Back from the End of the World

by Mollie Millington | Jan 17, 2023 | travel

It is week halfway through January 2023 and I am finally comfortable again in ‘normal life.’  For three weeks over Christmas and New Year’s, I was away from home, doing my own thing in Argentina (my 5th continent) and Antarctica (6th, leaving Australia).  Without a husband or needy dog, my schedule was my own and as a bonus, I didn’t have to cook.  Truth to told, I took a lot of naps but I also had a lot of adventures.  Last week, I starting sharing the highlights of each day over on Instagram (@ptmollie), but here on the blog I will get into the nitty gritty.  So many questions have come through from friends and family – what did I wear, did I get to walk on land, what the food was like, what animals did I see? It is my aim to answer them all over the next few weeks across a few posts.  Here are the key points and some thank you’s for the brands who supported me on this amazing expedition.

First things first, I traveled with Intrepid Travel.  They are currently having a sale on upcoming trips booked by 23 February 2023.  And if you mention my name when booking, you will get $150 onboard credit (not an affiliate link/program).  Although I will also give you some tips on how to book a cheap trip to Antarctica (clue- you will need to be flexible with the travel dates) in the near future.  Originally, I booked my trip for 40% off in August 2020 to go on a WWF whale migration trip in February 2021 (the best time to see whale migration), which was postponed due to Covid.  Twice.  I had to redeem my trip by 2023 to keep the 2020 pricing valid which caused a diary clash.  If you read my blog, you will know that my 2020 Tokyo Marathon was also cancelled/deferred several times and I had finally secured March 2023.  Work wasn’t keen on two long holidays so close together, so I went for Antarctica over Christmas.  This meant I saved a few days of annual leave and my inbox would not be too full (hopefully) upon my return.  While I didn’t see as many whales as I would have liked, I met some amazing people from all over the globe that I now call my friends.  And am now tempted to return to Antarctica to see the whales when my bank balance allows it.

The best coincidence of the trip was being in Buenos Aires for the World Cup final.  This sporting event wasn’t on my radar at all and luckily for me, it did not negatively affect my travels (I cannot day the same for others on the expedition who were unable to travel between airports in Buenos Aires during the national holiday).  It was so much fun to watch the game with thousands of cheering fans in the local park.  Of course, as a solo female traveler, I had to be careful in large crowds traveling to and from the park, as well as experiencing the celebrations later that day around my hotel (more on that later).  I was very fortunate not to have any incidents.  My nephew even asked for a Messi jersey from Argentina as a Christmas present (which I will send to him this week!).

Of course, traveling to South America in their summertime meant I needed to be able to dress for 28 degrees C weather while also being ready for whatever Antarctica would throw at me.  We could not have been luckier with the weather.  Aside from the morning after camping, the majority of the time we had sunshine and blue skies.  Yes, sometimes there were larger swells which kept us on the boat and strong winds, but for the most part, we were very blessed.  As a skier, I had a lot of outerwear and base layers I could use on the trip (some I had to buy in bigger sizes due to recent weight gain).  Being a blogger, I am very fortunate to work with brands by reviewing their products while on adventures such as this.  I would like to thank Lucy Locket Loves (activewear and warm hat), Artilect Studio (merino base layers), Swarovski Optik (binoculars), Leki (trekking poles), and ON Running (tracky bottoms to wear around the ship), and Darn Tough (merino wool socks) for supporting this trip by gifting me the items listed.  A packing list will definitely be one of the posts I share in the future.  Luggage weight is very important when traveling to Ushuaia and you will need a lot of things for two weeks at sea.  I will also be editing some of my 360 degree video footage at some point for my YouTube channel, but first I want to go through the 1000s (not an exaggeration!) of photos I took first.

If there is anything specific you want to know about traveling with Intrepid, going to Antarctica, or visiting Argentina, please leave a comment below.  I will do the best I can to answer.  Don’t forget to check out my Instagram highlights for day by day highlights in the meantime.

#JoinMe in Antarctica

by Mollie Millington | Dec 7, 2022 | travel

Recently, I found my old blog that I started in 2006 when I moved away from my hometown to earn my Masters degree. What memories it brought back from my time in Michigan and Alaska. Turns out, I also reviewed restaurants and outdoor activities so I guess I have been at this for a while.  My husband and I also had a blog with videos during our three week road trip across America before moving to the UK.  This blog was in no way perfect and made me realize I should take the pressure off myself to create epic blog posts on a weekly basis.  This is my side gig after all, so I cannot expect it to be at the same level as a full-time content creator.

Since the last time I posted, I am feeling a bit more relaxed now that the conference at work is over (it went well!) and the move to our new house (finally!). Now, we are trying to decorate, organize and unpack all at the same time. We stripped the bedroom wallpaper and an interior designer came over to review our choices. We have arranged for electricians and decorators, as well as finalized all the colors and fabrics.  We had wanted it to be completed before Christmas, but like many big projects, it has seen some delays.

In other suburban life news, James bought a car.  We went with a Skoda Octavia as we have hired this make/model for our camping trips and always managed to fill it up with our toys and Maple.  James is keen to go on many weekend adventures with his bike and I hope he is able to in the new year. Although I don’t think we needed it quite yet, it was a great deal (one owner vehicle with super low miles). We have already been using it to leave town for an early Christmas away as we will not be together for Christmas this year.

My big news is that I am headed to Buenos Aires and Antarctica in December with Intrepid Travel.  In August 2020, Intrepid had a huge sale on their trips.  We were stuck home and not spending much, so I figured YOLO.  Antarctica, along with Hawaii and the Galapagos Islands, have been on my bucket list for a long time (I am a marine biologist after all). Originally, I booked a WWF affiliated whale cruise for February 2021, which was postponed to February 2022.  Then February 2023, which conflicted with the Tokyo Marathon (postponed from March 2020).  I couldn’t be in two places at once, so luckily I was able to nab a spot on this Christmas and New Years trip.

Things are starting to feel real now as I start to pack and get all the paperwork in order.  It will be 28 degrees C in Buenos Aires and cold in Antarctica (currently around 0 degrees C in Rothera at the British Antarctic Territory but I am not going exactly there).  From what I understand, it will be quite warm on the ship so two wardrobes will be needed.  I have been blessed to have several brands support my trip with the following kit (all gifted except binoculars are on loan):

Leki Sherpa poles
Artilect base layers
Lucy Locket Loves leggings, hoodie, and hat
ON Running active pants and active leggings
Swarovski Optik binoculars
Darn Tough socks

NGX are also supporting me on this trip by continuing to supply my with body fuel. While I have only lost two pounds and zero inches, I am continuing to make better food choices when hungry.  Unfortunately, I am struggling not to let fresh vegetables go to waste.  Frozen fruit and veg are proving to be life savers.

If you are thinking Antarctica would be cool, there are still spots available on this cruise and many cabins are on sale.  Why not #joinme for a Christmas you will never forget?

Thanks to all these amazing outdoor brands for supporting me on this epic adventure.