My journal includes homework assignments, maps, daily journal entries about the trip and a collection of newspaper articles leading up to my trip relating to global warming issues around the world. This was an incredible journey with some very dedicated scientists and educators. It opened my eyes to the beauty of this continent including the ice sculptures of every shade of blue, the animals that make this frozen land their home and to why we need to preserve this ecosystem for the future.

December 18-19, 2006 - Antarctica, Here I Come!

Finally, I started my journey south, from New York to Miami, Florida to meet up with other students, leaders and scientists from across the country and Canada. We then took a night flight from Miami to Buenos Aires and then to El Calafate and on to Ushuaia, Argentina, also known as "The Gateway to the Antarctic" because it is the southern most town in all of South America. I tried to sleep that night on the plane but the excitement of what lay ahead made it difficult. When we finally arrived in Ushuaia, we headed for our hotel at Hotel del Glacier and had a welcome dinner to meet everyone.

December 20, 2006 - Ushuaia, Argentina - Tierra del Fuego National Park!

This morning my roommates, Adele, Julia and Sanora and I were up at 7:30am, packed quickly, ate a quick breakfast and boarded a bus for Tierra del Fuego National Park. It was a great way to get some exercise after that long flight the day before. We went on several hikes through the park to learn about the trees, plants and animals that live in the area. The park was so pretty with snowcapped mountains all around us. Later, we went to lunch, did some shopping in downtown Ushuaia and then boarded a bus that took us down to the waterfront where we found the Polar Star waiting for us. This ship was so cool and they had it decorated for Christmas. We all stood on deck and said goodbye to Ushuaia and then the Polar Star set sail through the Beagle Channel. We settled into our cabins which were quite small but that didn't really matter since we all hung out in the lounge. My roommates were Adele and Julia. We had a review of safety procedures and then had a fire drill. We all had to leave the boat with our life jackets on. After all that excitement, we explored the boat and then had dinner, which was very good. After dinner, we sat in the lounge talking and getting to know one another and then curfew came at 11:15pm. What a day!

December 21, 2006 - Drake Passage!

This morning Adele, Julia and I woke up at 8:00am, showered and headed for breakfast. This was our first full day at sea. We started with a lecture on birds by Santiago Imberti. I learned about so many birds and how they are able to survive in Antarctica. Amazingly, there are about 9,500 species of birds in the world today and about 4,000 of them can be found in the Southern Ocean. We then had some time to ourselves to play cards and later we had another lecture on the Southern Ocean and Waves. This was very interesting. We also learned about Whales and Dolphins during another lecture later on and this was my favorite of the day. Everyone seemed to be making a lot of new friends and getting along great. We could all feel the weather turning colder and when we went on the bow of the ship later we really had to bundle up. We actually got splashed by the waves while we were out. It was awesome. We saw a lot of birds while we were out on the deck including an albatross and some petrels. After dinner, we all watched the IMAX version of Shackleton's journey to the south pole. It was very cool and we began to look forward to tomorrow when we would be able to spot land as we headed for Elephant Island. Today was a test of who had their sea legs or not. Many people were having a hard time and turning green, but luckily, I was not one of those who got sea sick.

December 22, 2006 - Elephant Island!

Today, we attended a lecture on Penguins with Santiago after breakfast. It made us all excited to see these birds in the wild. We learned a lot about the different kinds of penguins and how oil spills and over hunting in the region has affected these birds in the past. Later on we participated in workshops. We could choose between Antarctica Literature, Photography and Whales Vocalization. Amanda, Adele and I chose Whale Vocalization taught by Olle Carlsson. We learned a lot about whale vocalization from Olle and how these whales communicate with one another. After the workshops, we had lunch and then a Zodiac Safety Briefing and an Antarctica Introduction. Finally, we spotted Elephant Island. It was amazing and we all piled in to the Zodiac boats for a closer look. It was awesome to see the colonies of penguins, called rookeries, in the wild. The landscape and icebergs were so beautiful. We also saw elephant and fur seals in the area. After exploring for a while, we returned to the ship and had dinner. Then Bill Lishman, also known as "Father Goose" talked about his life as an artist and about his work with birds and what has inspired him in his life. Overall, I would have to say today was an incredible day!

December 23, 2006 - Danger Island and Paulet Island!

Today we landed on Danger Island. As we made it closer to the shore, we noticed the spots all over the mountain were Adele penguins. The rookery consisted of about 750,000 Adele penguins. Along the beach we saw some Weddel Seals. I was surprised at how close we could get to these amazing animals. After our exciting landing, we got back on the ship and Headed for Paulet Island. Along the way we had a lecture about Earth Science and Geology from Joe Koch and later on, Olle Carlsson talked about the Swedish Expedition from 1901-1903. When we reached Paulet Island, we all climbed into the zodiac boats and had another exciting landing. We saw so many animals. We saw more Adele penguins, Gentoo penguins, Blue Eyed Shags, Skuas, and Weddel Seals. We also saw the remains of the Swedish expedition. After dinner that night, we watched the movie an Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore. It was a big wake up to one of the biggest issues the world is facing, global warming. What an amazing day!

December 24, 2006 - Whaler's Bay, Deception Island!

Today was another amazing day! We got up at 8:00am and went out on the decks to watch as we entered Whaler's Bay, Deception Island through the entrance known as Neptune's Bellows. Then we had a quick breakfast and left on the zodiacs to go exploring the island and Whaler's Bay. It was amazing. We were surrounded by brown cliffs and black sandy beaches. We were actually standing in a caldera, which is a volcano that has erupted in the past and then the walls of the crater have fallen in on itself. There was steam rising up from the warmth of the ground. I could see why whalers would want to take refuge here in the past from the cold, harsh weather. We saw old, run down whaling stations and large storage drums where they used to store oil from the blubber of the whales they would hunt. We hiked up a cliff and looked through a break in the caldera wall known as Neptune's Window. After that we saw three seals. Two were Weddel seals, a mother and a baby and the third was a Leopard seal. This one looked sick and we were told it is extremely rare to see a leopard seal on land like this. Even the Chinstrap penguins were not afraid to get close to this leopard seal, so it was most likely very sick. After that we decided to go for a swim. Yes, a swim in Antarctica! First, part of the crew dug a huge hole in the black, sandy beach. Since the island is part of a volcano, the water just below the surface was actually very warm. Then, it was time to take the plunge! We all peeled off our layers of winter clothes down to our bathing suits and ran out into the freezing cold ocean waters. We then turned around and ran back up the shore to jump into our "hot tub" in the sand. All those who participated were then declared members of the official Antarctic Swim Team! Who could resist this once in a lifetime opportunity? We eventually went back to the ship for some lunch and then headed for our next landing at Hannah Point on Livingston Island. This place was home to a large group of Elephant Seals. They slept in huge heaps piled on top of one another with steam rising from them. They were so big and cute but they were extremely noisy as they laid there burping, farting and sneezing like crazy. It was really quite funny to watch. We also saw many Gentoo penguins which didn't seem to care that we had come to visit. Then we took the zodiac boats to another part of Hannah Point. There we saw a large colony of Chinstrap penguins, Gentoo penguins and even some Macaroni penguins! They were tending to their nests and chicks. When we headed back to the ship we witnessed a leopard seal making a catch. It grabbed a penguin and then was flinging it around like a toy. It was gross to watch but at the same time cool to see. When we got to the ship we all had dinner and talked about what great day we had. Then we watched the movie "Fly Away Home" inspired by Bill Lishman's research with birds. It was very sad but was a nice ending to an unbelievable day. As we went to bed we realized it was Christmas Eve!

December 25, 2006 - Christmas in Antarctica!

We woke up to Christmas Day 2006 in Antarctica at 7:30am. We had a quick breakfast and by 9:00 we were landing on Danco Island. Today was particularly warm out and as we hiked up this huge mountain we were all shedding our layers of clothing. It was a long hike up the hill and the snow was deep and slippery but the view was worth it. On top of the hill, we all had a moment of silence to take in the beauty of our surroundings and to listen to the quiet of this peaceful place, something pictures alone can not replace. We eventually made our way back down the mountain which was just as difficult to descend and went back to the ship for lunch. After lunch we took the zodiacs to Neko Harbor where we saw Crabeater Seals. They were just sleeping on icebergs and did not seem upset by our presence even as we drove the zodiac boats in for a closer look. Olle was driving my zodiac and he had many good stories to tell us about his adventures as he drove. Also, despite their name, Crabeaters don't actually eat crabs, they eat Krill. The cruise was amazing because the ice formations were so pretty and so blue in color! Pictures don't do justice to the colors and beauty of this area. We did climb to the top of the hill side that overlooks Neko Harbor with a view of a beautiful glacier. Then after taking all that in, we slid back down the hill on a natural path of ice and snow that was incredibly fast and loads of fun. I slid down so fast, I ended up ripping a hole in my snow pants. Some people even got slight burns from the friction on the way down. Later, when we returned to the ship, we all celebrated Christmas. Scobie dressed as Santa Claus and we all participated in a gift exchange. You could either pick from the bag or steal from someone else. It was a lot of fun. I ended up with a calendar from New Zealand. After that we had our Christmas dinner together and ate in the lounge. It was buffet style with chicken, potatoes and salad. For dessert, we had cake in the shape of a tree. Everything tasted great and after dinner we went out on the deck and then played cards in the lounge. What an amazing day! I don't think I will ever have a more memorable Christmas than this one.

December 26, 2006- Wordie House, Vernadsky Station, and Port Lockroy

This morning we woke up at 7:45 to watch our wonderful captain sail through the narrow and icy Lemaire Channel. It was so pretty. We landed at Vernadsky Station and the Wordie House. The Wordie House is a very small house, which slept about 6 or 7 research scientists for the winter. Visiting allowed us to see how people lived off very simple supplies and resources. Vernadsky Station is a Ukrainian science research station. We were treated to a tour of the station and saw everything from the workout room to where the men sleep at night. They also have one small room for entertainment that included a bar with a pool table and a small gift shop. The gift shop is the southern most gift shop in the world! The men staying at this station made everything in the shop. We were amazed at the conditions these people live in for a full year, even through the harsh antarctic winter.In the afternoon Olle gave a presentation on seals. We have learned so much from Olle; for example did you know that there are 14 species of eared seals and 19 species of true seals. We have already seen five of the six species of seals in Antarctica. After Olle’s lecture we visited Port Lockroy a retired English research station that has been made into a museum and gift shop. At the gift shop we were able to send postcards and buy other gifts such as Olle’s book. In the evening we had a group re-cap and briefing in the observation lounge. The crew from Port Lockroy Station had dinner with us, and talked to us about the station and answered our questions. Today was yet another incredible day.

December 27, 2006- Cuverville Island and Paradise Bay

This morning we had our first landing at around 9 o'clock at Cuverville Island. At first, we walked around admiring all of the Gentoo Penguins. Then I found a rock to sit on and just sat there and soaked up what I was seeing. After that, we went on a zodiac cruise. It was beautiful. The ice was so pretty and so blue. The amazing shapes looked like sculptures. Words can't even describe these icebergs and surroundings of this area. I felt like I was in a giant ice wonderland. When we got back to the ship, we had a delicious barbeque lunch, off the back of the boat. Following lunch, we had another landing in Paradise Bay. For the first part, we hiked up this huge hill and sat up there, admiring the view. Then we had 5 minutes of complete silence to stop and listen to the peaceful sound of Antarctica. It was amazing. We all knew that going back to the "real world" was going to be hard. Antarctica was just so cool. After sliding down the big hill on our backs, we got on the zodiacs for another cruise. Myself and a bunch of my friends waited so we could be in Diz's zodiac. It was well worth the wait. We had so much fun. The sights were amazing and I got to kiss an iceberg. We also got to see part of a glacier calve into the ocean. On the way back to the ship we went crazy! We did countless donuts and raced the other zodiacs. That was one great way to wrap up our Antarctica journey. Before dinner, we had a re-cap and briefing and after dinner, we finished watching an Inconvenient Truth. I wish we could stay longer but tomorrow we start our journey back home.

December 28, 2006- Drake Passage

This morning we got to sleep in until 8 o'clock! After breakfast, Bill Lishman did a presentation on migration and renewable energy. We learned all about the canadian geese and the whooping cranes that flew south with his help. Then Bill showed us how he built his energy efficient, underground house. It was so cool. After his presentation we talked about climate change and global warming. Everyone had a lot to say on how we can all do our part to help change the course of global warming. After that, we had lunch and then I went to a workshop on Climate Change by Joe Koch. I learned a lot about how I can make changes when I get home. Then we had a long break before Olle and Eric had a presentation on sea ice and ocean currents. Later, Geoff talked about the impact of tourism on Antarctica. So far, so good. Tourism hasn't really had any impact on Antarctica. Some of the really big ships aren't allowed to land on the continent though, they just sail around it. After dinner, we watched Bill's renewable energy documentary. I learned so much from it. There are many other alternative energy sources, besides fossil fuels that we can use. Finally, after a long day at sea, it was time for a good nights sleep.

December 29, 2006- Drake Passage

Today, we experienced the dreaded " Drake Shake" as we crossed some pretty rough waters to get back to Cape Horn. We had a full day of meetings starting in the morning with our pod groups meeting to discuss youth commitment. Then we presented our ideas to everyone. I think it was a big awakening that people need to start making better choices, if they want to help save our planet. It was also very inspirational to hear everyones' ideas. After that, we filled out the SOI evaluations in the lounge. Then we had a break to chill out in the lounge or play cards, etc. Later, we all met in the lounge and calculated all of the carbon we released into the air on our way down here, while we were here, and on our way back. After we calculated everyone's total carbon emissions for this trip, Diz and Geoff send it to a place where they see how many trees should be planted to make up for our emissions and volunteers plant the trees! I thought that was pretty cool. After that, we ate lunch and then we headed back to our cabins to start packing and cleaning up. I had a lot of that to do. Later, everyone met in the lounge and wrote letters to ourselves that we will receive in the mail, next year at this time. I wrote about how I needed to do simple things to help do my part to slow global warming. The day went by quickly and soon we were rounding Cape Horn and entering the calmer waters of the Beagle Channel. After dinner, we had a party to celebrate our amazing expedition. We also said our goodbyes and thank yous to our wonderful crew. We got to see a slide show of pictures to wrap up the sad night. Then we went back to our cabins for one last night aboard the Polar Star.

December 30-31, 2006- Drake Passage

This morning we had to say our goodbyes to the other half of our group. After that, we spent some time wandering around the local shops in Ushuaia to pick up some last minute souvenirs. We had lunch at Moustaccio (a famous Argentine restaurant in Ushuaia) as our last meal together and then had to leave for the airport to start our return trip home. We flew from Ushuaia, Argentina to Buenos Aires and then took a connecting flight to Miami, Florida. We arrived in Miami early the next morning on the last day of the year. We said our last good byes and everyone went to their separate gates for home. What a trip! What an experience! It was New Year's Eve when I arrived home. I had a lot to look back on over the year but mostly my incredible journey and opportunity to experience Antarctica.