My journey in Antarctica
Antarctica is one of the most remote and uninhabitable places on Earth. The journey to get there is long and unpredictable, particularly as one must cross the dreaded Drake Passage to reach the continent. But even if one makes it through, there’s no guarantee of what will happen once you get there. Actually, there is one guarantee that our expedition leader, Neil, gave us at the start of our trip . . . “It will not go according to plan.” All of this feels like a microcosm of my journey and a perfect setting to appreciate where I am on it today — especially as this destination did not seem possible for my body, mind, or fitness just ten years ago.
Let me explain. Sure, I could have boarded a cruise ship for the Great White Continent and taken in the amazing views and wildlife that you get aboard the vessel. No doubt I could have enjoyed the lifestyle of all you can eat buffets, fancy dinners, and room service. I could have been a spectator of the expedition. But before my journey, I could not have lived the experience. The trip I just took was a reward for where my journey is today.
I won’t take you through the trip day by day, as that is already on Legally Fit’s Instagram. There you can see the reels of each day and go to the highlights of Antartica that are saved on my profile. But this blog is not simply a vacation diary. As you know, it’s the story of my journey. And the story of my journey, and of Antarctica, is one of hope, accomplishment, and gratitude.
Hope
In some way, I believe that every journey must begin with hope. After all, the destination is what we hope for. At the beginning of my journey, hope was scarce, but I had just enough of it to try to get myself in shape for an ambitious golf trip in 2014. One might think that the reward was making it through that golf trip, but as I look back now, the real reward was that once I completed the trip, I began to hope for just a little more. I say “a little more” because, at the time, my insecurities and shame limited my outlook. “A little more” meant getting through the next golf trip in 2016 — to St. Andrews in Scotland — with a bit more energy and less pain. In 2018, it meant being able to make the most out of my vacation to Italy by going on long walks of up to 13 miles in Tuscany and jumping and dancing throughout a 3-hour Pearl Jam concert in Rome. But it was not until Alaska in 2023 that I truly learned to expand my meaning of hope. That was when I turned a corner and began to realize that hope meant aspiring to do what once felt impossible for me — including a 26-mile bike ride and my first time ever rock climbing. After that trip highlighted my transformation, I began hoping a lot more. For the first time, I understood the meaning behind “hope springs eternal.” Having accomplished what once seemed impossible, I no longer set limits on what I believe I can do.
Accomplishment
My life since realizing I turned that corner in 2023 has been one of reaping its rewards. From running long races to jumping out of an airplane or fearlessly climbing the face of a steep rock, it feels like everything I do now is part journey and part destination at the same time. And that very much describes Antarctica.
For starters, there was my 11-hour flight to Chile. I had to forego my upgraded seat when my travel plans changed due to weather, so instead of a comfortably reclining bed on Delta, I sat in a compact economy seat on LATAM Airlines for the long overnight flight. Perhaps my lowest moment ever before my journey began was when I boarded a flight in economy many years ago and the seatbelt didn’t fit. I was embarrassed to ask for a seatbelt extender, but I had no choice. That was a big pile of shame added to my psyche that took many years to unwind. But now, the reward is that I flew — and slept — on a long flight with my legs crossed in a meditation position . . . after first tightening my seatbelt. Ok, I may have exaggerated the sleep part. I got about 2 hours, but that brings me to the next accomplishment. After arriving in Santiago at 6:30 AM, I was full of energy and ready to spend the entire day enjoying the Chilean capital. The next morning, at 6:40 AM, we were off to Antartica. Just two more flights and eight hours of travel left to get to Puerto Williams on the southern tip of Chile where we embarked on the Silver Cloud — easy peasy!
We traveled to Antarctica on the Silver Cloud, an expedition ship on the Silversea cruise line.
Once we set out to sea, that’s when things really began to not go as planned — but all for the better! Instead of the “Drake Shake” that we were all dreading, we got to experience the “Drake Lake.” We landed on some of the calmest days in the Drake Passage. So much so that we arrived at the South Shetland Islands a day early, and we got a bonus day in Antarctica on Half Moon Island. Now it was truly time to take advantage of this life I’ve earned. But again, things did not go exactly as planned.
Kayaking
My first excursion was set to be kayaking, which is determined by a lottery to land one of the 16 spots. As a side note, to kayak you must meet two criteria. First, you must be physically fit enough to support your body weight to get in and out of the kayak. Clearly, I can do this now but could not have before. Of course, even if I could have, I am certain I would have been told that my body was too big for the kayak and there were no dry suits in my size. Second, you must have kayaked before — even just once. So, here I lied. I had never kayaked, but I knew that my new confidence is not unwarranted. When they explained that the reason for this requirement is that you must know how to paddle, I decided that having seen it on TV was sufficient. There’s no way that some of the others at the kayak briefing who had done it before were more fit or capable of doing this than I was. So, I perjured myself on the waiver, and it was time to go — or so I thought. As I put on my kayaking clothes, the announcement came that it was cancelled because the wind was too strong. No worries at all, I went on the land excursion and met my first penguins!
Just a few of the thousands of penguins we saw.
The good news is that I was guaranteed to get the next kayaking session that took place, and it happened the following afternoon in Charlotte Bay on the Antarctic Peninsula. In case you were wondering, my suspicions were right, and I was as good or better at keeping our kayak moving than just about anyone else there. The views were astonishing as was the whale sighting just a few feet away that I caught on my GoPro. I could now add kayaking to the list of adventures that keeps growing with this journey.
It was so great, and our guide, Seda, is amazing. I don’t know her life, but from the outside, all I kept thinking was, “how does it get any better than spending your days in the most remarkable natural surroundings?” Of course, later in the trip, I just had to sign up for kayaking again. I did so on the next to last day, and of course, it was cancelled again! But that was even better, as I got to go on the final day of our trip where we kayaked in an active volcano at Whalers Bay. Everyone in our group had already done it once before on the trip, so Seda knew that she could lead us into rougher waters, and this was one of the most adventurous and breathtaking parts of the trip! I already miss Seda (and our entire expedition team).
My kayak partners, Seda, and me.
Hiking
Another activity that was not for my former self was hiking — or at least the advanced hikes that were offered. The trip had options from easy (flat), to medium (hilly or slippery), to advanced (often steep and slippery). You know which one I chose! I not only climbed the steepest walks in icy snow, but I bolted up the terrain to get in the best workout (which was usually in addition to my gym workout on the ship each day). The advanced hikes came with the best views in the most peaceful places.
Hiking in Antarctica on our land excursions.
Zodiac cruises
Finally, many of our days included zodiac tours around various parts of the Antarctic Peninsula where we got some of the best views of land, icebergs, and wildlife.
Some of the amazing views and wildlife from our zodiac cruises.
This is the one part of our excursions I could have physically handled even before my journey began, but mentally, I probably would have been afraid to lose balance and fall back off the boat. Not anymore. I came well equipped with GoPro attachments, including one that I could hold underwater. The new me was happy to lean back off the edge of the zodiac and stick my hand with the GoPro into the freezing water of Pleneau Bay. Thankfully, as I got this amazing footage of a leopard seal, our guide let me know after a few seconds that I should probably take my hand out of the water. Look at this thing opening its mouth to come get me below the surface!
The Polar Plunge
And then there was the event that sparked my interest in this trip from the beginning. You see, this trip started when, Pam, my mentor and friend, who is all too familiar with my ice bath routines, sent me an article a year and a half ago about a polar plunge in Antarctica. The article described a cruise and the jump into the icy waters that is part of the trip. It was around the time I had just returned from Alaska where I had my first taste of the beauty of glaciers, icebergs, and wildlife, and I immediately asked, “Did you send this to me because of the Antarctica trip or the polar plunge — because both are now on my bucket list?!?!” Her response, “Let’s do it!” (She meant the Antarctica trip, not the plunge.)
Each evening on the ship, we received a briefing about the schedule for the next day. The plan was carefully hatched by our expedition team a day before each landing based on evaluating the conditions and determining what can be done safely. It didn’t take long to find out that we were plunging, as we received that news during our briefing for Day 2 that we needed to sign the waiver to participate the next day. Of course, I signed it — without reading a single word other than where it said to add my name and signature.
But true to form with the guarantee we received from Neil at the ship’s first briefing, it did not go according to plan. A change in conditions scrapped the plan to plunge into Charlotte Bay on Day 2, and we would wait three more days before receiving the news that it was time to do it! By Day 5, 118 passengers out of 200 on the ship signed up to plunge into Dallmann Bay, and the event was like a pool party with loud music and shots of Jägermeister for those who needed some liquid courage.
If you are a fan of this blog, you know my love of ice baths — and particularly, contrast therapy. So, of course, I first went into the sauna before heading outside on the ship’s deck in 30-degree weather. I was nice and sweaty and ready to plunge! The water was 32 degrees, so even though I am used to plunging, this would be the coldest water I’ve ever entered in a swimsuit. I still don’t quite understand how water is not ice at 32 degrees, but when you are eager to jump off a perfectly comfortable cruise ship into the freezing Antarctic waters, it’s not exactly time to try to understand things. But it’s a perfect time to take stock of the moment. A moment I would never have done before the journey began, but for an entirely different reason than those mentioned above. Before jumping we stood on the ledge before an entire ship of spectators watching from their balconies and the observation decks. Ten years ago, at over 300 pounds, I would never have taken my shirt off for all the passengers and crew to see. But now, I am grateful to share it with the world . . .
My impression of the jump was that it was thrilling, but it went by way too fast. We are strapped to a belt that is attached to a rope held by a member of the expedition team. Once I entered the water, I was immediately pulled back to the ship to get out. But even as quickly as it happened, there are two things that stand out. First, the most incredible part of it was that moment where I jumped. It briefly reminded me of that feeling I got when I jumped out of a plane last summer. That first second in mid-air is literally the point of no return. There’s a part between leaving the ground and entering the water where it feels like time stands still. I did it but didn’t yet do it. The journey and the destination became one. It’s a snapshot that I hope remains in my mind forever. It is the ultimate feeling of freedom and getting the most out of life.
The second part that stands out was the person I jumped with — Patsy. Did you see her in the video above? Patsy was among the older passengers on the ship in age but not in spirit. Throughout the cruise I saw her doing all the things I was doing — kayaking, advanced hikes, and plunging — and she shared with me the life she currently lives. She has been skiing 92 times in the past year, has summited Mt. Kilimanjaro, and this past year climbed Mt. Fuji. Plunging with Patsy was a profound moment that made me appreciate what I can look forward to on this journey. A journey that I hope continues until my last breath on this planet.
Gratitude
As I now look back on this expedition, the one emotion that overwhelms me is gratitude. I am grateful for a life that gave me the opportunity to do things I never imagined were possible. Seeing a majestic continent where no humans live and doing every activity that was offered without any limitations. Seeing the beauty of nature in its most captivating moments.
I am also grateful to be alive and back home safe. Another point that Neil emphasized in our ship’s first briefing was safety – in fact, it was priority numbers one through six on the expedition team’s list – just ahead of making sure we all had the best experience possible. It sounds amusing, but there are moments out on the Peninsula where it is all too real. On Day 2, as we headed out on our zodiac to a landing at Portal Point, there were light flurries and calm waters. As each snow flurry touched the freezing water, a little ice formed. Our zodiac driver explained that because the water is below zero Celsius, any condensation that falls turns to ice. It was mild but a cool site to see. Yet, as we hiked on the hills of Portal Point, the snow picked up and we were called back to the zodiacs early. I was at the peak of the advanced climb when we were summoned, so I was essentially on the last of the zodiacs to return. By the time I boarded mine, the waters were covered in chunks of ice that trapped the zodiacs. It was a moment that felt on the edge between extreme fun and real danger. A moment that put my surroundings into the proper perspective of just how precarious it can get out there at any moment – especially when our zodiac driver said that he had never encountered so much ice (not something you want to hear when you are hoping for a little more experience in getting out of the jam, but he did great). After some maneuvering by the zodiacs to clear a path amidst the ice, we made it back safely to the comforts of our ship. By all accounts, that was a day that did not go according to plan. It was also the day where I felt most alive.
Left: heading out to our landing at Portal Point with some light flurries and little ice formed in the water.
Right: heading back from Portal Point in water covered with ice.
What I am most grateful for is that I now enjoy life to the fullest as I reflect on those years where that wasn’t always so. I hope this is a reason for others to hope — no matter where they are in life and what they are going through.
As the adventure ended, there’s one last moment that the universe left me with upon waking up on the last day at sea. When I stepped outside at 6 AM on my way to get my morning espresso before working out, a rainbow appeared over the first piece of land we reached in South America. A perfect ending to this perfect journey within my perfect journey. No journey ever goes as planned, but they sure can be all that one could ever hope for and more.
Aaron