I wasn’t really supposed to talk about it, but I wasn’t successful shutting up. I asked a lot of people about things like seasickness and the best boots for warm feet. I called my friend Sarah who worked at Palmer Station — I think her exact words were “OH MY GOD, THAT’S AWESOME!” I met the oh so appealing Andrew Evans, he’s the guy from National Geographic who took the bus to the little tail end of the planet where you board a ship to Antarctica, who spotted the ultra formal all black penguin, and I asked him a bunch of questions about the edge of the map. I talked to my doctor about drugs for boats ships and long trips and I spent a lot of time on the phone with the good folks from TravelWild, and basically, I did a lousy job of keeping it under my hat. It’s not news to all of you, but today I got the green light to tell you here, and every place else I make noise on the web, that I’m going to Antarctica.
Here’s the unglamorous back story. Some time back I hosted a tiny travelbloggers meet-up at C&P Coffee, a very fine coffee house about a mile from my house. I don’t remember how I found the people that showed up there, but it was the first time I’d met Peter and Kelly, who I subsequently traveled across the US with on what turned out to be an excellent road trip. I also met Mark, an SEO guy (he makes your website findable by the Google monster). There were about 8 of us, and now, it’s hard to believe I didn’t always know some of these folks.
Mark, the SEO guy, called me a few weeks after the meet-up and asked if I’d be willing to meet one of his clients, Rick, to talk about why they ought to add a blog to his site. Off we went, back to the C&P, where the three of us had a very companionable talk about the hows and whys of blogging. I went away from that meeting feeling happy, but with very little expectation for work. Nothing happened; I was not surprised or disappointed.
A whole year went by. (Please imagine a black and white movie with calendar pages flying off in the wind.) The day after the brakes were applied to another site I’d been working on for about two months, Rick appeared in my inbox asking if I’d remembered him and if I’d be willing to talk about doing some work for him on his blog.”Your timing could not be better,” I said. “I’ve just spent two months learning how NOT to do exactly what you want to do.”
I say yes to about 90% of the work I’m offered. Only about 50% of ends up being real, paying work. It’s not that the clients don’t want to hire me. It’s that the budget disappears or the nature of the project changes or something happens to make it fall apart. It’s no big deal, I don’t get attached until I’m a few weeks in. I met Rick for coffee and then, I went back to my desk. A week or so later, there were phone calls and some passwords created and then, about two weeks ago, I got a packet in the mail saying I had a reservation on the M/V Polar Star. I’d be bunking with a crew member and I wouldn’t be getting the branded windbreaker jacket, but for everything else, I’d be just like a paying traveler. Off I would go to stand surrounded by penguins. Rick’s company, TravelWild — they’ve been booking and operating polar travel for 25 years — hired me to write for them. And as part of that, they booked me on a trip and are sending me to the ice.
It’s insane. I don’t like boats — I get seasick and I’m a little claustrophobic. I’m not crazy about the cold, after all, the destination I’ve written about most is Hawaii. I like old stones and history, Borobudur and Angkor Wat are my kind of places. I’ve never considered Antarctica, not for a minute, as a place I wanted to go. But I’m preparing, researching, reading… and I’m crazy excited about the chance to see the last continent, partly because it’s such an unlikely thing to do and partly because really, you’d have to be dead to not be excited about penguins. There is no way I would miss this opportunity.
Here’s how this is supposed to work. I’ve got some stuff in the works for the TravelWild blog, I’ll start publishing there once a week in mid-November. I get paid for that work. Then, in February, I’m off to Ushuaia, and then, Antarctica. Because TravelWild is covering the bulk of my travel expenses — no small investment — I won’t be paid for my dispatch posts. I will post some unedited Nerd’s Eye View material about the trip here, but also, I’ll send you over to TravelWild to read more about my adventures — and what better word than adventure for this?
It’s a work in progress. I don’t know if I can post from the boat, for starters. We’re currently figuring out the details around the simple yet epic necessity of getting me to Ushuaia. TravelWild won’t pay my bar tab, but they are covering my travel insurance. I’m trying to source good gear to both review and to use for the trip — they’re not providing that, but it’s okay if I get it comped. My plane ticket is paid for, but if it costs extra for that diversion I want to make to Santiago to see Eileen, I will pay the difference. Everything is meant to be disclosed in full so there’s no confusion about my situation. Also, it’s worth keeping in mind that it’s not just about my trip, it’s about building a lasting resource for TravelWild’s customers. My work will continue after I’ve been and come home again. Finally, I wouldn’t be embarking (heh, I used a boat word) on this endeavor if I didn’t trust that that TravelWild would honor the way I like to tell stories.
I’m thrilled about this opportunity for a number of reasons. I’m excited to work with a well established travel company on helping them build their presence on the web. It makes me hopeful that there are ways for bloggers like me to spin our skills in to more than just another press trip invitation. (Don’t get me wrong, I love the press trips. But there is no money in them.) I’m excited about the excuse to learn about a part of the planet that I don’t give a lot of thought to — learning new things keeps those synapses firing. And I’m stunned, honestly, stunned to find that guess what? I’m going to Antarctica.
That is totally exciting!! And a great read about managing clients and not expecting too much…and then getting surprised by the possibilities! Cheers!
As someone else who hates to be cold and gets seasick at the drop of an anchor, WOOOOOOO-BLOODY-HOOOOOO!
That KINDA makes it sound like “better you than me!” But I know that’s not what you mean at all.
Super exciting! Great that your year-long patience and flexibility and ever-increasing expertise paid off. Have fun!
Wow! Wow! WOW!
This is somewhere that always fascinated me, so I’ll definitely be reading along with you.
Have a fabulous adventure!
I think you should hold out for the jacket. 🙂
Wow, what a great kick in the pants for me. I am definitely one of those that wants results NOW and have been lax in my blogging as a result. I’ll take this as a motivational kick i the pants and thank YOU for it. Stay warm!
Woohoo, Pam! So excited for you, on all counts.
Pam,
Wow! What a GREAT adventure. I look forward to reading about it.
I was so happy to see this article pop up in my RSS today, not just because you’re going to Antarctica (which is AWESOME!!) but that you’re doing so as part of a long-term partnership that goes beyond “here’s a free trip.” I hope that we’re turning the corner on blogger/writer and company partnerships…
I have massive Antarctica envy! I’ve wanted to go for years – have always been drawn to desolate places – so I can’t wait to hear about your adventures. And, please pet a penguin for me.
This is also a good lesson in the value of sowing seeds/staying open to opportunity. Love it. Thanks for sharing.
Congrats again Pam! What a dynamic partnership.
Holy WOW that’s awesome!
Fantastic news, Pam. I’m sure you have time to assemble the proper wardrobe, do some research and amass seasickness remedies. I recently wrote about an adventure to Antarctica, but I didn’t actually GO.
Very, very, way, way, way cool! Looking forward to hearing about your exploits.
How excited! I think you will provide a good perspective for their company. As a person who doesn’t like cold and seasickness, you will give the real insight on why this tour will be worth it. Can’t wait to follow you on your new gig at their blog.
I hate cold too, yet Antarctica has always been on my dream list. I’m looking forward to living it vicariously through you!
And how fantastic that your passion for telling travel stories matches up to what the company is looking for — proof that passion can pay off!
I’m a freelance writer; I’ve been to Antarctica twice; I am soooooooooo delighted for you! It is an incredible adventure!
You are an inspiration for all the travel bloggers out there who are working to scrape pennies together to pay the electricity bill. Have fun and stay warm!
@EVERYBODY: Thanks for all your cheerleading and support. It’s NOT a full time gig, and probably, I’ll end up spending a lot of what I earn to fill the shortfalls in my travel budget. But it’s an amazing opportunity, to say the least, with a business that values writing as a skill that’s worth paying for. I think that’s promising for all of us that love to write and are hunting for a way to make it pay.
I like cold, I like boats (except the urrpy part), I like penguins. Huzzah for you!
Wow! A trip to Antartica! Talk about exotic…. Congratulations!
That is on my list so I can say I have stepped foot on all 7 continents. Very very cool!
I’m so freaking excited for you! If you chicken out, PLEASE contact me and I will go in your place hahahaha. Antarctica is my #1 dream destination. Soooo excited about your future posts.
This is very exciting, good luck! I wish i could have a trip like this=)
Congratulations. Please be sure to link us to where ever it is we have to go to follow your journey. How wonderful. How exciting. How daunting. I’m sure it will be a journey of a lifetime.
hope you get to spend some time in Ushuaia and Patagonia on the front or back end also. I was really, really surprised how cute Ushuaia was and there are some great places to eat and drink there also (not that I remember any of the names of them). And Patagonia is just weird. Then again, you are going to the weirdest place on the planet. Have fun — am sure you will love it. Have meet a half dozen people that have done that trip and all loved it. Hope you have a good camera. The photos are amazing.
Wow! That’s so amazing! Can’t wait to read all about it. I think you’ll have an especially interesting take on things, simply because Antarctica was never a place you planned to go!
That small wet explosive sound? That’s my mind blowing.
Please bring photos to TBEX, and do the holiday-photos-slideshow thing. You really, truly are allowed.
Wow! You are going to have an awesome time! I’m jealous of all the wild penguins you will get to see up close! Fun trip, can’t wait to read along! 🙂
I plan on doing it sometime in my life! 🙂
WOW! What an opportunity! Any photos I have ever seen are amazing. I’ll be watching for yours. Have a great time.
I am so glad you are doing this. So many people write about how amazing this but I really want to know how much you have to suffer to get to the amazing part – not that I want you to suffer, but if you do I want to know about it.
Yey, I got excited just reading about it…enjoy, enjoy, enjoy – and I will drop in at TravelWild to see how you are doing, seasick- and otherwise 😉
Happy travels, Fida
It’s a ship, not a boat. It’s technical. Have a great time and watch out for the penguin poop!
Enjoy.
I was torn between laughter and well … sympathy. I’ve had some nice trips lately, just for pleasure, but I have lived in fear of being offered a trip to Antartica for years because … how do you say no but by crikey, it’s not a place I want to go.
It was on my radar because more than a few of my friends back home in New Zealand have been for varying amounts of time. I held my breath, knowing I couldn’t say no but understanding that my pleasure would come in small packets of ‘now’ moments and even more so, retrospectively.
I do look forward to hearing how you go though. Have fun!! xx
Definitely jealous!!