"The moment we stepped off the Zodiac boat, that air just hit us. It was this exquisite, overwhelming blast. Crisp, clean, utterly pollution-free. A shocking, massive contrast to the familiar density of New York City, where we live. The ice? A stark white-pure, blinding, sublime. And the noise was the inverse: a profound, beautiful quiet."
"Back in January 2018, my husband and I had stood on this exact same white expanse. I was five months pregnant with Wilder. That trip was important for us; it was where we checked off our own final goal-seven continents before having kids. Antarctica was our finish line, a hard-earned personal achievement right before the great unknown of parenthood began."
"Wilder didn't run straight for the colossal iceberg floating nearby. Instead, my little orange marshmallow, encased in layers of thermal gear, his massive boots making him waddle, spotted a pair of Adélie penguins on a rocky outcrop. He ignored the majestic vista and pointed a bright-orange sleeve at the birds. 'Look, Mom,' he shouted, 'They're high-fiving!'"
A family travels to Antarctica aboard the National Geographic Resolution with their seven-year-old son Wilder to mark his achievement of visiting all seven continents. The parents had previously visited Antarctica in January 2018 while five months pregnant, completing their own seven-continent goal before starting a family. Upon arrival, the pristine Antarctic environment overwhelms the senses with its clean air, blinding white ice, and profound quiet. Rather than focusing on the majestic icebergs, young Wilder spots Adélie penguins on a rocky outcrop and joyfully points them out to his mother, calling their mating behavior "high-fiving." The return trip represents a full-circle moment, bringing their son back to the continent where his arrival was announced.
Read at Esquire
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