Hello MMM community,
I am asking for advice on a possibly non-Mustachian pursuit: travelling to Antarctica.
I've always loved travelling and hiking and have been to several corners of the world. But one place I really want to see is the desert continent where few have been to. I've been dreaming of it since college days. Having worked several years at a middle-class job and lived frugally I've accumulated enough resources to go there without making a significant dent in my net worth.
But I am wondering whether I can reduce the dent it will make, and whether this dent is worth making.
Travelling to Antarctica requires one to fly to Ushuaia in Argentina. This flight, from my part of the world, will cost at least $3000 for a roundtrip ticket. The cheapest Antarctica trip I could find from an operator of some repute costs $5000 for a 10-day journey. Add in other mountaineering and skiing extras, as well as side trips to other places in Argentina, and the trip should cost about $10000. Flying there and back takes some time and this holiday will consume most of my annual leave.
Firstly, anybody been there and would like to give their take on whether it is worth going at this time? Could trips possibly be cheaper in the future? Any operator recommendations?
Secondly, the cost of the trip is easily twice my annual expenditure on food, transport and other personal needs. It costs five months of savings from work. I can come up with other comparisons as well on how I can use the money. Suffice to say it is a decidedly non-Mustachian pursuit for a person who lives by Mustachian principles. So, I am getting cold feet even without stepping into the Antarctic summer. I've always gone for experiences over consumer goods. But with the cost of this trip I can go for four or five satisfying travelling experiences as well.
So I am wondering how to think about this issue. It is a dream, one of many dreams, perhaps, but a dream that is within reach. I'm in my late 20s with no pressing family commitments yet, so should I go?
Thank you for your thoughts.