the earth ink

This isn’t how it was supposed to be – my life, that is. I was meant to follow the example of generations before me: Grow up in my homogenous “safe” community, earn good grades in school, make friends, play outside, and graduate from high school. Then I would dash off to a reputable university to obtain a degree—and that coveted Mrs. degree with the man of my dreams. Then, I would settle down in my small safe hometown and push the refresh and repeat button for my own child. I am literally on the other side of the world from those initial 22 years of aspirations. When I graduated with only a degree in communication I started facing the raw disappointment that my life would not follow the plan handed down from most of my family and female role models. I still desire pieces of that carefully preconceived notion about life’s path. But, I can see that every sentence of my story is woven like a thread into a fantastically intricate tapestry of experiences. None of my moments are worth retu...

It is August. Light is fleeting, but beautiful. Though light begins to touch the sky again on Antarctica's coastline, the sun has not risen yet - nor has it popped above the horizon in nearly four months. August is the coldest month in Antarctica. Nose hairs freeze and skin cracks due to the lack of humidity - though exposed skin is hard to find. Privileged to accompany professional photographer and director of Antarctica: A Year on Ice , Anthony Powell out on the sea ice, this photo was captured as light reflected off white pressure ridges in the Ross Sea near Scott Base. Fellow winterover, Joe, stood contemplating his own photo through a hole melted in a slab of ice that pushed up through the sea ice's tempermental frozen coastal crust. In this area, weddell seals will pop up during the summer and summertime contractors and scientists will have to sign up for tours to negotiate the ice formations. In late January, this area to the shoreline will become slushy and unpred...

In 2010, The Earth Ink established a "signature" postcard design with 15 little window for photos. Returning from an around-the-world trip, this design first became a "change of address" postcard with new details printed on the back. A quote from Mother Jones provides some context for this card: "My address is like my shoes. It travels with me." The postcard showcases global destinations; featuring thumbnail photos from Antarctica, New Zealand, Singapore, Jordan, Croatia, Turkey, Greece, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, Canada, Switzerland, and the United States. This postcard design has been used several times over in different contexts.  The design is customizable with customer photos and available* in  qualities of 100+. For more information, or a quote, contact:  theearthink (at)  gmail (dot) com. *available in 2014 | made in the USA | sustainably printed

Tremendous anticipation overwhelms the icy atmosphere for the arrival of the first flight in to Antarctic. After six months without a link to the 'living' world, the sun starts rising from total darkness and the tiny communities of McMurdo Station and Scott Base on Ross Island look forward to the first flight's arrival for a delivery of fresh fruits and vegetables and mail. The feeling of anticipation is coupled with apprehension. Members of the tight knit community become slightly anxious about the influx of new people who will inhabit the station - more than doubling the population that spent the winter on the Ice. The new people are orange in comparison to the winterover crew's pasty white sun-deprived skin. They are loud, healthy, excitable, and assume to know far more than the overworked, vitamin-D deficient folks who spent far more time in Antarctica than most people who arrive for the summer season. Waiting and watching in an articulated passenger Delta, three...