Monday 22 March 2010

It's Nearly Over....












The breathtaking midnight view from the top of Pyramid, overlooking The Sphinx and the permanently frozen King George VI Sound, Fossil Bluff. November 2009.

(Photo: Keith Waddell)

If you have followed my Antarctic experience from the start you may remember that my final posting just before I left the UK opened with a passage by William Shakespeare (read the post here).
I am sad to say that this will almost certainly be my last posting from the Antarctic continent, so it seems poetic that I should end this adventure as I started it:


Antarctica.

Your name conjures up visions of wind and snow,
Ice and cold.
And of challenge.
A harsh, barren land they call Antarctica.

Antarctica, Antarctica.
Your name conjures up thoughts of heroes;
Thoughts of suffering and of failure;
And thoughts of courage and of triumph.
And a cold, barren land they call Antarctica.

Antarctica, oh Antarctica.
Your name conjures up images of
A place that radiates such a serene and simple beauty.
You got under my skin,
And into my heart.
I was exasperated and exhilarated;
And I was captivated
By this beautiful, barren land they call Antarctica.

Antarctica, ohhhh Antarctica.
Your name conjures up feelings of love and awe.
But you are a cold and cruel mistress.
You twisted the knife in my soul
As I tore myself away
From this empty, barren land they call Antarctica.

Antarctica, my Antarctica.
I may be someplace else
But a part of my heart will always be yours.
And one day I shall return
To this strange, barren land they call Antarctica.


The support ship, the RRS Ernest Shackleton arrives here on Wednesday; she will spend a few days unloading all the supplies for the upcoming winter and reloading with everything that is leaving Rothera, then on Sunday she sets sail for the Falkland Islands.... and I will be aboard when she departs!
I will be aboard "The Shack" for two weeks as she sails up the Antarctic Peninsula, stopping at the BAS bases of Signy, Bird Island and King Edward Point (KEP) to pick up the staff who are not wintering at their respective bases, before arriving at the Falkland Islands to catch an MOD flight back to the UK, via Ascension Island. Come mid-April I will have my feet back on English soil again.

Those of us who are leaving are having mixed emotions right now - feelings of joy and excitement that we will soon be seeing our loved ones again and returning to the strange world we used to know; and feelings of sadness because this adventure is now over and we have to leave this magical land that has so indelibly etched it's mark on our hearts and memories.

I am so looking forward to holding and kissing my family again. I have missed them terribly. I wish that they could've been here with me, to share my experiences, to see what I've seen and to do what I've done.
I am also looking forward to so many other things: to seeing all my old friends again; to telling them the same stories over and over again; to laughing and joking with them and enjoying being in their company once again; just like the old times.
And I shall enjoy seeing a world of colours again after so long seeing a landscape of the most beautiful and striking white, blue, grey and black; although however simple the palette may have been, it was never dull, and I can never imagine a time when it will stop taking my breath away!!

There are so many things that I will never forget; like the daybreaks on the northern horizon, when the sun didn't show itself for over two months, but it would light up the sky with the most vivid colours of red, pink, orange and purple; like the bitterness and violence of the Antarctic winds that chilled me to the bone and were so physically painful to endure.
And I will never, ever, forget the smell of elephant seals on the beaches!!! They are fascinating beasts, but their smell.... Uhhhh...!!!!!

I have seen and done so many amazing things during my time here; things that, only two years ago I only ever dreamt of.
I cannot adequately describe the awesome panoramic views and vistas that have been part of my daily life, or how it felt to be laying inside a pyramid tent whilst Mother Nature unleashed her full fury outside.
You cannot imagine what a thrill it has been to get up so close to such captivating wildlife, or how it felt to be at the controls of a Twin Otter aircraft for the first time; or the wonderment of seeing for the first time blue ice and raised snow footprints, and penguins, humpback whales and killer whales.
These things, too, I will never forget.

These last few weeks I have stopped making things in the workshops. Needing an outlet for my inspiration I turned to poetry; the poem at the start of this posting was penned by me to sum up some of my feelings.I know it's not exactly in William Shakespeare's class, but hey - I've got to start somewhere!!

I hope that reading about my exploits here will inspire many of the younger readers (or indeed, anyone who harbours a secret yearning for adventure and learning) to get up and follow their dreams, whatever they may be, and however impossible they may appear to be. I have proven to myself that impossible dreams are not impossible at all; they are merely unfulfilled. If I can do it at my time of life, then so can you!!
Would I do it all again? Oh yesss.... without hesitation!

I would like to thank each and every one of you for your unfailing support during my 16 months here (has it really been that long???). I know that many of you were eagerly awaiting every installment with excited anticipation. Without your interest and enthusiasm for my tales of derring-do there would have been no point in writing this blog. I regret that towards the end the postings were becoming more sporadic, and I have alluded to the reasons in previous postings, but it has been a real pleasure to share everything with you all.
I shall endeavour to get to see you all personally when I get home.

I know that many of you have enjoyed looking at the photographs that I've posted. They give you a wonderful visual insight to the beauty and excitement that is all around. But the photos I've taken can never fully capture the feeling behind the picture and so they will only ever be a two-dimensional representation of what I actually saw or experienced. Nonetheless, I'm glad you enjoyed viewing them.
I've taken over 10,000 (yes - ten thousand!!!) photos since I left England. Every one of them is a priceless memory; a reminder of a passing moment in time. But don't worry, I don't expect you to look at them all....!!!!
I haven't posted many photos this time, as today's musings are about how I feel, not what I've seen.

I couldn't have embarked on this incredible journey if it wasn't for the support of my family
I've often made the statement: "It's better to regret the things you did, than regret the things you didn't". (those of you who know me well are nodding sagely and smiling now). It was never my intention to cause such hurt to those I love, but to come here was an opportunity that came out of circumstance. My self-imposed exile has been painful for my family and loved ones back at home, but they have been a massive source of support, and shared in my excitement and wonderment during my time here.
So a huge thank you to Mandy, Jessica and Sam (and of course, Henry) for letting me live my dream. I love you all very much. xxx.

I have now handed over the mantle of "Rothera Electrician" to Nathan, my successor. My work here is done now. I'm sure he'll enjoy this experience as much as I have.
What will I do next? I have some interesting options that I can follow-up when I get home, but I haven't made any definite plans as yet, so if anyone out there in WorldWideWonderland wants to make me an offer, then get in touch. This will be a tough act to follow, I know, but I'm realistic in my expectations. I've had my cake and eaten it, and enjoyed every crumb, but I'm ready to return to life in the real world.
And if you are dreaming about following in my footsteps, then click here. This is where it all started for me. You never know where it could end....

Finally, to end, here's a quote from the man who first provoked my lifelong fascination with Antarctica: Robert Falcon Scott. My good friend and fellow winterer Mike Shortt found it and I just had to use it as it sums up my feelings for the good friends that I've made and will be saying goodbye to, and also for Antarctica herself:

"Yet although this inevitable parting has taken place, we hope that as the years roll on we may meet again, and we know that when such meetings come they will renew old friendships and recall some of the pleasantest memories of our lives"

Robert F Scott

This chapter on my life is now closing, but like a favourite book or movie that you are irresistably drawn to again and again - I will someday return to this land that I love so much and renew this bittersweet affair with my Ice Maiden once again....
















Tony McLaughlan
Rothera Electrician, 2008 - 2010 (Winter 2009)