"Sharrie's Arctic Circle" a Arctic Travel Page by Sharrie

Arctic!
A trip evolving on its own.
A journey preordained.

I didn't plan on it b4 leaving home.
It materialised within 5 hours just b4 I boarded the cruise ship M/S Explorer II to Antarctica.

Unbelievable?
Believe it.
Well, it took me some time to realise what a thought (a simple thought) could do.
+ A lot of help from all parties concerned.

The story goes like this:

I was set to leave for the 12 day cruise to Antarctica with Radisson Seven Seas Cruises.
I made my way, albeit a long one, via the U.S. with stops in L.A. & Miami, Argentina - Buenos Aires & Ushuaia to the port where we were supposed to board the cruise ship.
I arrived a day earlier so as to make sure there were no unforeseen circumstances arising.
It worked out all fine.
I finally got to Ushuaia a night b4.

It was a very expensive cruise.
& to a place I've dreamt of & took a lot of effort b4 getting here.
I was not going to jeapordize anything by going into the nearby national park.
So, I didn't.
I roamed the streets of Ushuaia in the morning b4 departure.

Ok, far far away from home.
Need to make a call home to let everyone knows I'm safe & on schedule.
Found the outlet which offers long distance calls.
Lots of them here in Ushuaia.
Well, my autoroaming doesn't work in this country. No network!
No matter. Calls are pretty convenient & cheap to make here.

Wow, internet access!
Ok, gotta check some mails!
Logged onto VT (I don't usually do that.)
Worldtrekker wrote! Told me to go & see northern lights. Cool idea! Thanks!

Search engine reveals "Northern Light Arctic Circle Adventure" by Northern Alaska Tour Company (NorthernAlaska.com).
Great! I should call them.
Placed a call (in Ushuaia) there & then to Alaska!
Brett (as God will have it) answered the call in the early morning. He was very helpful. Told me to call in an hour when the person in charged gets in.
Ok, went for lunch.
Made another call.
Kathy said they will try to make my dreams come true.
Marvelous! Gave them my credit card number & left all arrangements to them.

Proceed to board the ship in the afternoon.
B4 that, I've to get a ticket from Anchorage to Fairbanks.
Ok, Alaska Air online site. This internet thing is amazing, you know. Everything turns out the way it should be at the click of a mouse!
I purchased the E-ticket with just a few clicks & off I went on an adventure of a lifetime!
What could be better?

Life is beautiful :-)))
(Until I heard where they are taking me.
Coldfoot! OMG, what did I get myself into? That very name ... brrrrrrrrrrr, it's in the middle of winter in the Arctic, unlike Antarctica - basking in the summer warmth!)
If you think Antarctica is cold, think again!
Fortunately, I survived both!
So, that makes me a survivor eh? ;-)
& an adventurer & a loony, haha!
Who ever on this planet would go to both Antarctica & Arctic on the very same trip?
If you find another person, let me know.
He/she has to be my soulmate !!!!!!!

Brett Carlson has lived for majority of his life in Coldfoot.
Coldfoot... yep, a name that scares many.
It's undoubtedly one of the coldest place on Earth.
But wait, there's always a softer side to harshness...
The beauty of Coldfoot is one that you have to endure the cold (brrrrrr) b4 you know what it is all about!

Thanks, Brett! For having made the ride such a beautiful & informative one. For showing me what life can be & what faith is :-)

Sometimes it pays not to think too much... consequences, well, most things in life are beyond our control anyhow.

Have faith... it's easier said than done.
I was on a road trip unlike any.
Out in the most remote part of the world.
Pure wilderness.
With 2 men.
I could be dead.
But, I had been lucky.
These 2 are the nicest & kindest men around.
We had a great time getting to where we wanted to.
It was an amazing journey.
The sunrise & sunset... beyond my imagination.
The winter wonderland... absolutely fantastic.
The trip? A triumph of human spirit!

Am I proud of myself?
You bet!
But more importantly, this is a message to all of you out there.
Be brave!