A little more than a week ago we were different. We were on our way to Antarctica, and filled with wonder, with expectations, and with our own ideas of what Antarctica would be. Now, we are changed people. We have experienced a place so unlike anyplace on the planet. Certainly we had seen videos and movies about what the white continent was like, but nothing could have prepared us for the real thing. We have been to the land of white giants, where icebergs the size of mountains tower over us, on the sea ice we have walked among royalty with emperor penguins, and we experienced the extremes in weather that only this place can have.
Today we awake to the swells of the Drake Passage, a reminder that there is a price to pay for Antarctica. Fortunately by now, many of us have our sea legs. For those who don’t, a pill and a bunk is a good place to be on a day like today. For all of us, it is a day of reflection. During our communal experience we may not have been able to soak it all in. Now, with time on our hands and the memory fresh in our minds, we can relive the moments, contemplate the experience. We spend our time listening to the many lectures and programs provided for us today. We learn about the dynamics of ice from Eric, and the last chapter of Shackleton’s amazing adventure from Alastair, and Lisa will give us the mechanics of departing the ship when we reach our final destination. We also relive the time in the white continent scrolling through our images, talking to our new friends, and maybe during a private time alone with a cup of tea.
We are not finished, a pintado petrel landed on deck during the night and will need the assistance of a helpful toss to become airborne once again. A chance to see up close the workings of this marvellous little bird who follows our ship wherever we go. We may encounter a whale or two, and there is the Beagle Channel filled with fur seals and other marine life. These however, are old friends to us now, welcoming us home from an expedition of a life time.
We all return home to our regular routine, but none of us will ever be normal again. We are among the few who have been to Antarctica. None of us can ever live in Antarctica, but Antarctica will always live within us. It is a welcome parasite that will reside in our psyche forever. Some of us, will be fortunate to return again, for some, this was our once in a lifetime journey. For all of us however, the memory of Antarctica will stay with us, haunt us. Maybe it will be the touch of a snowflake on our cheek, maybe a sound, or a smell, but there will always be something that will bring to mind the experience of Antarctica. Then, our hearts will remember, the white continent.
