It was a normal morning in the year 1920. The rain wasn't as common as it usually is in Britain but nothing too out of the ordinary, and actually was overall a great time. The great war was over, profits for the country were raising, and peace to the people were returning.
My name is Jack Mclain. I am a British geographer that does, well, what geographers do. Travel to different places on the globe and studying the landscape and inhabitants. I don't mean to brag, but I've pretty much traveled the entire planet and have gotten plenty of information through my travels. It is a job that I very much enjoy doing and I make pretty good money from doing so.
I was in my office while I was publishing the information for my recent trip to Timbuktu but was interrupted as my assistant enters the room.
"Good morning Mr. Mclain," she announced.
"Good morning," I replied.
"How are you doing today?"
"I am doing great, I'm excited to finally finish this article."
She then would go on about how I have done many great advances in the education, shown options for interactions with other countries, and other work stuff that you probably don't care about. What really caught my attention, though, is when she said this...
"People seem to be all overwrought for the continent, they believe you will go, being the icy desert, Antarctica," she mentioned.
That's cool, maybe I should go. Hold on a second, ANTARCTICA, but that's the coldest place anyone could travel to.
"But that's just a barren wasteland of cold," I said. "How do I know that there is actually something there?"
Not answering my question, she hands me a list of things I would need if I would go to Antarctica. It included a lamp filled with oil for hot meals, a small hoosh pot, two compasses, a pair of binoculars, a 50 foot long rope, an ice pick, a chronometer, three pieces of wood to be used as walking sticks, and matches.
"These are the things you need to settle there, I know it seems extremely risky, but you've gotten this far with your travels, surely you can go to one more continent," She said. "Besides, it doesn't need to be very long, maybe for just like a week or two."
I sighed, "I'll think about it," I said, which was enough for her to leave the room.
I don't know if I should or not. Would it even be worth it? What even is there to find there? I took the list, bought and packed all that I need, and headed toward the airport.
"We are now headed to the frozen desert itself," the announcer said. "I surely hope you know what you're doing, Mclain."
"You and me both," I replied.
Not surprised, I was the only one actually going there. I look out the window to see the snowy wasteland. Unlike all the other places I've been to, this looked like NOTHING. No people, buildings, and heck, there wasn't even another airport here.
"Alright," I told the pilot. "Just so you know, I am staying a week. Just please send someone to get me out of here when it's time."
The pilot simply nodded at me and opened the doors. "Good luck," he snarkily said to me.
I left the plane and it was into the ice-land I go.
Well, where to start, I thought. I already want to leave. I sincerely wish I disagreed to this idea and just kept with what I had and maybe retired. I guess the best thing to do is start my trek. It's better than huddling up in a ball and freezing to death.
The wind and snow that this place had, my god, it made it really hard to see anything.
The temperature, so cold. I can already feel myself shivering and was starting to get a little light headed. Some shelter or at least a bonfire would feel so good right about now. And maybe some hot stew. I decided to bring out my notebook and wrote some, well, notes.
- No houses or any sort of building out here so your home will have to be moved a lot to live here.
Later, I stumble upon a massive glacier. Zoomed out I was like a tiny spider and the glacier was the boot ready to crush me. It looked a bit unstable but in hopes that there is something up there, I took out my ice pick and decided to climb up. In miraculous success, I make it to the top of the glacier. Nothing to see here, I thought. I decide to move forward but instead, clumsily, slip one the ice and fell down. And that fall was hard enough for the whole thing to come crashing down.
- You see a giant icicle attached to a cliff? Well that's great for you! Just don't climb it. Please, it's for your own safety.
I quickly slide over to the edge and tried to time it so I jumped right on the surface, but instead found myself grabbing onto the edge of the hole and quickly sliding off and landing back on the glacier and started falling into the abyss.
Darkness. The only color I now see. I look up to see the surface. It seems so close yet it's so far away. I slowly and carefully crawl towards the edge. All I could feel was ice cold water. I decide then to start setting up camp. I had a small meal and went to sleep. I already know what to call this article, "Antarctica, Possibly the Worst Vacation Spot Next to North Korea."