Maya Johnson, AUIP’s Antarctica student blogger, shares her experience of being outside her comfort zone. She writes:
Going to Antarctica is an opportunity that can’t be missed and a trip that will never be forgotten. This trip was an experience of a lifetime that many of us have said we would relive again if we ever get the chance. For many students this was their first trip abroad, and for others this was their 6th or 7th continent to visit. Whether well seasoned travelers or newbies, I think each person took something away from this trip that helped them grow as a traveler and a person. In a multitude of ways, this trip pushed us out of our comfort zones.
Although going so far from home is already quite a step out of our comfort zone, it just wasn’t enough for our adventurous group. Every day I saw students taking opportunities to push themselves, even if it was just a hike up a mountain or trying new food at dinner – it was the opportune time to try new things.
When it came time to camp on Antarctica, it was my turn. Plans weren’t quite secure yet because there was unfavourable weather in the forecast and even a possible snow storm for that night. This definitely didn’t help my wavering nerves about the whole experience. The anticipation escalated as we all lined up outside on the ship waiting to move down the gangway and onto the zodiac boats to ride onto shore. In attempts not to be the ONLY student not camping, I recruited a support system who thankfully forced me to go along.
As we approached the land on our zodiac boats, the idea of being there all night with no way back kept pushing itself into my thoughts. As we jumped off the boats and up to land we disposed of our life jackets and grabbed our gear for the night. We were supplied with a sleeping bag, a small mattress pad, and a lining. We trudged over to the area where we would “dig our graves” for the night. I dug a shallow grave in between two of my friends which ended up being one large king grave with me and my friend on the right. I had ALL of my layers on because I didn’t believe it when people said that you actually got warm once you were in your sleeping bag. I ended up taking off most of the layers I had worn on the way there down to just a base layer and I was completely comfortable the whole night. Although I was a lot less optimistic about our night on land, I woke up well rested and warm, ready for a day of excursions. Thankfully, I slept uninterrupted for a good five or six hours, and had no snow coming in through my sleeping bag, which some others unfortunately had to deal with. Bright and early the next morning we woke up to a light snow fall and penguins begging us to leave their area. Although it probably wouldn’t be my choice of activity, I can finally say that I slept on Antarctica and one quote we’ve all found to be one hundred percent true is that “camping in Antarctica is the worst way to have the best time”.
The Polar Plunge is a whole other story, but yet another chance that students had to try something they were afraid of, or at least weren’t completely comfortable doing. Standing in the cold, undressing to a bathing suit and running into the water was will power that I never knew I had. The hardest part of it all was standing there in the 1-degree Celsius water and convincing yourself to dunk your head “because otherwise it wouldn’t count.”
Although a lot of these activities may sound intimidating, traveling to Antarctica and having the opportunity to camp and polar plunge and do all of the amazing things that we did, was an experience I will never forget and would recommend to anyone looking for an adventure of a lifetime. We’re all ready for our next trip to Antarctica.
