South

Shackleton titled the memoir about his epic journey to the ice and back “South.” It’s an understated title for an historic adventure, as though his trip was just a little meander towards the pole, an idea, really, nothing special. South. I’ve been reading his book in bits and pieces over the past month. It’s not easy going; it’s full of numbers and measurements and dull discussions of the weather and then, all of a sudden,there’s a bit of spectacular poetic writing or a story that makes me glad I skimmed the pages rather than skipped them entirely. I’m reading Shackleton because on Wednesday, like Shackleton and completely unlike him, I head South.

I’ve already had a bit of an adventure with this trip. The Polar Star was damaged, TravelWild had to find me another ship. My plane tickets were useless, I was to fly out of Ushuaia before my new ship returned to land. Then, I had new tickets, but no seats. I pictured myself the inverse of Shackleton’s men, standing in the heat of the Miami airport weighed down under winter gear with no flight south. It took about 72 hours and then, it all snapped back together again.

On Wednesday, I fly to New York. After a six hour layover, during which I hope to visit with New York friends, I board an overnight flight to Buenos Aires. I’m still praying to the upgrade gods, may they see fit to put me in business class. I’ve been good. Mostly.

On Thursday, I arrive in Buenos Aires. During my 20 hour layover, I hope to visit with new Buenos Aires friends, then spend the night in a newish boutique hotel. No, I’m not a meat eater, but I hear BA has incredible ice cream. And it’s summer there!

On Friday, I fly to Ushuaia. I’ll spend four days there. During that time, I’m going to tour Tierra del Fuego National Park, take big naps, go for walks, and have lunch with Seattle friends who, in a crazy coincidence, will also be in Ushuaia.

On Monday, I board the Plancius for Antarctica.

I’ll be emailing reports to TravelWild — check the blog for updates. I’ve got some limitations — text only, no photos or video, and it’s expensive, so I won’t be communicating daily. I will be keeping a trip journal, I’ll start to publish that when I get back on the grid. That should be on March 5th, when I arrive in Santiago, Chile, for a visit with an American expat friend who makes her home there.

I’ll be home — say a traveling prayer for me! — on March 10th.

I can’t take you all with me. I hope you’ll believe me when I say that I genuinely wish I could. It would be a real wonder to see the 7th continent with all my traveling friends. I promise you I will take lots of pictures, but not so many that I don’t take time to see where I am. I will write every evening, but not for so long that I miss out on chatter with my shipmates. I will say yes to almost everything (I already said yes to that night of camping on land) that comes up. And I’ll think of you and how great it is that even though you’re not at breakfast with me, you’re not standing on deck in the wind when the first icebergs appear, I’ll think of how you actually are with me, in this weird magical internet-y way. Your excitement about my trip means a lot to me.

Earnest is scoffing a little from his grave in South Georgia, but I don’t mind. You don’t either, right?

I am starting my journey south.

Image via Freeze Frame: Ship Under Sail, Walter Livingstone-Learmonth,1888

In case it’s not perfectly clear, most, but not all of my travel expenses are covered by TravelWild. Also, if you’re interested, Shackleton’s book is FREE via all kinds of eReader sites.