Collecting impressions about a destination is an exciting part of planning for a trip. Visceral stirrings and the anticipation of travel are fueled by images, both graphic and literary. Maps have always appealed to me as a way of grasping or conceiving in the mind’s eye: a means by which I might construct a notion about space and place. However abstract and limited, pulling out a map communicates a stage upon which I project many scenarios and eventualities. In this sense, consulting the atlas is a ritual beginning of sorts—the first steps taken in an imaginary landscape. Comprehending Antarctica was another matter ...
Douglas Quin (Wed,) studied this question.