At sea. We crossed the Antarctic Convergence overnight and are now in the Southern Ocean. The temperature outside has dropped below freezing. See some whale spouts in the distance.
Every single night. Sometimes during bits of time the next day. Our boat would chug along in the Antarctic waters and I would write in my journal.
After breakfast, rest up and get into our gear. Zodiac to Brown Station on the Antarctic Peninsula. Officially step on our seventh continent for the first time.
This was the trip I want to remember most. But it was the most challenging journal I’ve ever kept. Snow. Ice. Penguins. Icebergs. Run up to the bridge. Head out to the bow. Watch the sun not actually set. Share a meal. Gear up. Launch the zodiacs. Down the gangway. Repeat.
We walk up the beach and follow John to the top of the mountain. We have to help forge the path because there isn’t one. Hike has amazing views of iceberg central. We sit up there and watch the penguins down below.
It was all wonderful but such a blur that if I did not capture what we did by the next day, it would run together. How many times did we go outside on the top deck to watch the birds? Checking the map on the wall to get the name of the landing site spelled correctly. Was it the safety briefing or the itinerary talk that was delayed because we were busy chasing whales? Don’t even bother trying to remember how many whales we saw. This was the first time I almost ran out of pages.
We descend and sit watching the penguins for a while, one in particular that keeps stealing rocks from others’ nests for his mate. An elephant seal lies close to the nests but doesn’t disturb them — he belches and then goes back to sleep.
I would often sit in the ship’s bar with Mr. P and our friend who came with us. We’d sip happy hour drinks and I’d jot in my journal. Our friend kept remarking how she would need to photocopy my pages someday. There was no way she was going to remember it all. Just one long stretch of awesome.
Back to the bridge for rounding Cape Horn. John reads a poem as we round it. “I, the albatross that awaits for you at the end of the world / I, the forgotten soul of the sailors lost that crossed Cape Horn from all the seas of the world . . .”
Being diligent enough to keep a travel journal is challenging. I have no idea how people travel blog. I have no desire to travel scrapbook. Experiencing something wonderful. Getting it all down in order to relive it. It’s a clever balancing act.
Christmas Day. Our first white Christmas. The snow is coming down sideways. Chad delivers a Christmas message from one of the 1911 Scott diaries.
Sometimes I’d rather have been napping but I kept at it. It’s challenging but so gratifying.
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I made my travel journal for this trip using the Sapphire Geometric design from Echo Park (I wanted something nice and blue that would remind me of the ocean and ice). Visit here to learn about my travel journal tradition and here for how I make my own travel journals. See pictures from our Antarctica trip here.
Almost Never Clever 
This is such a beautiful way to record your memories. I am so impressed that you kept it up (I am simply terrible at journaling), and what a treasure it is. Your simple and straightforward language becomes poetry. Just lovely.
Thanks! It was really hard to be diligent. I didn’t ever consider it to be poetic while writing it (just the facts really) but it sounds so different when I read it here!
Journaling is such a lost art! It’s fabulous that you do this 🙂 Beautifully done! I always want to keep my pictures and stories together. I want to see the image that made me think the thoughts I put to paper. And because of that, I usually do a separate travel album and include just 1 or 2 pages about the trip in my annual album. I usually use different photos in the annual album than any that are in the trip album.
This journal is just the beginning and its purpose is just to make it so I can remember what we did on each day. A jumping off point for scrapbooking, if you will. I’m not sure, but I plan to include the journal on a scrapbook page.
Wow, this is really cool.
I was wondering if I could include one of the pictures and some of your words in a book I’m working one where real people who write share about writing. I’d lie to include a couple travel writing entries and the reasons why people write a travel journal. I’d love to include yours!
Your name, age and location would be included and all credit would go to you. All good if you’re not interested. Just thought I’d check.
JD
Sounds interesting! If you shoot me an email with more details, I’d love to hear more about the project.
No worries, I’ve just sent you an email!