the ‘comfort zone’ of my daily routine and the friendship of my new travel companions. We will always share the unique bond of visiting this place together, and we will always be able to say that we know someone who has been to Antarctica.

JEFF