Antarctica, the Falklands, and South Georgia

I bid goodbye to the large extended family that had gathered at my sister's house for Christmas. And not a moment too soon. A storm was moving up the East Coast, canceling flights along its path. One thing I knew going into this trip: if you're not on the boat when it leaves....it still leaves. I had a 10:00 pm red-eye from New York and for once in my life had paid extra for the direct flight. I dozed off knowing it was worth every penny, as we pulled off the runway with no stops scheduled until Buenos Aires (and not in already snowed-in DC, Atlanta, etc.).