What I’d experienced in all the bases I had visited, was the gratifying, enticing closeness that comes when – in a place that was famous for its hostility – you found such like-minded people who invited you in so readily.

— Gabrielle Walker, Antartica

Flying to Antarctica feels like an ethereal dream. From an altitude of 30,000 feet, cruising at 500 miles an hour, I can see glaciers so bright they appear to glow and mountains that conjure a primal sense of reverence. A literal dreamscape.

Staring out the window, I think about my last journey to Antarctica (via ship) aboard the hulking Laurence M. Gould. Sailing out of Punta Arenas, Chile and crossing the Drake Passage took four days. I didn’t get seasick but the lumbering waves left me feeling deliriously sleepy and disoriented.

On this short and sweet flight, I feel wide awake — and extremely happy.