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Laura Thieme

Bizresearch President – 10 years - 2007

Fisher College of Business Lecturer on Search Marketing

OSU Russian Studies Grad – 1993

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20th December 2007

Journey Home from Antarctica, Rapid Re-entry & Reflections

December 19-20, 2007

Departure from Antarctica, Journey Home And Rapid Re-entry

For the first time in ten years I had a true vacation. It ended rather abruptly today. But that aside, I have had the most wonderful vacation one could possibly imagine. I have seen an amazing place, had intellectual, introspective, and challenging conversations, and learned more than I could have hoped for. Antarctica is no more than just a mere fantasy – it is now a memory and a reality, one of which I’ve survived for those of you that thought I just might sink (including my own fears of such). I’m so glad I did not listen to the naysayers.

The Drake Passage was so calm, my last two nights’ sleep were restful and soothing. It could not have been a better way to sleep as the ship is just that perfect size where you can feel the light rocking. I think there is a sadness coming off of a trip like this – it’s weird but if you have a smooth Drake, and you’ve already experienced Antarctica and some of which it has to offer, you’re actually not looking forward to seeing land. Land comes with communication with the outside world, something that I’ve managed to escape for just over a week.

Cape Petrel in Antarctica Drake Passage - Drake Lake
Cape Petrel in Drake Passage: Drake Lake Calm

As a business owner, guest lecturer and public speaker – this has been well deserved time off. I’ve always found that if I ventured to a place where there is a Starbucks, I’ve not “shut down” entirely. Antarctica makes it very difficult to stay connected. If you work for Palmer Research Station or McMurdo or any other base for that matter, or if you work for the ship, you’re likely to have some communication with the outside world. However, if you’re a tourist, even one who invested in an Iridium satellite phone, you’re likely to suffer without Web access for ten days.

Personally, if I had Web access during the Antarctica portion of the trip, I’d likely have not truly enjoyed all Antarctica had to offer. As it was, I had to struggle with seasickness (nausea only) and a 24-36 hour bug and quarantine. What was left was enjoyed on the water, near the penguins and icebergs, or in the lecture lounge, or talking or eating, or reviewing my photography for the day. You begin to feel a little talked out in the Drake Passage, so you start looking for something else to do – you’ve read your book, you’ve journaled, you’ve emailed your blog, you’ve watched a couple of movies you’ve already seen, you’ve organized your photos – now what?

Type A – I know. But despite that status of always needing to accomplish, and simultaneous desire to be connected again, when you are – and you hear that an account needs your attention – it’s like you come crashing back down again. It’s good to feel needed, but on my own time, please? So today, I sat alone at dinner with papers spread out on the table in the dining room, and tried to find the needle in the haystack. I wished I had web access, and lamented as I purchased international phone time for client and employee-related phone calls. I received faxes, waited on emails only never to come, waited for international calls to connect, satellite phone messages to come through… If only I could “look at what I needed” live, in person….. blah blah blah

That addiction to work comes right back with a frenzy and yet, I was doing so well on my 12-step program. I am thankful for my team, my colleagues and friends for helping to make this happen – truly I am. If it weren’t for 20 years of hard work, this recent dream of Antarctica and hanging out with penguins would be no more than a trip to the zoo five miles down the road. So, I toast my 20 years of working independently, being out on my own, and being able to make the decisions in life to afford such a luxury of escaping to Antarctica.

On our way home today, we listened to a one hour lecture on the different types of whales seen in the Southern Ocean (to be posted separately) only for it to be interrupted by a whale sighting of sei whales (I think??). Explorer II (now Minerva) was extremely accommodating to allow us to capture photos or merely memories of whales feeding and blowing at the water’s surface. We paused there for close to an hour, crowded around the sides of the ship, looking over the water at the whale’s surfacing for a moment’s photo.


Sei Whales on Drake Passage Journey Home from Antarctica

We began to organize our belongings and to say our goodbyes to the people we met along the way. Imagine such fascinating characters on a cruise to Antarctica:

A woman who is late 40s, has worked in Chernobyl, lived in Russia, on her way back from a couple of months in Palmer Research Station on various projects; an avid photographer at heart; she traveled alone

A man who coordinates projects in Palmer Research Station and works the rest of the time in Colorado; can lead some fascinating conversations on a variety of topics ranging from history, to spirituality to life in general; he traveled alone

A woman who has traveled the world and has helped with tsunami and disaster relief; she traveled alone

A devout Catholic woman who says the rosary every day, and doesn’t say much at all but is present at every meal and every lecture; she traveled alone

A British couple who can lead some fascinating conversations; well traveled; well accomplished and a great gatherer of friends and colleagues; and it’s rumored can lead a late-night karaoke session with the best of them at 1:30 in the morning;

Two Alabamian women who roomed together and have been friends for many years; one of whom was fascinated with my poppy seed story and prompted me to tell it more than once; both of whom were fascinated with my fertility interests; both of whom had some wonderful stories to tell about so many different highly intellectual topics;

A Minnesota woman who had a strong accent, read her books, smoked on deck, and rarely was seen with anyone else; she traveled alone

A large contingency from Alabama along with Jim McClintock, our lecturer

A couple from Houston, Texas; she works in maritime insurance; he is studying Spanish; their next trip – Jordan of all places;

A woman who wants to be a captain of her own ship; and sails in the Bay area

Two women from Rome, Italy; she was the lawyer on the original Explorer II deal; the younger of the two fascinated by a couple of men on the cruise, and studying nuclear physics and learning to write programs in PHP and open source code;

A man from California who has been educated in Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truth Climate crusade, works in real estate, and has a fascination with old movie houses; he traveled alone

A couple from Washington DC, Bethesda area, who previously lived on Capitol Hill, and worked in law; they knew Barbara Olsen, and know Ted Olsen

A couple from somewhere; the man proposed to the young woman up on one of the mountains in Antarctica at Cuverville Island;

Most couples were from the UK, some from Australia and some from California, Washington DC, Alabama, and Texas –

One woman from Ohio; who swam in the freezing Southern Ocean at Deception Island, photographed penguins on the icebergs and rocks, was often seen in the piano bar chatting and laughing in late night conversations, and on deck taking photos and talking to others; she traveled alone


And yet, I was not alone, not once. I could sit down for a moment, to read a passage, or ponder on the day’s lecture or events, and within five minutes – one person would offer to join me, another, and within a few minutes – I had a crowd surrounding me – It was such a fascinating experience…tonight, while walking around at 1:30 in the morning, after having talked until we could talk no more, I savored the last walk through the corridors alone, into the restaurants and lounge areas, darkened and locked up, and sadly thought of my early morning departure. But thank you God for it all – and for a very safe and fine voyage to and from Antarctica. Thank you. Now I return to Buenos Aires for some work and fun, and then back home to my beloved four-legged creatures all of whom wonder where I’ve gone. Be well Misha, Max, Monroe, Cody & Lucky – be well – I’ll be home soon – and I miss all of you.

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