Lesson 1: Getting There

When you’re going on a big trip:

• Don’t wait until midnight the night before to pack
• Especially if you’re leaving at 5am
• And when you finally crawl into bed at 2:30am, don’t set your alarm for 30 minutes later than you should wake up, in an attempt to convince yourself it will only take you 15 minutes to shower, get dressed, get all your stuff together, and get out the door

Traveling as often as 4-5 times/month has allowed me to become really lax about the details.  Packing always seems to happen, I’ve got the system down.  In fact, usually the suitcase hasn’t been entirely unpacked from the last trip. Actually, that WAS the case last night — my suitcase, full of swimwear and tank tops from my recent trip to Turks & Caicos, was still packed.  Realizing that wouldn’t get me very far in the Arctic, I began packing at midnight. Most of my stuff had been laid out the night before, but I didn’t factor in the possibility that it may not all fit in my suitcase.

My guest room became a mini REI. It covers a queen bed - no wonder it didn't fit in my suitcase

I don’t know if one can actually be “prepared” for an adventure like this, but certainly there are some steps that can be taken.  For example, WARM clothes. The cold in the Arctic is not like anything I’ve faced previously and a stark contrast to our typically 75-degree days in LA. I didn’t realize how bulky warm clothes actually are until I tried to shove them all into my suitcase last night.

I needed to get a new camera – a digital SLR to better manage the lack of contrast between white bear and white snow, the distance between us (which will likely be slightly more than a dozen feet this time around), the ability to shoot pictures in rapid succession in order to capture action shots, special lens and settings that will also allow me to take pictures of the Northern Lights. And a video camera, a more compact laptop (the only thing that actually fit easily in my luggage), extra batteries for all electronics (batteries only last about 1/3 of their typical life when in freezing temperatures), snow boots. . . 

I’ve been watching polar bear documentaries and stories on National Geographic.  I’ve been reading about the bears and the impact of global warming.  The more I learn about polar bears, the more mesmerized I become.  Instinctually they know to use the force of their weight, pounding through their front paws, to break through ice to reach their next meal.  They look cute and cuddly, but they can be 6 to 10 feet tall and weigh as much as 1,500 pounds (or more). Bear numbers are declining, cub mortality is higher, and bears are generally skinnier and smaller than they were just a couple decades ago. Scientists estimate there are only 20,000 – 25,000 polar bears remaining.  

I read and re-read the materials and safety information I’ve received from the leaders of the trip.  This is not a luxury safari, nor 4-star hotel vacation. This is an adventure trip – sometimes sleeping on the floor of research centers in sleeping bags, traveling in crowded busses, volunteering in the towns we travel through.  The travel guide they sent reads: First and foremost, we go as travelers, not tourists. Our goals are learning about North America and continentalism; glimpsing the past; doing hands-on things; meeting new friends; helping other people; being local; and of course, seeing polar bears in their habitat.

The “bear safety instructions” make me smile.  Not that I don’t take them seriously, I absolutely do! But merely a smile of satisfaction knowing that in a few short days I will be face to face with these magnificent animals – not in a cage at the zoo, but on the ice in the Arctic.

I’m also excited about the people I’ll meet on this trip. As the night grew later and my ADD kicked into high-gear, I started day-dreaming (or maybe I actually fell asleep for a moment) about who I’d be sharing this adventure with. What are their names? How old are they? What do they do when they’re not exploring the world? Where do they live? 

Needless to say, the taxi driver was actually yelling at me this morning because I was late. Meanwhile, he was parked 3 blocks down the street from my house, but I wasn’t in a position to say anything about that. Thankfully, I made it to the airport 5 minutes before the bag-check deadline and zipped through security. Now I’m on a layover in Denver where it’s currently 45 degrees – guess I better get used to the temperatures dropping!

My cat, Gulliver, in the box my new camera came in. Photo taken with my old point & shoot