Flustered with the work I was preoccupied with, I hear the phone ring; a call from a landline number from Chennai. As I pick up, I hear a gracious woman speak to me in calculated words, “Hello Surmai, I’ve been meaning to call you, but have been travelling. I found your email in my inbox, which I knew I had to follow up with a call. We have gone through your profile. I’m aware that Mahindra is a huge name in CSR, and I’m sure you’re doing a great job making all these wonderful things happen for the group in the social space. I want to personally invite you to be a part of the International Antarctic Expedition.”
At the sound of those words, I could feel my fists clench, blood pressure shoot up and face turn blush red. Those 2 minutes spent on the call were the defining moments of my life. I was elated, jumping in the air, tying up my frenzied excitement with words I was trying to shoot at the other side of the phone.
I had been selected to be a life-long member of the Climate Force Mission 2041 Group helmed by the legendary Robert Swan - The first man in history to walk both the poles. I was going to embark upon a journey of a lifetime to the coldest, windiest, driest place on earth, Antarctica, with the most acclaimed polar explorer to study first-hand effects of climate change. Voyaging from the southernmost city of the world - Ushuaia (Argentina) into the toughest seas known to mankind, The Drakes Passage, I was about to live my dream.
In the following weeks, I remember being fueled with superhuman energies. My productivity levels shot up like I was already on a mission to save the planet.
Over and above my routine job, I was running marathons, writing to people seeking their advice on expedition sponsorships, making cold calls, doing my research, travelling for meetings, thus, literally making every inch of effort to see my dream come to life.
I’m a soldier’s daughter and have been taught to fight until my lungs stop drawing air. I fought, and I patiently waited for my jigsaw puzzle to transcend into reality and it did.
I was already so packed in action that my thoughts didn’t wander around much but the nervousness started creeping in when I first went to shop for my gear. I’ve been all over the world, travelling on backpacking trips, but this was different. I spent hours worrying about how would I manage this once in a lifetime excursion during my periods. I didn’t know what would give me the right protection against overflows and leakages. Just then, I stumbled upon Phoenix Pads and the convenient packaging and striking features drew me to it. To be on a safer side, I ordered tampons and menstrual cups (little did I knew, I won’t need them) along with Phoenix Pads and packed them into my 18kg rucksack.
With months of training and raising funds, I was finally ready with my invitation letter, sponsorship money, tickets, gear and my loved ones’ wishes to witness the last white wilderness on earth.
As I stepped onto the deck, those months of preparation and hard work ran before my eyes and in that moment I realized miracles do happen and dreams do come true. It was surreal.
The ship was beautiful, and now, it was home to us, 90 climate force ambassadors from across the world. The days used to start with a wakeup call from our expedition leader, Jumper, a mountain and arctic trained ex-member of the ‘Her Majesties British Force’. In his theatrical voice, he would wake us up every morning, “Hey! It's 6 o'clock in the morning right now and only -5℃. Come on now, roll over the bed and give me a smile. See you all on deck no.7. Remember layers. Layers. Layers.”
We would be charged up to see the first rays of sunshine on the deck. A sight that nothing in this world could ever buy. Sun rays reflecting on ice creating hues of blue you cannot imagine existed.
Our days were mostly packed with activity. We would make landings almost thrice a day, leaving the safety of our ship and parading out onto a zodiac, which is essentially a motorized rubber boat.
We travelled to islands and continental shelves catching sight of different penguin colonies and whales. Whales, I think, are like the extension of the sea, blissfully enjoying the ocean’s canvas and moving around joyously.
The Drakes Passage was an ordeal to encounter. I want to tell you how bad the seas were, on some days the bravest hearts would get anxiety attacks looking at the ship dance amidst the waves, rolling and pitching, making people walk around the ship like they were drugged and hypnotized by the fluid motions of the ship.
But conquering the uncharted waters and sliding through into the Antarctic Circle, 66 degrees 33.7' South, was a bewildering achievement for very few travellers have ever been so far south.
Post all the adventure cruising into the Antarctic waters and making our summits to the continent, studying the variety of landscapes, icebergs, flora, and fauna, we were ready for our next big adventure- the polar plunge. A conclusion and testimony to my Antarctic adventure. The announcement was made while we were drinking tea, that the ship is now ready for the polar plunge and we must prepare ourselves- mentally, physically and spiritually. My honest opinion on this, you can never be prepared for a polar plunge no matter what your cells are made of. At the sound of the announcement, I started bracing myself with confidence in making the right dive into the open waters of the Antarctic sea, feeling the knife biting cold somehow soothe my warm skin. The plunge was something that you must do, to really embrace the territory called Antarctica. Diving into the waters was a real testimony to realizing my Antarctic journey. I was one among them now, one amongst the penguins and the whales, amidst the deep blue sea with icebergs and sea ice floating on through the landscape.
