From frozen temporary home to frozen home.

Day 14: Sunday, January 12th, 2014
Steps taken: 6,540

We arrived at Miami Airport early in the morning, and had to wait another six hours.  We went through customs, said goodbye to Jessi and Lisa, and then wandered around.

We finally got on the plane, and I was looking forward to getting home, but there were a few mishaps left.  The first was that since American Airlines (I really don't like to fly with them unless I have to.) didn't seat many groups together, many people played musical chairs.  I switched seats with a pregnant woman so she could sit next to her husband.  I didn't mind moving, but a good quarter of the plane tried switching seats.  I've never seen that on such a bad level before.  I spent the rest of the flight reading.

We finally got into La Guardia after a day and a half of travel.  I really like G Adventures overall, but most of the travelers' flight plans seemed really convoluted.  We got our bags after a half an hour of the standard BS.  Is it all airlines?  Two bags came off in the initial run and then nothing for another five minutes.  Is that some kind of inside joke for baggage crews?

After we got our bags, we took a cab back to Scott's place.  Well, close to Scott's place since the cabbie had no idea where he was going.  We chilled for a bit, and then Dan and I said our goodbyes to Scott.  We went to the nearby train, and that's where Dan and I parted ways.  I took the train to Jamaica, and then home from there.  It was nice to be home after such a rewarding, and unique adventure.  To me, Antarctica is quite possibly the purest place in the world.

Written in March of 2014
Since the trip I've thought about and have been through several things.  Some good and some bad.  This semester that followed had been a roller-coaster for me in regards to stabilizing myself mentally, and financially from Antarctica.  Regardless of being the most expensive trip I've ever taken, it has been the most incredible one as well.  I was worried that my life had peaked with this excursion, but there are still many amazing things left to do, and astonishing places to see.  Antarctica is a place that not many will see first hand, but I wish everyone could.  I will leave this adventure with a quote from one of my favorite authors:
"Time weighs down on you like an old, ambiguous dream.  You keep on moving, trying to slip through it.  But even if you go to the ends of the earth, you won't be able to escape it.  Still, you have to go there-to the edge of the world.  There's something you can't do unless you get there."-Haruki Murakami from Kafka on the Shore.