I always stress out about packing, no matter where I go. I insist on being well-prepared and overthinking the contents of my suitcase for days before I travel, but it’s usually worth it. Living in Montana, I already had most of the essentials for an adventure in Antarctica, but I was still anxious about being cold, so I purchased a couple …

Craving a pick-me-up, Karen and I walked to a local coffee shop to kickstart our first full day in Ushuaia after two long days of travel. We discovered that an Argentinian hazelnut latte is a delicious concoction with globs of nutella at the bottom. YUM. Fully caffeinated, we were picked up from our hotel by the guide, and we stopped a couple more …

Since we weren’t boarding the ship until early afternoon, we had to decide on something to do for our last half-day in Ushuaia. One of our wonderful Adventure Life colleagues, Franny, had traveled to Argentina the year before and recommended a hike up to Martial Glacier, a hanging glacier just a short cab ride from downtown Ushuaia. …

Whenever anyone asked me what I was most excited to see in Antarctica, I always responded that I wanted to see orcas. Growing up in Montana, I’d traveled to both U.S. coasts, but I’d never done much whale watching. I was super anxious to see “the wolves of the ocean.” I’d been told that it’s common but never …

I will always remember Portal Point as the place I first stepped foot on the continent of Antarctica. For many on the ship, it was their seventh continent, but I still have a few remaining. We’d suited up that morning in anticipation of our first kayaking excursion, but the water was rough and visibility declining, so the guides deemed it …

Day 5 brought a pleasant surprise: We would be going ashore to Vernadsky Research Base, a Ukrainian station on the peninsula, where we could send postcards from Antarctica! Not only that, but we would also get our passports stamped. I hadn’t realized either of these things would be possible, as they are never guaranteed as part of the …

Our second excursion took us to Paradise Bay, a stunning harbor surrounded by mountains and glaciers. If you're quiet and embrace the peacefulness, you can hear the rumbles of icebergs calving all around the bay. It's spooky and surreal all at the same time.

While we didn't see a ton of wildlife in the water, we saw plenty of penguins …

I recently listened to a podcast about the moments of “total, world-shaking bliss” in our lives. While they are usually quite fleeting, we endlessly strive to grasp those ephemeral moments of pure happiness. When I saw that someone had captured this image of me just feet away from a leopard seal in the heart of the Antarctic Peninsula, …

You learn quickly in Antarctica that there’s always a plan B, not to mention plan C, plan D, plan E… You get my point. Prior to departing, I was craving some more specifics from our itinerary. I wanted to know where we would actually be stopping and on which days. However, I now understand why that is not feasible. The captain and the …