It’s November 3rd, 2014 and at the time of this writing I have exactly 30 days 18 hours and 58 minutes to go before my journey. The official countdown has begun.
There’s so much on my mind as the clock ticks down to departure day. There’s the basic stuff: Do I have everything I need? Is everything in order at home and work? Have I triple confirmed my itinerary? Is there anything left I need to know, do or prep?
Then there’s the other thoughts: What will this experience do to me? How will it shape how I see the world when I return?
I so often hear “Life Changing” when people talk to me about Antarctica. I’ve heard it a dozen times now. Maybe I’ll have a whole new perspective and outlook on what matters in this world. Maybe I’ll come out of it with an impassioned focus on climate change. Maybe I’ll come out of it ready to start something bigger with my photography practice -- photography for a cause, perhaps. Maybe nothing at all will change. Maybe everything will.
Travel sparks something profound in people. This adventure -- to the bottom of the world, to one of the most remote locations possible, on my own -- is bound to teach me a lesson or two. And with one month to go, it’s these future lessons that I'm thinking about the most.