Antarctica Will Change Your Life

Even though my trip to Antarctica was advertised as an 11-day cruise, the trip was really an expedition.  Yes, the ship had many of the same amenities as a Caribbean cruise ship but we were embarking on an adventure to Antarctica with no ports of call and only wildlife to greet us.

GEAR UP FOR THE COLD WEATHER

The expedition company provided us a shopping list of clothing and gear we would need for the cold and wet conditions. I followed the list very closely but quickly learned I didn’t need everything.  For example, the list suggested two pairs of waterproof, windproof gloves with separate liners (and these are not cheap ~$60-$80 for a pair) and I ended up using only one pair. Although, a girl in our Zodiac boat got extreme frostbite on her hands (her fingers were purple) because her gloves were wet from the morning excursion.  So I can see why having two pair makes sense.  But no need to go and buy everything on the list. You could use items you already have at home without buying new items.

BRRR..IT MUST BE SO COLD

When you think of Antarctica, you probably are thinking the temperature is frigid cold.  It was certainly cold, but during the day the temperature (in November) was around 30-32 degrees Fahrenheit.  And the temperature becomes warmer in the months of December-February.  During the evening hours the temperature dropped slightly, but since we had almost 20 hours of daylight, the temperature didn’t drop drastically.  It was strange having drinks at 11pm in the evening and dusk was finally setting in.

ZODIAC CRUISING AROUND THE ICY WATERS

Since we had no port of call or official dock, the ship anchored away from the shore and we loaded onto Zodiac boats to take us to land as well to cruise around the water.  The expedition guides were trained to drive the Zodiacs and they were very knowledgeable about many aspects of Antarctica.  The Zodiacs allowed us to cruise through the icy waters and through places where the ship couldn’t maneuver through. It became very cold when we sped up on the Zodiacs and blocking the frigid air with our windproof gear was a must.

WORDS CAN’T DESCRIBE THE LANDSCAPE

The scenery was indescribable.  I would just sit and look at everything around me when we were out over the water on the Zodiacs. I would take in the huge mountains covered in snow and ice.  During one of our excursions, our Zodiac driver stopped at one point when it was snowing and the cloud cover was low.  The light was sort of dark and the water had a deep blue color.  Small icebergs calmly floated around our boat and the air was the most crisp air that I have ever breathed.  He shut the motor off and it was absolutely silent.  It was just us and nature.  The enormous mountains sat in the backdrop, the icebergs protruded from the blue water all around us.  I sat and meditated with my eyes open, staring at what was in front and all around me. I get chills thinking about that moment and thinking about how I was in Antarctica.  It was one of the most peaceful moments of my life.  And in that moment, I felt like my life had changed. And not changed in some “I need to chop off all of my hair and get a tattoo” moment, but in a way that touched my soul and helped me see that there is more to life than physical things or than some career that sounds good on paper but isn’t fulfilling. It was magical.

EATING 10,000 YEAR OLD ICE

We passed by so many unique icebergs.  One of our guides picked up some ice that had come from a glacier and that most likely was over thousands of years old.  Of course we had to all taste the ice since we were eating something extremely old.  They also brought back a chunk to the ship to mix with cocktails later!  At one point when we were sitting in the Lemaire Channel taking in the scenery, we heard a huge boom off in the distance and saw what looked like smoke in the air. But our guide said it was a huge avalanche that had just slid off the mountain and into the water creating ice crystals in the air.  We also saw glaciers “calve” as the ice warmed up from the sun and broke off in chunks falling in the water.

STEPPING ONTO UNTOUCHED LAND

It was unique to just pull up onto the beach and hop off the Zodiac onto shore knowing that we were most likely the first people to have come to this part of the shore since last year due to the winter months.  The land was pure and snow covered.  The penguins had made their colonies already so we had to navigate through them so we didn’t disturb their paths and nests. Just being on land felt empowering.  To know that we had come all this way, far from all civilization. And to feel your soul get back to the things that matter the most in life. Deep breath.

YOGA ON ANTARCTICA

The trip went by so quickly. I lost track of the days and we were at the moment of being on land one last time.  The yoga instructor on the ship had a small yoga session on land for those that were interested.  I had done yoga on the ship earlier in the week so doing yoga on land was certainly special. Five of us sat in a circle on the snow and we went through some basic flow movements.  It was extremely quiet and calming to take in the energy from the land and from each other.  It was a very spiritual moment on land one last time. Deep breath.

CROSSING THE DRAKE, AGAIN

While our Drake Passage crossing was extremely smooth on the way to Antarctica, the crossing on the way back to Ushuaia was not so calm. On our first day heading back, we had three meter swells (about 10 feet).  It didn’t help that we had an “end of trip” party on the boat the night before.  So many of us were hungover and we woke up to the ship rocking up and down, back and forth.  I hadn’t put the seasickness patch on yet but I had to try it since I wasn’t feeling so well.  The only position that made me feel better was laying down.  Most of us spent that first day on the way back in our cabins laying down. And even as I write this, my mind got a little seasick just thinking about the motion of the turbulent sea.  But we made it through the day and the second day was much calmer.  We learned that the next expedition that boarded the ship after we departed had seven meter swells which is about 22 feet waves.

SAYING GOODBYE TO ANTARCTICA (FOR NOW)

It was really sad to leave such a beautiful, peaceful place.  The vistas were breathtaking.  Everywhere you looked was just incredible.  The environment was so pure and untouched.  And I would recommend to anyone to take a trip to feel and experience Antarctica.  Put aside the cost and the fear of crossing the Drake Passage and just do it.  You can’t take fear and money with you when you pass.  But you can take the memory with you and hopefully it will also change your life for the years that you have left on the planet.

I would love to hear your thoughts about visiting the southernmost continent. Would you go? Tell me about it in the comments section below.