"Don't tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you travel."
That quote, from Mohammed, is one of Mike Libecki's favorites, and it is a quote that he lives by.
The National Geographic Adventurer of the Year has been to over 100 countries for 55 expeditions and come November, he'll be pushing off for one of his most exciting endeavors yet -- he's taking his 11-year-old daughter to Antarctica.
"Antarctica is one of the most magical, powerful, beautiful places on the planet," Libecki told The Huffington Post. "It's hard to get to, it's very remote, it's a rare and unique environment of flora and fauna, 24-hour sunlight, icebergs, whales, penguins -- and getting to ski in that environment is a once in a lifetime opportunity."
Seeing her dad travel so much has inspired Lillianna, Libecki's daughter.
"Her own passion now is wanting to travel around the world, so it's pretty exciting," Libecki said.
Dad and daughter plan to visit all the continents by the time Lillianna is 12, and they only have three more to go.
When speaking with The Huffington Post, Libecki mentioned that there are some people who are skeptical about the trip, specifically because Antarctica may present certain dangers.
"I don’t have any concerns about this trip at all or else I wouldn’t be taking her," Libecki said in response. "It's not a big deal with the risk factor but it is a giant undertaking and a huge deal for where you’re going and the experience that you’ll get."
Being a single dad, Libecki also has an enormous amount of gratitude towards Lillianna's mother.
"Her mom and I aren't together but we're very close," Libecki said. "Her support and her being behind everything I'm doing is huge... without her I could do nothing."
Over the next few months, Mike and his daughter will continue to prepare for their trip. They leave on November 1st and plan to spend three weeks together on their excursion. Lillianna, who has been skiing since she was 2, will get a chance to exercise her skills in one of the most remote places on earth. As for Libecki, he's just filled with joy and excitement.
"I just feel honored and blessed that I can offer this to her," he said. "Antarctica has changed my life; it makes you just realize that 'wow, this life is an immaculate miraculous gift,' you get out to places like that and you're just in awe of reality."
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