I have always, always, always wanted to visit Antarctica. One of these days I’ll have enough cash to take an ice breaker ship, but in the meantime, I’ve got photos, stories, and history to check out. Here are a few things I’ve found super intriguing about the south pole, and for better or for worse, that influenced my desire to visit one day.
Werner Herzog
If you haven’t seen Encounters at the End of the World, you really should.
Ice Breaker Ships
Icebreaker ship in Antarctica, via Wikimedia Commons.
Ever since I learned about ice breaker cruises, I’ve been pricing them out every chance I get. Nowhere near that mark yet, but it’s squarely on the bucket list.
The Thing
The Thing Poster, 1982 – Via Wikipedia.
Oh my gosh, this movie! And the not-quite-as-terrible-as-I-thought-it-would-be-but-yeah-still-pretty-terrible prequel from 2011! Come on, between that and Alien vs. Predator, Antarctica’s got that whole “Unexplored Terror” vibe to it that’s kind of intriguing.
The U.S. Antarctic Program
Beardmore Glacier, via the U.S. Antarctic Program.
Not gonna lie, I’ve looked at jobs with the U.S. Antarctic Program far too many times in the past…six?…years. It’s almost what I decided to do instead when I quit my job to do the entrepreneur thing in 2011.
Leonid Rogozov
Mt. Herschel, Antarctica, via Wikimedia Commons.
It’s probably better if I don’t post the applicable photo here. In 1961, Leonid Rogozov was a Russian doctor stationed in Antarctica when he fell ill with peritonitis. Due to the remoteness of his location, an impending blizzard blocking all access from the outside, he was forced, as the only medical professional in the group, to perform an appendectomy on himself. He was back to his regular work two weeks later.
Happy Feet (or just penguins in general)
Emperor penguin and chick, via Wikimedia Commons.
Let’s end on an adorable note! We can all agree Happy Feet was an adorable movie, and while I wouldn’t want to tromp over any penguins’ home, I would want to look at them through binoculars, maybe.
Do you want to visit Antarctica? Tell us what inspired you!
About the Author
Sarah Vandenberg
As the managing editor of Frayed Passport, my goal is to help you build your bucket list, plan your travels, and tell your story. I've been to 20 countries and five continents so far, lived for two years as a full-time digital nomad, and while I'm based in Miami now, I spend one-third of the year traveling to amazing destinations around the world. If you would like to contribute an article to Frayed Passport, feel free to get in touch with me at sarah@frayedpassport.com!