The Weddell Sea, Snow Hill Island
Thanksgiving Day
The visible sun.
Cirrostratus clouds.
Clean Antarctic air.
Wilderness.
Sunglasses.
Icebergs temporarily frozen still.
Iridescent blue ice pools.
Traversing over fast ice.
Shadows.
Sunscreen.
Proper attire.
The warmth of the sun beating on my face.
Exciting ice navigation.
The call of an Emperor penguin.
Innumerable amounts of snow petrels flying overhead.
Ice-capped mountains cutting across the horizon.
The sound of the snow crunching under my boots.
An iceberg shaped like the back of a dinosaur.
Lenticular clouds forming over mountains of ice.
Emperor penguins walking right in front of us, across our path, forcing us to sit and be present.
The shortest zodiac shuttle ride in Lindblad history.
The National Geographic Endeavour.
The Captain and Officers of the National Geographic Endeavour.
Every single member of the crew of the National Geographic Endeavour.
The Expedition Leader.
The Expedition Staff.
The Oceanities Team.
The guests who chose to leave their normal everyday lives and embark on this journey to one of the most remote regions of the world.
All of the Antarctic explorers who sacrificed their lives to put this place on the map.
Friends on the ship.
Friends back home.
Family on the ship.
Family back home.
Travel buddies, old and new.
Colleagues.
Seeing.
Hearing.
Feeling.
Breathing.
Living.
These are only some of the things for which I am thankful today.
Robert Alexander, Expedition Staff
