Letters from Antarctica

Seven days from today, Ariel Waldman will arrive in Antarctica for two months of research and to film a documentary. She has already been to Antarctica once, to photograph microscopic life forms on the frozen continent. I can’t fathom what an adventure it must be to embark on such a journey, and experience the things that she will experience, not just once, but for the second time!

I know Ariel through a website called Tested, run by former Mythbuster Adam Savage. Mostly a YouTube channel now, Tested has several contributors besides Adam, and at the end of the year, they all share their favorite things from the year. Today, Ariel Waldman shared her favorite things, mostly gear related to her expedition to the snowy southlands.

Part of that sharing was her newsletter that will chronicle her time in Antarctica. It is incredible to me this futuristic age that I live in! I can view livestreams from the edge of space, receive high resolution photos from probes that traverse the solar system, see videos from the surface of comets, read social media from a robot on Mars – and newsletters from one of the final frontiers here on earth – the frozen landscapes of the Antarctic wilderness.

When I was a kid, a long distance phone call still cost extra money. Now, with home internet, which, to be fair, does cost something, I can receive all these things and more on any of my home devices. I am constantly reminding myself that I live in the future I once read about in my science fiction books as a child. Wrist computers, and hand held portals to the world’s knowledge, and astronomical exploration are all so commonplace now it barely moves most people’s needles, but for me, I am mind-boggled and flabbergasted and simply amazed.

I already read the current newsletter, in which Ariel Waldman wrote about being seven days out from arriving at her research station. I can’t wait to read the next. It just struck me that Ariel will spend Christmas in the ultimate winter wonderland, while I will most likely spend it in shirtsleeves here in Texas. But, while the winter months drag on in America, Ariel will be living a dream of mine. I am excited to see how her trip goes, and what challenges she faces, and how she overcomes.

Also: I’m jealous. Ever since, as a young child, I learned about an entire continent that was like the ice planets of LEGO and Star Wars, I wanted to go there. I’ve read about early explorers, and what it is currently like down there, and that has only whetted my appetite. Still, Antarctica isn’t really a tourist destination. It is dangerous, inhospitable, and only really available for researchers, as far as I know. I would love to go as an artist, but I don’t think they would let me take up a valuable spot on an expedition just to explore art where it is really, really cold. Like space, only scientists (well, and billionaires now, I suppose. Sigh.) go there.

I wish Ariel Waldman the best of luck and a terrific time while down in Antarctica. I thank her for putting out a newsletter and letting people like me in on her trek. I will wait eagerly for each new update to land in my inbox. If you would like to receive letters from Antarctica, you can sign up via this link. For myself, I will echo the best of exploratory traditions: “Godspeed, Ariel!”