The November 2023 edition of the PBC challenged all participants to enjoy life! Often, that’s easier said than done. Especially during this hectic time of year, with negative news bombarding us day in and day out.

BUT, as I learned from The Science of Well-Being online course by Dr. Laurie Santos, happiness and enjoyment are determined by circumstances (10%), your genetic “set point” (50%) and thoughts/actions (40%).

What are some of the most powerful thoughts and actions when it comes to maximizing the ability to enjoy life? Over the years, I’ve learned that I benefit from practicing gratitude, exercising, nurturing valued relationships and spending time with Nature. Other proven techniques include finding reasons to laugh, napping, living a life of purpose/meaning, meeting new people and ticking off things on your bucket list. What have I missed?

This month was unusual for us. For the first time since COVID, we took a vacation. And it was definitely a bucket list trip. So most of my photos are from our trip. They were all taken with my phone because I have several SD cards full of photos to sort through from our travels. When that’s all done, I’ll share more about our Antarctica expedition cruise. But for now, consider this month’s Photo Blogging Challenge photo set as a bit of a “sneak peak.”

1. Nearby Nature

We enjoyed some Nature time in Canmore at the start of the month. After buying a new phone that arrived in late October, I wanted some practice with it before arriving in Antarctica. Thanks to Mr GeoK’s meticulous research and online shopping, I took this with my phone mounted to a mini-tripod and trigger the shutter with a tiny remote in my right hand.

2. Penguins at Barrientos Island, Antarctica

After 2 days crossing the Drake Passage, we arrived in Antarctica! Our first expedition was a Zodiac landing at Barrientos Island, where we observed Chinstrap and Gentoo penguins. We enjoyed blue sky and sunshine, serenaded by thousands of trumpeting, braying and honking penguins!

3. COVID-19

Six days after boarding our expedition cruise ship, I started feeling symptoms…a bit of congestion, then sore ears, then a sore throat. By the end of the day, I figured I better do a rapid test before heading to the Captain’s dinner. It was positive. Mr GeoK tested negative that evening, and was moved to another cabin. The next morning, he moved back after testing positive. So we spent 5 days in isolation in our cabin.

You might wonder why I’d include testing positive for COVID-19 in a post about enjoying life. Two reasons. First, we had an “on call” medical team that checked on us a couple of times each day, providing medication to treat symptoms as needed. Second – and way more significant – if you catch COVID-19 and spend several days in bed feeling lousy, it’s pretty nice to have room service deliver you a meal three times/day. Way better than having to drag yourself out of bed, to the kitchen, to forage for something to eat, IMO. Yes, I do always look for the silver lining. 🙂

4. Released, just in time for South Georgia

The medical team released us from isolation just in time for two amazing days in South Georgia. That first morning, out on the deck while the ship cruised up Drygalski Fjord with glaciers on every side, rated 10/10 on the enjoyment scale. I couldn’t stop smiling, despite the overcast skies.

5. Four Kinds of Penguins and a Beautiful Beach

Our final Zodiac landing was at privately-owned Saunders Islands in the Falkland Islands. The beach looked like a tropical paradise. But we definitely needed our waterproof pants, muck boots and expedition coats to stay warm and dry in the high winds.

For the first and only time during our cruise, we were in the first Zodiac to land. There’s nothing like the feeling of marking the first bootprints on a tide-cleaned beach. And not only did we see Gentoo, Magellanic, King and Rockhopper penguins, we also spotted King and Gentoo penguin chicks! Plus a colony of Antarctic shags. And no seals to dodge! It was a very enjoyable end to the expedition phase of our cruise.

Those are my 5 phone photos for the month. Note that I’m backdating the publication date for this post to align with the PBC guidelines. That’s because we arrived home on December 8th after 36 hours of flights and layovers and I finally have reliable and speedy internet access.

The other participants published right on time, so you’ll find the link up at the bottom of host PJ’s post. Hop on over to see how they all enjoyed life in November.

And please, consider joining the Photo Blogging Challenge for December. The theme is Have a Very Merry… All you need are 5 photos and a blogging site. You can write as little or as much accompanying text as you’d like. We are a small, friendly bunch!