Can we really be remote today?

remote

/rɪˈməʊt/

A word, concept or feeling that is in reality quite hard to achieve.

At our time in human existence, we continue to build, grow, exploit and take over environments and our last remaining wild spaces. We are also seemingly addicted to our busy lives, packed inboxes, advertisements, algorithms, views and none of that really matters. I’ve certainly felt like this and am definitely trapped by doom scrolling and posting online. This is where being remote has helped…

But, what does it mean?

1. (of a place) situated far from the main centres of population; distant.

2. conducted or working away from a usual workplace or location.

How fitting could two definitions be for the last two months.

The first definition resonates the most with me.

In this instance, ‘of a place’ is Eastern Antarctica, but the most southerly part of the continent a ship could be. Secondly, the word ‘distant’ has been very relatable. Not just physically but mentally, as trying to connect and understand such a place as Antarctica is pretty tricky. Thankfully, I have learnt that it is not just me that has thought or continues to think this.

The white continent itself.

It’s a funny place to be, at the end of the earth. Compared to those who ventured here for the first time, it seems so reachable these days. Take a few flights, watch a few films, get a transfer and hop on a ship for, well, either a few days or a week and there it is, the white continent. But , I realise it really isn’t that simple.

This is where definition number two comes into play. This remote feeling is also derived from working away from my usual place on the south coast of England to be ‘transported’ to one of, if not the most remote corners of the earth for two months. The Ross Sea.

A lot of the time, especially since the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 (5 years ago!!), the word remote was signified with staying at home, opening your laptop two minutes before your morning zoom call in your pyjamas, or so I heard.

Since then, many people have strived to remain working remotely as their heightened work life balance, reduce time wasting valuable time commuting and more time spent taking an afternoon stroll was more enjoyable. Shock horror. Our move away from that red mind state to a more relaxed, remote, state of mind certainly changed populations of working people around the globe.

But, it still isn’t the remote feeling I’m on about.

The southern most ship in the world.

We were around 2,500 nautical miles south of Hobart and New Zealand by the time we had reached the Ross Sea and were within the ice. That was about a week or nine days later. So besides getting over jet lag, a lot of time was taken up by looking out at the southern oceans great expanse, day in day out, as the days got longer and the sun stayed with us.

My main thoughts or I guess questions to myself is, ‘How do I connect to somewhere so un-touched, fragile and quite frankly unbelievable?’. Similar to my first time on the peninsula (West Antarctica), I guess I just couldn’t quite believe that little old me was there.

71 degrees south was our most southerly latitude and even though people before me have been to the south pole itself, learning about their struggles, loss of limbs and lives, I almost felt a fraud of the ease of which it had been to get there. Scott, Amundsen, Shackleton - just a few of the ‘big names on campus’ that surround us in the stories being told on board and in my head as we followed in their footsteps and visited their huts.

Scott's hut

Antarctica left a restless longing in my heart beckoning towards an incomprehensible perfection for ever beyond the reach of mortal man. It’s overwhelming beauty touches one so deeply that it is like a wound. 
Edwin Mickleburgh, Beyond the Frozen Sea taken from Terra Incognita by Sara Wheeler.

Now, I realise that to go remote talking about Antarctica is a little drastic. Yup. But, hopefully you realise why it’s close to my heart. The thing is, to be remote isn’t about far flung adventures. You can become still and remote in your own mind. You can do a back yard adventure, remote from your laptop and your daily routine. Or, you can plan an adventure to the other side of your country or another continent. Becoming remote is on its own scale, nearby or far away, I think anyway.

As the world keeps running on a track to war, exploitation and taking over each others land and the lives of innocent people along the way, it’s quite nice to be remote. The world lacks a lot of connection, to each other, ourselves and the natural world. But, here in Antarctica, disconnection from the madness in the ‘real’ world feels good.

Is that what being remote is about? Is this why people leave or sell everyone they own to go and live in the middle of no where and feel that huge weight lift from their shoulders. It seemed so. Disconnect to reconnect, hmm its starting to make sense.

This is what remote feels like...

In a world where you can be anything, be remote once in a while, it was a privilege to do so. See what really matters. Feel what really matters. Allow it all to slowly make sense in your mind. Let nature, or in my lucky case the white continent, do the healing.

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Mattea