What inspired you to travel abroad?
Every holiday I choose to travel abroad to experience different cultures. My success coach at school gets information about study abroad, and the Antarctic continent was a cool option.
Yao got to see penguins while in Antarctica
Why did you choose AUIP Antarctica?
First of all, I had not seen a group of penguins in the wild. The other reason is due to the mystery of this frozen continent. Only one choice of AUIP is available on the school’s study office website, so I chose to go to the Antarctic.
What was your favorite part about Antarctica?
When our ship reached a position of about 64 degrees south latitude, we could explore the Antarctic continent every day, as well as the surrounding islands to look at penguins, seals, and whales!
What made your experience abroad extraordinary?
Antarctica is not as cold as I imagined. The excrement from the flocks of penguins is really stinky. The glaciers of the Antarctic are different every day.
AUIP participants love to send postcards home!
How did the local program staff support you throughout your program?
My research module was all about seabirds, and the bird researchers on board would help us identify the birds and allow us to enter the cab—the best room to look at a large number of birds.
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?
I was hoping to not get seasick when sailing through the Drake Passage!
Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.
There was a morning call on time every morning, and the captain would introduce today's longitude-latitude and the speed of the boat. Then, I would get up and go to the restaurant for breakfast, and the breakfast was exactly the same every day. Then, I would go back to the room and change into the uniform (waterproof jacket, pants, and boots), and line up to sit zodiacs. The zodiacs driver would take us through the icebergs, capture the black ice, and then board the mainland.
Returning to the boat, I would choose to go to the observation room for a cup of hot chocolate and then read some books until lunch time. There would be various science lectures in the afternoon, or you could also go back to the room to take a nap after seasickness. The best part is dinner time, when we had a questioner and then take turns answering questions. This is a great way to get to know each other. After dinner, you could choose to watch movies, chat, read books, steam sauna, and do yoga.
What did you enjoy doing in your free time abroad?
On the Antarctic ship, I would go to the gym to do some sports, or stay in the observation room to sketch and read books.
What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?
Throughout the journey, we lived in a double room with a window of approximately 20 square inches, with a separate bathroom and hot water, a small sofa in the cabin, a coffee table, a mini bar, a desk, and a huge wardrobe.
The tail of a humpback whale breaks the surface in Antarctica
What is one thing every future participant should know about AUIP before their program begins?
You should bring your game console, playing cards, or enough for you to read e-books for half a month. The days of sailing to the Antarctic continent can be really boring.
Would you recommend AUIP Antarctica to others? Why?
Of course! This is a great opportunity. Antarctica is truly magnificent and changing every day.
What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is?
To feel the cultural differences in different regions; with study abroad programs accompanied by professors, being able to have questions answered at any time.
Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?
Antarctica is a continent without ownership, and people all over the world must protect it. We shouldn’t take anything, and we don't leave anything there.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
The meaning of travel is to discover the true self.
