TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
I am sure you have read this poem before and know it quite well. I thought it rather represented your situation. To go to Antarctica and help out with some of the most extraordinary things imaginable. To brave the dangers of near freezing water most days, to be on the lookout for leopard seals is far from the common road. Thank you for inspiring us with your wonderful journals and writing while on this journey. Every day or every few days I look forward to reading about the wonderful science that you are doing, and of course the magnificent pictures that fill the page. From the tiny insects, to the wonderful nostalgic penguin sitting on the ice looking into the distance, I love them all.
Luke Plowden