Chasing Antarctica – feel the fear and do it anyway
Hello Friends: Yesterday I did something big and scary, at least for me. I applied to Gateway Antarctica in Christchurch to do a postgraduate certificate in Antarctic Studies (PCAS) next summer here in New Zealand.
OMG, if you only knew how hard it was to publish those words publicly.
I’ve been thinking about applying since last winter but held back because it wasn’t the right time for me professionally. To be honest, I also wasn’t sure I was good enough.
For the past decade, I rode the wave of success my travel blog has brought me, getting paid to travel the world.
But since my experience with the beaching whales on Stewart Island, I found myself wanting to do more with my work. It was a massive, terrible slap to the face. But there’s a reason it was me on that beach with them, and by god, I will do something positive out of it.
Just writing about travel and taking pretty photos isn’t enough for me. I want to really make a change in both policies around conservation and also inspiring my generation to truly give a shit about the natural world.
We live on an extraordinary planet, one I’ve been privileged enough to explore. Above all, I want to do all I can to keep it that way.
The one place that truly speaks to my soul, and I love the most is the Antarctic. The polar world motivates me beyond measure. I eat, sleep, and breathe it. It’s so close to my heart; I don’t even talk about it with many people.
Now I’m hungry to learn more, to educate myself on this wild place, and to bring it to life for you all in a way that is powerful and creates change. My dream is to become an expert communicator around the Antarctic and to use my blog and social media to protect this incredible wilderness
