The Last Continent - Part 1

Every time I begin travelling, I experience a period of ambiguity about my present and future. I ask myself what kind of traveller I am, whether I brought along too much or too little to sustain myself, how I will be spending spend my next day, and the penultimate question about whether my bag is resting well on my hips!

Yes, that's right, I find I have to readjust all my straps many times that first day for the perfect torso alignment. But the first question about what I seek on my travels sometimes lasts for the entire duration of my trip.

As I travelled to The Last Continent (Antarctica), my question to myself amplified while hearing the stories of my fellow travellers, the crew, and Antarctic explorers. I have met accomplished men and women on this first leg of my journey, young and old, of varying professions, interests, and abilities.

I would be remiss if I said I didn't want to walk shoulder to shoulder with them. This trip, on a research expedition ship, although  spectacular, somehow became insufficient in the first few days of the trip when my admiration for others' adventurous spirits was a constant.

However, as I sat in the lounge and felt the waves playing with the ship and rocking me soothingly, the whole world melted away. A soft tune in the background, a fetch of sea, and the Antarctic plains in the distance, I was the only passenger on the ship. It did not matter what kind of traveller I am, only that I exist to experience nature in its purest form.

Looking past the stern of the ship and picturing the different shades of blue enveloping the scenery in front of me, my imagination ran wild picturing the largesse of whales swimming under what looked like a molten sheet of water, each wave pushing the next under the bright sun.

It is fathomable that explorers spent days at sea, becoming one with the environment surrounding them. Why would they return to land? I was home....

Stay tuned for more updates on my trip to the Antarctic peninsula, including encounters with marine mammals, birds, icebergs, and beaches.

Until then, please leave a comment below (all comments are moderated so do not worry if you do not see it immediately).

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