We concluded our around the world travels with a visit to Antarctica, the coldest, windiest place on Earth. The travel season lasts from November through March, during the Antarctic summer. Tourists and researchers explore the animals on shore and in the sea. A recent National Geographic video of young Emperor penguins launching off a 50ft cliff of snow and ice into the sea was an internet sensation.
As part of our theme of Antarctica, our Destination Master, Samantha Jamwal, gave us these clues about a country in South America:
- This is the country where 90% of the boat tours to Antarctica leave from.
- It is the second largest country in South America.
- 95% of the people in the country are from European descent.
- The world’s first animated feature film was made here in 1917.
If you guessed Argentina, you are correct!
Avis Russell was the Travel Topics Master for the meeting. She asked us questions about traveling to Antarctica. Tym Myers shared that a trip to Antarctica is on his bucket list because he has a friendly wager with his daughter on which of them would visit all of the world’s continents. He is only missing two continents, Antarctica and Australia, to win the wager. Helen shared that she would like to travel to Antarctica to see whales and penguins. Meghan Burns told us the story of the explorer, Ferdinand Magellan, describing the “black ducks” he encountered on his trip to Argentina in 1520. The explorer found them easy to catch and delicious to eat.
Our speaker was Samantha Jamwal. She presented her speech, “An Optimistic Pessimist,” about her journey to become a more optimistic person. This speech was a Level 5 project in the Engaging Humor path. Samantha shared her challenges of being a pessimist and her desire to be more optimistic about life. She provide three actions that have helped her overcome her pessimistic tendencies:
- learning to conquer her own internal anxieties
- thinking about future positive goals
- surrounding herself with positive people and content
She concluded that for her, being positive takes work, but the ultimate goal of being more optimistic is worth the effort.
At our next meeting, the meeting theme is “The Long and Winding Road.” Where will the long and winding road take you? We want to hear about your road trips. Where are you headed next? Join us to share your adventures on Thursday, April 25h from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm Pacific time. We want to hear about your travel and adventure plans.
Guests are always welcome to attend our meetings. If you would like to join the club, contact Helen Josephine for an application form.
Register for the meeting: https://tinyurl.com/TravelTalkersZoomLink
RSVP on MeetUp to let us know you are coming to the meeting.
We look forward to hearing your travel stories! Join us to be inspired to take your next trip.
Helen Josephine,
Travel Talkers Toastmasters
Travel Talkers Toastmasters 
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