I ignored the advice and took my teen to Antarctica

My son Jack was overwhelmed by college anxiety — SAT prep, AP classes, acceptance rates, and the pressure that comes with being a New York student. To quiet the noise, I pulled him out of school and took him to Antarctica for three weeks over winter break. Everyone told me it was a terrible idea, but I thought it was exactly what he needed.

We’ve been traveling together since he was a baby — I took him along from 3 months old and we visited places like Costa Rica, Mexico, Nevis, and Finland. It became harder to pull him out as he got older (he even missed eighth-grade graduation to go to Sri Lanka), and once he entered high school grades mattered more.

Junior year brought the full weight of college prep, and both of us became slightly unhinged. Jack was instantly in when I floated the idea of a trip, so I booked a three-week cruise to Antarctica, South Georgia, and the Falkland Islands.

United States, New York

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