Antarctic Circle Voyage - A picture book

Traveling home from Antarctica was, as it turns out, the easy part.

Re-integrating in real life involved a "hard landing" and I found myself feeling some sadness, a touch of guilt and just being super-aware of my choices and the impact I might have on others, the planet and my future. Not all completely rational of course, but definitely all worth taking time to think more deeply about.

I also took extra time to review pictures of animals, landscapes and people that we had met along the way as well as those who leapt in with both feet earlier in 2022. My initial impressions were that the pictures were not great and I was disappointed. It has taken a MONTH to realize that there are no pictures that measure up to the memories I made and the experiences my eyes helped capture. Weeks later I can look back at the pictures and they bring great joy... I'm proud of them. They evoke memories that include smells and sounds and the temperature. All the things that my camera couldn't possibly add to the images, but my brain retains. I feel better now.

And when all was said and done, this blog was brought up-to-date and I finished a photobook in record time. I had promised Mark I'd make one if he traveled to the bottom of the world with me!

Our journey map:

The book looks like this: 

240 pages of my best efforts to capture the bluest icebergs, most dramatic geography, quirkiest penguins and breathtaking whale encounters. A book that features few words and lets the pictures speak for themselves - evoking feelings of things that are not necessarily even seen in them. The few words are simply travel-related quotes that speak to me and of this journey in particular.

Note: The book is actually for sale on Blurb.com  It might be just right for those who go to Antarctica but have more memories than pictures - or maybe those for whom the in-person journey might never be possible but who would enjoy a more virtual experience and can also appreciate the natural world as seen through someone else's eyes. 

PURCHASE BOOK HERE

At the end of the day though, the person both least likely AND most likely to approve of what I've captured of the White Continent is me... and it turns out that's just fine too. 

Like I said. Life changing.