07/10/2026
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My Antarctic Journey: Where Ice Calves and Penguins Chatter
Any trip that involves penguins in the wild — and I mean *many* penguins — has to be good! 🐧
I'll be honest with you. For years, I used every excuse to avoid Antarctica. The Drake Passage haunted me. That notoriously rough stretch of water between Argentina and the White Continent felt like a wall I wasn't sure I could cross. Then my husband was invited to speak aboard a Ponant expedition, and suddenly I had no more excuses.
I'm so glad I ran out of them.
Here's the moment that captured everything I love about this place. Somewhere in Antarctic waters, a small vessel had strategically tied off its boat to completely block our ship's path. The captain was wintering over and had decided he needed supplies. A negotiation took place. The result? He moved his lines in exchange for a delivery of baguettes and pastries. 🥖
Only in Antarctica.
That's the thing nobody tells you before you go. You expect silence, ice, and cold. What you actually get is a world that is completely, wonderfully alive. Whales breaching. Seals barking from the shoreline. Ice calving with a crack and boom that echoes across the water. And penguins — chattering constantly, like they have a great deal to say and not enough time to say it.
Within a few landings, something shifts inside you. You start wondering if you are stepping where Shackleton himself once walked. That feeling doesn't leave you.
I also won't pretend it's a trip you can wing. Proper layering matters more than almost anything else — merino wool against your skin, waterproof pants for wet Zodiac landings, the right prep before you ever leave home. We were scheduled for twelve landings and made all twelve. That kind of experience doesn't happen by accident. It happens because of exceptional leadership, the right ship, and knowing what to expect before you board.
Going to Antarctica as a traveler first — not just as a travel advisor — changed everything about how I plan these voyages for my clients now. I know the sounds, the cold, the unexpected effect of a world that is almost entirely black and white. I know what surprises you and what you'll wish you had packed.
If Antarctica has been quietly calling your name, I'd love to help you figure out whether it's the right fit for you — and how to do it right. I can help plan a trip that is absolutely unforgettable. Reach out and let's talk. 🌍❄️
