Well, I have been thoroughly enjoying the preparation so far. That is the fantastic thing about a trip of this kind. You usually need to book so far in advance, that there are unending opportunities to revel in the anticipation and the planning, not to mention the research and discovery, which surround a destination like the Antarctic.

I am running the risk of boring my friends and family with my constant prattle about interesting things I have learned and what planning task I have completed! But, I do like to share. And past adventures have given me a storehouse of stories that I probably won’t be able to resist to share occasionally as well.

I sense that a blog is a perfect solution.

I anticipate that there will be moments of hilarity, as I make some unlikely and unusual clothing decisions; what sort of gumboots do I really need? And there most certainly will be moments of doubt; remind me again why I am doing this? I am already feeling humble at the opportunity; there is a relatively small number of tourists who do this expedition. And I am in profound awe of the explorers who braved the terrible conditions and often lost their lives, to increase the world’s knowledge; all I am doing is reading books!

However, sharing my thoughts and feelings to a wider audience is taking me somewhat out of my comfort zone. As time goes on, it will be interesting to look back and see if there has been a change in my self expression. More importantly, will I stick it out? I’m not normally one to leave something incomplete. Therefore, there is a good chance that I have months of writing ahead of me!

So, there it is.

The start of a journey in more ways than one.