Today the Antarctic Peninsula lies behind us as we complete the last open ocean leg of our long journey, across the infamous Drake Passage, to Tierra del Fuego. The seas have been quite moderate last night and this morning, giving the National Geographic Explorer a smooth ride and allowing us the luxury of some quiet hours to contemplate our experiences over the past three weeks. Our voyage around the Scotia Arc, from the Falkland Islands to South Georgia, the South Orkneys, South Shetlands and the Antarctic Peninsula has been so rich with adventure and exploration that it demands careful contemplation in order to knit it all together in our minds, to find its proper place in the context of our lives, and to secure all of our now-fresh memories for future solace and inspiration.