Certain people I know continually suggest that I “need” to write a book. They may or may not be right about this. See, I have worked on books in some capacity or other. I wrote a guidebook, something I’d rather not do again (though I wouldn’t mind writing front matter, it’s the details I couldn’t stand). I fact checked a second guidebook, oh, the horrors and embarrassment of discovering that my predecessor did not do a good job.… continued…
I shot this with a Pansonic Lumix. I was on my knees on the floor of the Zodiac, hanging my arms over the edge of the boat.
Video misbehaving? Here’s a link.… continued…
a·maze·ment
/əˈmeɪzmənt/ [uh-meyz-muhnt]
–noun
1. overwhelming surprise or astonishment.
2. Obsolete.
a. stupefaction; frenzy.
b. perplexity.
c. consternation.
“You’re going to need to new adjectives.” This is (again) Dennis Mense, a veteran Antarctic expedition leader to me, prior to my trip south. He was right, and I hear him again, in my head, often, as people ask me that terrifying and expected question: “So, how was your trip?” “It was amazing,” I say, feeling like an idiot.… continued…
Heads up, internet-y rant ahead. Rather read about travel? Here’s an ode to Hawaii from my archives.
Let us assume, for a moment, that you are a professional writer, the kind that writes for a living. You make your living as a writer. You don’t have a project to promote. You don’t have a patron spouse. You didn’t make a killing in the dot com years on stock options or start ups. You’re just a working hack, a person who builds their living out of sentences.… continued…
“Oh my god, you’re going to FREEZE!” I heard this over and over and over in the lead up to my trip to Antarctica.
Less hyperbolic pals had more practical advice. “More poof,” said Peter, referring to my lack of a fluffy down jacket.
“You have room, take the ridiculous hat. And that’s not that much stuff,” said the husband, eying my travel inventory. “You wait, compared to other passengers, you’ll have next to nothing.”(This was confirmed when, on disembarkation, a crew member said the following of my cabin-mate’s suitcase: “GOOD LORD, is there a small child in there?”
I was cold once during the 11 day excursion to the Antarctic peninsula, and it was my own fault.… continued…
