Labors of Love

Chicago Sun-Times, April 19, 2005
By Paige Wiser, Staff Reporter

Annie Aggens: Director of polar operations and expedition leader for the Northwest Passage in Wilmette

"I like to guide trips where people are out of their element," says Aggens, "the kind of trips where egos are left behind and people open themselves up to completely new experiences. For instance, at the North Pole, everything is new to people; the drifting pack ice, the extreme cold temperatures, the pressure ridges that can pop out of nowhere... It's a true adventure! The people who join our expeditions are wonderful. They all share a passion for the high latitudes and a lust for living life to its fullest. They are the reason why I love guiding trips to the ends of the Earth."