2022: Year of Pleasure~Antarctica 1 ‘Snow Angels’

“She stood in the storm, 

and when the wind did not blow her way, 

she adjusted her sails.”

- Elizabeth Edwards

On top of the hill, flurries fall bigger than I have ever seen. A crystal lands on my hand, an icy star as the ones I cut out in grammar school, with notebook paper to pass the boredom. My body is sinking into the snow but my arms barely scrape the surface, the depth and weight of clumping layers. Reminding me of a time back in New York. 

As a child winter's first snow was soft. I recall cold starry evenings when the flurries lit up the school yard fresh and crisp. My brothers and I rushed to put on coats, gloves, hats, scarves and boots then for extra measure wrapped ourselves with plastic. We pushed scraping the door against a pile of snow and stepped out, three astronauts, crunch, crunch, crunch. The school yard disappeared under the glistening foam we were embarking onto the moon leaving a trail of deep holes behind. At the center of whiteness we plopped backwards feeling the coolness on our backs. Our arms and legs swung as fast as we could, sucked up cool vapor and blew fog out of our mouths. Once we were buried in our snow angel we laid still looking up at the twinkling space imagining a world bigger than Woodside.

At the peak of Deception island, Antarctica, whiteness glistens. I continue to press my arms down with force into hardening layers of snow, swinging side to side muscling through. I don't want to give up creating my snow angel. Breathing deep for energy, I coordinate my arms and legs to swing with vigor. As I am running out of breath, my husband stands over me and laughs. The sort of laugh that makes me feel silly and childish but I am determined to reclaim the childhood I barely had. 

Growing up I was a big sis and mother to my two brothers serving them plates of silver dollar pancakes for breakfast and spaghetti with chopped onions and tomatoes after school, cleaning the house and eventually taking the youngest one on my dates. 

Why is he coming with us? 

Because he’s my brother. 

I vowed to play this year, with ‘2022: The Year of Pleasure’ written across my journal. Only a few pages left but it was not over for me. At 57 years old it was vital to my well being. Self-care, my therapist called it. I didn’t know the term and we spent sessions eventually creating a list of coping skills. I practiced by paying attention to my breathing, eating foods that comforted me, and watching movies that made me laugh. 

Still forming my snow angel, thrusting my arms and legs as wide as I can. The snow nips my cheeks, the only part exposed since I am covered in winter gear, reminding me where I am as the sun's rays pierces through my goggles. Panting as dust flurries cover my body, I am exhausted yet satisfied. As I squint from the flashing bright rays, a magnificent ribbon of clouds stretches across the expanse of blue skies. All of nature is magnified in Antarctica, hundreds of white ice caps, and mountainous glaciers. I shake my head at the stunning view. Take a deep breath in awe and wonderment, as the child who stepped onto the fresh snow in Queens, New York. ‘My arms push back to keep the snow angel in shape, not to ruin my efforts. I stand up.  Clap my hands releasing crystals back to its landscape. I look at my masterpiece, my snow angel of Antarctica. 

Antarctica was a last minute trip, a trip that I was planning to take later in life since the cruise was costly, and logistically difficult to get to from North America. Yet my initial plans on traveling to West Africa were becoming a challenge. The region lacks the infrastructure making travel from Ghana across Benin, Togo, Liberia…etc to Senegal a hairy feat. Worse when I log onto the Facebook Africa group, the locals inform me that certain countries require visas. Each country has its own process. Meaning that I needed months to a year of planning before travel. 

Disappointed, I decided to delay West Africa for the following year but was not willing to let these final months of ‘2022: The Year of Pleasure’ pass without going somewhere. The photo of myself at 10 years old appears on my phone reminding me to take care of her needs. So far this year we have had a grand time with trips to Hawaii, the Grand Canyon, and the Galapagos. When I type ‘best places to travel in November’. Antarctica pops up on the screen. My heart flutters, Why not? I pondered and searched the internet further about all things Antarctica but the inhabitants, especially the penguins, excite me most. I don’t know what it is about these furry creatures and their waddling, that makes me want to see them up close. During this season, wildlife is most active. The days are at their longest while the temperatures are regularly above zero. 

Research

Years ago you had to fly to Ushuaia, a resort town in Argentina located on the Tierra del Fuego archipelago, the southernmost tip of South America, nicknamed the “End of the World. One would have to arrive a few days ahead and knock at the travel agent’s door with your fingers crossed for a last minute deal. Luckily today, I have the internet. The packages vary from 9 days to 21 days with prices ranging from about $5000 to $32,000! Ships with less than 500 guests can make landings in Antarctica but sometimes have restrictions at certain landing sites. Meanwhile the largest cruise ship, Wonder of the Seas, holds up to 6,988 passengers and can’t make landings onto the shores only to see its inhabitants from afar.

Stepping foot on Antarctica would be amazing! Therefore, I am looking for the cheapest trip on a small expedition boat. Sharing a quad cabin on a bare bones ship would suit me fine. On Facebook Antarctica Group, I came across a recent thread. A woman posted that she saw more wildlife on the Falklands and South Georgia Island? I never heard of these places as a destination to visit penguins. Falkland Islands are internally self-governing overseas territory of the United Kingdom in the South Atlantic Ocean. It lies about 300 miles (480 km) northeast of the southern tip of South America and a similar distance east of the Strait of Magellan. After viewing her pics my eyes popped out. A sea of penguins, and seals. I need to meet them all! Seven penguin species reside in the Antarctic region. The Adélies, Kings, Chinstraps, Emperors, Gentoos, Macaroni, and Rockhoppers. I study their little bodies and characteristics so that I can identify each one when I meet them! 

Antarctica it is! After contacting a few agencies, one responds immediately on the chat. ‘Hello my name is Mia’. The site is wonky and the communication is lagging and we switch to chatting through Whatsapp. She finds me a last minute deal with a balcony for half off! The price for a 19 day cruise is amazing but not what I was expecting to pay. When I inquire about sharing a quad, she convinces me to take this cabin plus an ocean view. As I ponder a bit and step out of my frugality, I think, it's ‘The Year of Pleasure! And a trip of a lifetime. At this point I have fun money squirreled away. Even though I live in the state of canned tuna as I did in college, I decided it’s time to live in my current means and say yes to the solo cabin.

When reality sets in I realize the bigger challenge! Embarking through the infamous Drake’s Passage. There is no sailing or cruising through these waters. Here the ship cuts through the rough sea. Mr. Drakes is the most treacherous waterway in the world for ships to make. It extends from Cape Horn at South America's southernmost tip to Antarctica's South Shetland Islands, and serves as the shortest route possible to this icy continent. Currents at its latitude meet no resistance from any landmass. Hence its reputation as "the most powerful convergence of seas" coupled with the area's propensity for waves reaching to 40ft. 

I get queasy on a swing or a waterbed which I drained replacing it with a mattress. So no surprise walking, and the metro is my preferred mode of transport. As a child we used to go fishing with my father. He grew up by the shores of Korea, near my grandfather’s fishing village. In New York on our fishing trips he caught all the fish while he left us on land lest we became a sight of four heaving pukers with my mother. Though odd, we all swim like seals and I love water!

Packing

Antarctica may be the most challenging for my gut. Even so, I am hopeful. Back in June, at the Galapagos our speed boat crashed along the rough waves for 2 and ½ hours. There were 20 of us transferring from Santa Cruz to the biggest island, Isabella. I was tracking blue footed boobies. Just like the name describes these adorable 3 feet birds wear powder blue webbed feet and have fuzzy little heads. Everyone else was throwing up in bags and over the boat, wiping their vomit on their sleeves. My son, Jaihan was heaving in the back of the boat, his body limp, telling me that he might not make it. Not make it! Can we stop this boat? The only time I wished that I was sick in place of him. At least I never died from seasickness. But I didn't feel a thing except for the bumpy ride beating my butt, while the boat jetted up a couple of feet from unrelenting waves. I am cured? I thought.

Even so, as soon as I booked the cabin I planned my anti-vomiting defense . I text Mini, my doctor friend. Everyone should have at least one doctor friend besides Webmd. 

‘I need to control my vomiting because I am going to Antartcita, 

Antarctica! When? 

In a few weeks! And she quickly goes into doc mode.

Ok you will need Meclizine and the patch. Make sure that you take all this before you feel queasy otherwise it won't work.

Her prescription stresses me out. And I start to get queasy listening to her. What if I take them in the wrong order? I would be screwed and now I am not sure what I was doing trying to fight something I have had all my life. After I hung up I tried to stay focused and reach my doctor online for the pills and headed to CVS for the patch. 

In the evening I was watching youtube. A father and son demonstrate the use of a band. Apparently these bands prevent dizziness from motion sickness by sending small shocks through your wrist. ‘And it works!’they declare. I am not sold and skeptical but I need all the ammunition that I can get and ordered one on Ebay. Armed with my pills, patch and wrist band, I am ready to tackle Mr. Drake. 

As for winter gear? Living in GA I have none. And text a neighbor who skies.

Hey, do you have goggles? ski jacket? that I can borrow?

Sure. Where are you going? 

Even though she knows that I love to travel, she is always shocked when I tell her where I am going. 

Hey, heading to Southeast Asia, can you look after Samurai (my betta fish)?

What?!

Hey, heading to the Galapagos, can you water my plants and feed Samurai?

No way! That’s amazing!

But Antarctica, this is going to blow her mind, it is blowing my mind. I know it is not normal to travel so often to so many countries. No one I know travels this much and I feel a bit guilty. The last time Ann traveled to Europe was on a high school trip.  

Antarctica. 

What?!

I know it's crazy, it’s last minute. (Like that made better sense.) 

Immediately the doorbell rings and her daughter has a pair of goggles and a jacket. Then I ordered a cap and ski pants online.