Blog Archives - Mark Marchand blog

Plunging into Antarctic waters. (Photo credit: Quark Expeditions)

‘The plunge,’ and the final days of my Antarctic expedition

Post published:April 12, 2026

Nov. 21, 2025: I was standing in line wearing a fluffy white robe with just a swimsuit on underneath, inching along as loud music played and people hooted and hollered. After turning a corner in a narrow passageway, I saw my destination: a set of steps leading from the third deck of our ship down to some of the coldest water in the world. I detected a slight wind, which grew stronger over the next few minutes as my position became more exposed. I started to shiver but I told myself that…

Panoramic view of Antarctic Peninsula bay

Off to Antarctica; Chapter Two

Post published:March 25, 2026

(Editor’s note: This is the second of three posts about my experiences traveling to and from Antarctica in November 2025. It was the culmination of a lifelong dream. I’ve also included some of the over 500 photos I took in this precious yet largely inhospitable land.) I’m sure noted ornithologist Noah Strycker gets this question all the time. As one of the world’s most famous birdwatchers and researchers, he can easily answer just about any inquiry related to one of the few remaining descendants of dinosaurs. Still, he’s patient when we…

Land ho!. First sighting of Antarctica land.

Off to Antarctica, the Seventh Continent!

Post published:March 14, 2026

(Editor’s note: This is the first of three posts about my experiences traveling to and from Antarctica in November 2025. It was the culmination of a lifelong dream. I’ve also included some of the over 500 photos I took in this precious yet largely inhospitable land.) As our ship rocked wildly in 25- to 30-foot waves in one of the world’s most treacherous ocean passages, I bounced from wall to wall in my shower. After about 10 minutes, I adapted. I held onto a chest-high rail with one hand while washing…

The Dickinson family home in Amherst, Massachusetts, where Emily wrote her poetry

Visiting Emily Dickinson’s home in Amherst, Massachusetts

Post published:May 13, 2025

Less than a mile from where I slept, studied, partied, and wrote my first journalistic words at UMass Amherst lies a well-preserved 19th century home in which one of the world’s leading poets quietly crafted poetry we still cite and study today. I never thought about visiting Emily Dickinson’s home as my life-changing experience at college unfolded in the late 1970s. I didn’t even know it was there. I sought to correct that oversight recently when I visited my alma mater to see students who produce the college’s daily newspaper. It…

Book cover by artist Deanna Gallaro.

My new book: An homage to flying airplanes

Post published:March 20, 2025

From 1995 to 2013 I flew airplanes, a lot. Aviation was my side hustle as I pursued a busy career in public relations at Verizon. Between my basic private pilot training through epic flights across North America I recorded close to 900 hours of flying. My decision to take flying lessons was the realization of a dream I’d had since my youth, especially growing up on Air Force bases where I saw airplanes every day. This included the massive, majestic B52 bombers. Each time I took a lesson, learned how to fly…