After years of consideration—and several COVID delays—my husband and I decided this was the year to attack our bucket lists with vigor. At the top of my list was a trip to Italy full of culture, wine and history. My husband’s was literally the polar opposite: He wanted us to explore Antarctica. It wasn’t something I had ever thought about, but we had made a pact, so we booked the trip.
Antarctica is warmer than our northern home in January, so we chose that month to thaw out on the White Continent with a National Geographic expedition that promised opportunities to have close encounters with penguins and glaciers. To be safe, we packed long underwear and heated socks with our waterproof pants and boots for wet landings from Zodiac boats. A National Geographic parka with cozy liner was included in our trip….