It's going to be a white Christmas...

Antarctica will mark my 7^th and final continent, a goal I have to complete by my 30^th birthday. Funnily enough this endeavor wasn’t as well researched on my part as my previous expeditions to Africa, South America & Everest (or at all really). I know a few brave souls who have ventured to the Arctic, and we’ve discussed it in passing, but I failed to start properly researching this expedition until last month. I had it in my head that I’d head to the South Pole this spring – figuring once the site was launched I could get my act in order and take a 10-day hiatus…

Hmmm. Well for one – I learned the continent freezes in March every year – not thawing until the following December. This posed my first problem for my finite August deadline. So likely not surprisingly to most of you, I started looking into the trips that were still available this season in an effort to meet my cut-off. My travel agent even asked if I could leave for 3 weeks in 4 days from our first conversation? Aggressive. Given the site's delay, and my insane thirst for continent chasing, I probably could have swung it... but the trips left were not my ideal. I want an active trip, on a comfortable ship, with other travelers close to my age - far from what was left. I was now seeing why most people plan this trip of a lifetime about a year in advance. It’s a sizable

investment to undertake without getting the trip you really want (I’m set on sea kayaking with penguins - circa March of the Penguins 2.0 - and I’m really not willing to compromise on this...). I also thought I could do a 7-day trip, adding a day or two for travel on each end. But considering you’re going to the tip of the world – they don’t run trips less than 10 days in length. You also need to give yourself 2-3 days on each end to properly accommodate the required travel (after missing my flight from LA to Singapore & starting Everest two days late, I can appreciate why this is the case) - I'm not sure a ship with 100 passengers would be waiting...

So in the end I’ve booked my perfect trip (this is my actual ship below) & I've allowed myself a few months grace on my August deadline. I’ll be leaving LA December 15^th, flying to Ushuaia

(the Southern most city in the world) via Buenos Aries – leaving December 18^th on a 12-day expedition – and returning home to LA via Santiago (happily ringing in 2011). My trip is called the “Antarctica Cruise – The Peninsula (Active Adventure) 2010” – it’s on a Russian Ship called the “Marina Svetaeva” and aside from sea kayaking with penguins; it offers glacier camping, healthy meals, a gym, and hot stone massage. There are day hikes and zodiac rides. It’s described as “a casual & active environment”. Perfection.

If I don’t include countries where I haven’t actually left the airport (Japan & South Korea), I’m at 25 for my related goal of 30 countries also before 30. I’ll count Argentina and Chile as 26 & 27 – leaving 3 more to hit in the next few months. Cabo anyone?

Seven!

k