Epilogue: Home, Thanks, and Reflections

Lat: 42.39 N
Lon: 72.71 W


So I write this last blogpost in the comfort of my home back in Western Massachusetts, an incredible Yellow Lab at my feet nudging me every 15 minutes or so just to make sure (I think) that I'm really here, and so many wonderful and fulfilling thoughts in my head of the last 3 weeks or so. I can't believe I'm really home, and I can't believe I really traveled to the end of the Earth. People have been asking me, "Do you have one event or one moment that really stands out to you of the Expedition as a whole?" I can honestly say that I don't, that the memories and love for this experience comes not only from the incredible wildlife, but from the seas, the excursions, the sounds, the smells (not missing the Penguin Guano!), but most of all, the people who made up our expedition and the wonderful friendships I made along the way. That's the essence of travelling for me, wherever the journey might take me; people you meet along the way, to share the experience with, and to have lasting memories for a lifetime. Though the animals did steal the show this time for sure for me, the whole trip was made complete and magical by the special folks along the way.

Some folks I want to pay some special attention to that helped make this trip extra special: My buddy Micah back here at home, who updated my blog after every post and every addendum, I thank you from the bottom of my heart, my special MOT. Laura for the wonderful map of coordinates you added on FB that I first got to see today (You rock!). Dad for keeping you and Hickory alive in my absence, which is always a nice thing to come home to :). Kristen, Micah and Janet for checking in on my Pops to make sure all was AOK, and the spirit of loved ones gone who helped guide me on this fabulous journey. Your essence and soul were felt throughout. Onboard, Ro and Jason for cracking me up continuously (It's not fair!), Ralph, the best roomie a guy could have, Pam and John from OZ, my fellow shrink and how we didn't talk shop AT ALL. To staff members "Danger" Maggie and "Zodiac Man" Keith and Rob; our conversations, sharing of life and laughter helped make this an absolutely incredible journey, and to Eva, Eva, Eva for well...just being Eva. You all are sooooo invited to "Camp David", my place up in Huntington, Vermont, with or without me; mi casa es tu casa! I so absolutely mean it!

If you ever get a chance to go the Falklands, South Georgia, and Antarctica, go! Don't even think about it, just go. Save your pennies, it's an investment in the soul. You won't be disappointed; in fact, it may change you in an incredible and most wonderous way. I'm thankful for it, and for what this planet has to offer in its riches of life, abundance, and memory. I may send one more post of images and video, once I (with the help of others) can figure this computer thang out.

Finally, I would like to leave you all, with the help in part from my dear friend Laura who emailed this quote to me during my expedition from Sir Ernest Shackleton, aka "The Boss", with his words in regards to his Polar explorations in the land I just visited. Love and God Bless.

"We were conscious of tremendous forces all around us; Nature was not walled out; rather we were walled in. In a civilised country Nature is seldom visible or audible; her activities, at any rate, are not obtrusive; but with us there was nothing at all except those activities. It is a humbling experience to listen to ice-pressure and to watch the visible world breaking up all around one. The forces of Nature are so terrific that no scientific explanation of their action ever quite gives one a satisfying sense of their origin...We were all conscious of a Power that informed the whole living world." --Ernest Shackleton, on crossing South Georgia on foot.

Back in BA and Having Some Issues

Coordinates unknown


I have arrived back in Buenos Aires and all is fine (except for my stupidity of leaving my cell phone charger on the ship. I was so busy saying goodbye to folks that I didn´t make a clean sweep of the room). I just want to first update you all on the last 48 hours:

The Drake Passage turned out to be the Drake Lake after all, even on the second day of ocean traveling (Thursday). We really hit it lucky and had a huge high pressure system over us, thus the smooth sailing for the last bit of ship travel. The last day was tying up loose ends, including a 20 minute slide show of our travels and expedition. It was given to me on a thumb drive, and I hope to post it soon, as long as one my computer literate friends can help me out since I am completely computer ignorant. It's fabulous, over 300+ images set to music of the adventure, with a pretty cool shot of me on Antarctica! I was then given the news by kickass Maggie and Eva on board that I was invited to the Captain's Table for our farewell dinner. Quite the honour! The Captain never ate with us during the voyage and it was just 6 of us, including the Expedition Leader. I actually sat alongside the Captain as we chatted throughout dinner, and made sure I didn't ask him sea faring questions as I´m sure he gets that all the time. Ice hockey and his grandfather in the Soviet Army in WWII seemed to predominate our discussions. We then had a celebratory round(s) in the bar and for the rest of the evening 'til the wee hours of the a.m., I spent some great personal time with a few spectacular new friends I made on board. Some I feel friends for life, for sure (I hope). Then a 6 a.m. wake-up and we disembarked, and after some hugs and laughs, I was bound for the airport in Ushuaia. As the 3.5 hour flight from Ushuaia headed to Buenos Aires, all I could do was look out the window and think about what I had just experienced, what profound events had just happened to me the last few weeks, and what am I going to be like upon getting back to this "other world" that I´m returning to. Some last few goodbyes to folks on my flight at the airport, then a cab whisked me away to the hotel. Looking out the cab window, there are people everywhere. There´re trees. There´s concrete. There´s city, green, faces, windows, hustle and bustle. I´m now writing this from my hotel, and I´m not sure I want to go outside...I´m having some major culture shock issues. All is good and fine, I still have my Antarctic beard and feel great, but this "real world" will take some getting used to. I´m having dinner at a nearby restaurant I discovered before I left BA a few weeks ago. It was really, really great. Maybe that familiarity and friendship I made with the owner who I promised to see when I got back from my expedition will loosen me up a bit. But it´s all kind of weird right now. I´m so looking forward to getting home, seeing my dad and Hickory and friends I love and cherish so dear, but please understand I think I may be distracted for a while. This trip has really affected me in a terrific and profound way, and it may take a bit of time for me to get into the swing of things. My flight home is tomorrow night, arriving in Hartford at 1.00 p.m. on Sunday. I´m planning to post one last blog on Sunday night, my Epilogue if you will. I also have to make some major shoutouts to some very special folks. That will happen Sunday. 250 emails will wait as well.

So much love to you all. Right now I need to get my landlegs on...

The Drake Shake or the Drake Lake?

Lat: 5835.57675065 S
Lon: 06413.19995882 W

Our last day (yesterday) on land on the Antarctic Continent was at
Hannah's Point and Yankee Harbour in the South Shetland Islands. Terrific
colonies of Chinstrap and Gentoo Penguins, Crabeater and Elephant Seals and
nesting Petrels were a great and fitting end to some fantastic land
excursions with just incredible weather. Popping Champagne and toasting to
a fabulous journey on the bow, we all seemed to have some wonderful
reflections of what we just experienced and accomplished. Aside from the
elusive Macaroni Penguin on land (we saw them out at sea) and the Emperor
Penguin (which would have been a rare sight indeed), we saw a plethora of
animals that were fascinating and mesmerizing in each of their own way.
We then positioned northward back to Ushuaia and to start our 2 day journey
through the Drake Passage. The Drake is notoriously considered one of the
roughest seas in the world, the stretch of Ocean between South America and
Antarctica. So we didn't know what to expect: The Drake Lake or the Drake
Shake? As I write this today, about half way through, we have been having
the Drake Lake :-). Mild rolling, really not bad at all but they are
predicting rougher seas for tomorrow, so the Lake may turn into the Shake.
No seasickness meds for me, I'm gonna ride this one out good or bad (famous
last words). We'll see how it continues to go. I'm starting to reflect on
the journey as snowflakes fall down, sitting up on the Bridge and learning
Russian with the crew. More on reflections later. Now is time to still gaze out
onto the deep blue sea and appreciate the sights of vastness in front of me.

The Perfect Day

Lat: 6407.98837000 S
Lon: 06057.58893392 W

After the monumental day of yesterday, standing on the Ice Continent for
the first time, I thought today would initially be a letdown. However, it was
anything BUT a letdown. We had two Zodiac excursions and a landing at
Trinity Island, more specifically at Mlkkelsen Harbour. The weather
yesterday with howling winds, blizzard like conditions at times, and totally
unpredictable, was the complete opposite today. Barely a cloud in the sky,
the seas were as calm as glass, and the outside temp. was probably 45
degrees F.! So amazing that we had a BBQ on the Stern, a Barbie on the
Grill in Antarctica!! After taking in Curtiss Bay, Trinity Island with
Mlkkelsen Harbour and finally Cierva Cove, the following were some of the
highlights: Humpback Whales breaching the surface and fluking(tail going
straight down)50 ft. from me; feisty Leopard Seals sunbathing on icebergs;
Weddell Seals taking a nap on Trinity; Chinstrap and Gentoo Penguins bounding through the placid seas; a huge rookery of Gentoo Penguins and their chicks; tabular
icebergs in all shades of blue and White; sunbathing on deck and chillin' on
Trinity while taking it all in, and having the most perfect idyllic day
anyone can ask for - Especially here in Antarctica! Tomorrow is our last
full day on the Continent before we head back to Ushuaia through the dreaded
Drake Passage :-0. I don't want that to kill my buzz. More on that for
another day.

Note: There is a rogue photo of me hula hooping on deck. Pay it no never
mind.

The Eagle has Landed!

Lat: 6259.28185270 S
Lon: 05833.81788642 W

Temperature: -7 degrees Celsius

We started out for a landing at the Argentinian base at Esperanza Bay (Hope
Bay), but alas there was no hope; the winds were gusting way too high at 45
knots. So we sailed off for a new destination, Brown Bluff, where we hoped
the conditions would be more favorable. We positioned our ship around noon
time (2 p.m. east coast time) and got the go ahead to make shore! We boarded
the Zodiacs, and on a windswept beach, with snow flying in all directions,
howling winds, and Gentoo Penguins to welcome our arrival, we landed
on the Continent of Antarctica!! As I stepped foot on the rocky shore,there
were Penguins, Seals, Auks everywhere, I realized that I now have stepped foot
on all 7 Continents of this incredible planet. At 44 years and roughly 2
months, I'm totally one lucky dude. We got on the beach with the winds
howling, hard to see in front of you with the blowing snow, and was able to
get behind a huge series of boulders not far from the water's edge to get my
bearings. It was Omaha Beach but in a very different way! Soaking it all
in, I made my way around Brown Bluff, an incredible amount of wildlife
around, terra firma beneath my feet, meanwhile soaking it all in before we
had to depart in an hour and a half. Back on board, it all started to sink
in for many of us; we had made it to the White Continent.

For me personally, it hasn't been about checking it off the list, another
place to say "Been there, done that". It's about continuing to live a fantasy
life, to be blessed and fortunate with good enough health to live my dreams,
to continually be reminded what a wondrous planet we life on, albeit animal,
human, vegetable or mineral. We have an immense capacity to love and be
loved, fighting injustice wherever it should rear its ugly head, and to give
the good fortunes to others that we take for granted at times; to help, love
and learn whether we're a human or an Adele Penguin. Life continues to amaze
me, after 44 years, and life has so much more to teach me that I love the
fact that I'll always be a student to my surroundings. You don't have to go
to Antarctica to have these thoughts, and I'm thankful that I feel I have
already learned some of this in my life. But the wonders of this planet, the
wonders of Antarctica and the South Atlantic, have continued to help
reinforce the values and love for this beautiful orb that I cherish so dear.


Today was for Mom. I miss you so much. More to share. Thanks for listening.

From Disappointment to Deception

Lat: 6259.45330872 S
Lon: 06010.95375394 W

South Shetland Islands

The day started out with a bit of a disappointment for us; the 2
scheduled shore landings were scrubbed due to a blizzard. The snow was
coming down horizontally with about 4 inches of snow on the deck. With 45
knot wind gusts, it was just too treacherous to get out on the Zodiacs. Two
Penguin rookeries including the Chinstrap (again, my favorite) and Adele
Penguins were just not gonna happen. The decision was made to head south to
escape the storm and get a head start on tomorrow's plan. So off we
went, with the seas rough and tumble, but late in the day we made it to
Deception Island, still part of the South Shetland Island archipelago.
Deception is quite amazing; it's a sunken Volcano that only has a small
opening on one side that the ship can narrowly get through. All hands were on the
Bridge to watch the Captain and Helmsman navigate their way through the
opening, dodging massive rock face cliffs on each side. It was quite the
show. Once inside the Caldera, we got into the Zodiacs and made a beach
excursion to the old whaling site (now extinct) but semi-protected from the
huge swells outside the Caldera. The ground was solid ash, and apparently
warm to the touch. Blowing snow throughout the landing, it felt like walking
in a huge snowstorm back home, but with Gentoo Penguins and Southern Polar
Skuas (the only bird that makes it to the South Pole) to greet us. The
visuals were monochrome - whites, greys, and blacks with an incredible hue
that felt again mystical and ominous. First one on, last one off. It was
fantastic.

Tomorrow we reach the Antarctic Continent itself with 2 proposed
landings. It was great to touch terra firma today, but to actually step
foot on the Antarctic Continent itself...it should be a magical Sunday
indeed!

Postscript to A Whale of a Time

By the time we reached Elephant Island at the end of the day, we had spotted over 270 Fin Whales, the second largest mammal on earth, along the days journey. The Staff and Expedition leaders had never seen anything like that before. One Expedition Leader has been traveling here for 22 years.