Nothing Prepares You For The Magic and Wonder of Antarctica

Lauren Richards

Study abroad programs are supposed to enrich you and help you grow. They are supposed to immerse you in spaces and places that are new to you. You are supposed to learn new things and return home with a more robust perspective.

This ASU study abroad program to “Antarctica” is different. It’s special. I would go so far as to say magical.

Participating in this program is to step inside the wardrobe to Narnia. You leave the “real world” altogether and are transported — physically, emotionally and mentally — to a world where magic exists, and reality as you know it ceases to be.

As a participant in this program, you become the protagonist of a grand adventure in a realm that feels as if it were imagined by one of the great minds of fantasy and fiction writing. It is like living a dream where the possibilities are limitless, and the fabric of reality unfolds in real-time.

There were many moments during our voyage when I verbalized some rendition of “this is straight out of the mind of Tolkien” with wonder and awe. However, this program generated a vast scope of new knowledge, enriched my perspectives and provided room for me to grow.

Our journey to “Antarctica” changed me to my core. I gained clarity that I have tried to wrangle all my life without seeming to grasp. My inner balance would rival that of a lama. I have rediscovered my sense of self and happiness. My drive is laser-focused.

This was a transformative experience. Every moment of the journey led me here and I will try to convey who, what, why and how it all happened through this visual journal.

Fortune favors the bold …

In a fortunate turn of events for our cohort, the Albatros Expeditions ship we were intended to sail on was retired from the fleet. Our itinerary changed from a ten-day “Antarctic Peninsula” trip to a twenty-day, best-of-the-industry voyage that added five days in South Georgia and sailed deeper into the Antarctic. I do not subscribe to the belief in fate or destiny, but I resolutely believe in alignment, that the Universe provides what we need when we need it, and that all paths converge in the road map of life.

If you pay close attention, it is easy to see. So let me tell you — everything, and I mean everything, aligned perfectly. The extended trip, a South Georgia itinerary, and the people.

In close quarters for 20 days within the confines of a small ship, in the most remote and extreme place on Earth, with people you have never met before, could have been unpleasant. But no. The people were incredible. The diverse inclusion in our group provided a great dynamic. The other passengers were outstanding. The ship staff and crew were terrific. The expedition team were total rock stars. Together, the energy and dynamic on the Ocean Victory for those three weeks had to have been some of the best that region has ever seen.

For many reasons, I am sure our cruise will go down in history stamped as simply “Legendary,” and rightly so.

Over twenty days at sea, a group of strangers lived, laughed, cried, and loved; they became a family. This experience caused us to challenge our beliefs, question our day-to-day lives and activities, and evolve into better, more whole humans. We became more in touch with our inner selves: balanced, stronger, braver. We changed.

I disembarked the Ocean Victory, having undergone a personal paradigm shift. A bright, fresh, positive mindset, ready to take life by the horns and soar in the possibilities.

Unless you were on the ship and watched it happen, it is difficult to describe the change in myself and the group I traveled with. It happened at an uneven pace: sometimes slow, sometimes quick. Sometimes with minor changes, others extensive and profound; with significant realization or progress happening instantly, resulting from a single experience.

This is my experience told through photographs. The photos are accompanied with songs that express how I felt in the moment, or how I feel reflecting in my memories.

Enjoy…