And just like that, the first iceberg was spotted and we were in Antarctic waters!

It was much sunnier and warmer than I would have imagined! We enjoyed beautiful views on deck as we drew closer to land.

It was finally time! Just what I had been waiting for. We were in Antarctica and we were going to head to shore for the first time - a full day …

You imagine snow and ice in Antarctica, especially as the winter is starting to roll back in. Rain is not what I expected, but that is exactly what we got for the next day.

We arrived at Half Moon Island and while the seas were not ideal, Kevin deemed them safe enough for us to attempt our first kayak outing. None of us were super experienced, …

As we made our way to Petermann Island, the rain turned to snow and it felt more like we were in Antarctica. The landing site was completely covered in penguins and we all wandered around it taking in beautiful views and hilarious little birds

The snow was blowing strong enough that penguins had started to huddle against rocks for shelter, and …

You always hear about life on the ice and the amazing experiences everyone has with the penguins and the snow. But what about life on board the ship?

I'll admit, I didn't see much of it thanks to my medication - so I have very few pictures to prove what a great time it was, but the parts I did partake in were fabulous - and Ben assures me …

I have to be honest. Antarctica never really appealed to me as a beautiful place to visit. I wanted to go there to check off my 6th continent and to see millions of penguins. Snow? Ice? Mountains? Bleh! That had no draw for me.

Having been there, now all I can say is WOW! Magestic is the only word I can find even close enough to describe the …

This daily announcement brought pangs of jealousy to 95% of the passengers on our cruise, but for the lucky 5% who got to be a part of the special little clique than everyone else on board envied, it brought spikes of excitement and anticipation.

Kayaking in Antarctica is expensive - but it turns out it is worth every penny!

During our time in …

I think there is something wrong with me. When it comes to wild animals and "experiencing" nature, I wasn't really born with that little warning bell that goes off inside your head to tell you that you are entering into a dangerous situation.

I want to touch every wild animal I can. I have fed hippos, monkeys and giraffes, scrubbed …

We had been in Antarctica for 4 days now, but we still had not set foot on the actual continent. For fellow checklisters out there, this was an important aspect of the trip, and not one that weather always allows for.

However, we were in luck and had beautiful weather our last day. Finally, we were going to set foot on the continent of …

I had heard tales of taking the "polar plunge", but it usually involved a 2 second dip into arctic waters, or running in from a beach and then jumping in a hot spring. After our final landing on our final day in Antarctica, our guides decided to give us the opportunity to experience this crazy (and probably really stupid) activity. We …