Lisa Trapp, 2011 Antarctica student blogger, writes:

December 25, 2011 continued

Huddled beside the building to shield us from some wind, we all geared up for our Christmas Day wild activity. We pulled off our wet-skins, sweaters, pants and shoes all as fast as we could and revealed bathing suits of various styles.

The wind whipped at my bare skin and I gritted my teeth as several of my classmates and I linked arms and took a photo down by the water. The hot black sand at the water’s edge made my feet burn, and I stepped quickly from foot to foot to avoid any real damage. I took a few steps back and had barely time to think about whether or not I wanted to go through with it before a shipmate went streaking by me. I buried the tips of my toes into the warm sand and took off for the water. Nothing stood between the polar plunge and me.

At first the shock was so severe that if felt like nothing. I ran forward and dove head first into a small wave. As my head ducked under I could feel the warning bells going off and I thrust back up through the water and into the air. There was a lag as I stood there for a moment catching my breath and trying to find my voice. But the lag wasn’t long and, before I knew it, I was racing back toward shore.

I remember looking to the beach and wondering how it had become far away, but no sooner had I thought that then I was burning my feet running out of the water and wrapping a towel quickly around my body. A shiver passed through me but in some strange delayed reaction some hormone in my body kicked in and I didn’t feel quite so cold. I wandered down to the surf once more and took several more group photos. Meanwhile, a group of penguins watched us quizzically.

The wind finally chilled me though, and I found myself tugging on all my clothes and belongings before hauling into a waiting Zodiac. I turned my face into the wind and gazed at the Akademic Ioffe, our ship.

Before the day would finish, I would spend another several hours at a chinstrap penguin rookery, witness mother penguins caring for newborn chicks, spot a rare macaroni penguin and watch a seal sunbath on the beach only feet from me. I also tried to cling to some semblance of how it felt to be in the most pristine place on Earth with a group of people that in only ten days had become some of my closest friends. But at the time, all I could think about was the awaiting ship’s sauna, a hot shower and a hot cup of coffee in the lounge sitting with friends and being amazed that we had all taken on Antarctica.