Monday, January 09
Ushuaia, Argentina

Ushuaia, Argentina - This morning we board our return flights and begin our homeward journeys via Santiago. From Santiago, our group will board connecting flights back to their respective homes in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, etc.

JOURNALS for Monday (Updated 9:30 am EST)

Jason Hammond

As everyone prepares to head home, the sadness of saying goodbye has been reversed by a knowledge that we will be keeping in touch with our new friends, and that each of us will be taking action in our communities to resolve the environmental crisis that concerns us most.

Geoff and Diz have been amazing, making this journey a full and effective expedition, not only to Antarctica, but also into the hearts and minds of the youth here.  Together with the Captain, crew, and staff from our vessel, the education team, and the chaperones, they have engaged the students at a level beyond our pre-expedition imagining.We’ve had a day to rest in Ushuaia, Argentina, and it has provided many opportunities to process the experience from the past two weeks.  The shock of returning home to a place of noise, pollution, and the pressures of everyday life can be overwhelming.  Here, we have been able to find a middle ground between the natural splendour of the Antarctic and the rush and trappings of home.I’d like to thank everyone at home for supporting my aspirations for this adventure.  I also offer heartfelt gratitude to the wonderful people who have formed my community over these days of our expedition together.  When I speak to the youth, and witness their engagement, I recognize an enormous capacity for positive change.  It was also such a blessing to share in the wisdom of our education team.  Their lives showcase the potential for doing good work in and for our world.

Thanks to everyone out there who has followed our expedition through the online journal entries.  I hope that they have inspired you to do your part to build a stronger and respectful relationship between humanity and the rest of our natural world.  Also, I encourage you to support the positive work of youth in your community, however you can; empower them with knowledge, and they will continue to energize this movement towards true sustainability.

JOURNALS for Monday (Updated 11:30 am EST)

Geoff Green

We have had a great last night in Ushuaia and everything is going well. All flights are on schedule.

LA 996 09 Jan, Depart Ushuaia 3:50 pm, Arrive Santiago 10:05 pm

LA 504 09 Jan, Depart Santiago 11:35 pm, Arrive Miami 6:05 am (Jan 10th)

AC 915 10 Jan, Depart Miami, 11:35 am, Arrive Toronto 2:45 pm

JOURNALS for Monday (Updated Tuesday 10:30 am EST)

Quinn Runkle

Flying over Chile is beautiful, but unfortunately being on the plane home is rather disappointing. The last time we were on this route our adventure was only beginning. Now, we ’re heading home. We had a fantastic night last night, wishing our farewells while eating a wonderful dinner and dancing the night away. We had a live band playing awesome music and the whole restaurant was ours! It was a lot of fun, everyone had a great time. Then, after a quick look at the Southern Cross, it was off to bed.

This morning we came out to the lobby and after eating breakfast and dropping off our bags, we had the morning to explore Ushuaia. At noon we met at Moustaccio’s, a buffet style restaurant for lunch, and then we headed off to the airport.

Now we’re flying. As I’m writing this we’re flying over the patchwork land of Chile. It’s a beautiful view and with my window seat I’m enjoying the flight. But I do look forward to getting home, flying gets boring after you spend so long doing it. See you soon Sunshine Coast!