After 2+ days of travel I am back in the continent of North America, hanging out in LA airport waiting to board the first of my last two flights home. Six flights in total... and so far I've clocked 24 hours in the air (not counting layover time).
We were warned that we would find the adjustment to life back in the real world a bit strange, but I didn't think a month would really make that much of a difference. But it was weird. Here are some of the things I realised I took for granted in my regular life:
1. Greenery & colour (the botanical gardens in Christchurch were a mind blowing experience after a month of shades of brown and white)
2. The smell of humid air (down on the ice all you smell is cold air, which has no smell, fuel and sweaty people.
3. The presence of children and pets. This was probably the weirdest of them all. Didn't even notice that they weren't down in McMurdo... but definitely was aware of them in the real world.
4. The almost immediate re-hydration of my poor cracked hands.
5. There are birds other than penguins and skuas ;)
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
Adelies in action
Tomorrow we are scheduled to fly out to New Zealand. Tonight we lugged our bags up the hill to the post office where we checked in and were weighed with our carry-on and wearing our full ECW gear. It was hot and sweaty work... and the event is rightfully named "the bag drag". I will live out of my carry-on for hopefully only one night this time!
I will probably get time tomorrow morning to post a blog on the last few adventures I want to share with everyone before we are shuttled out to the airfield to await the landing of the C-17. They basically just offload and load and go. No messing around. Apparently the wait can be hours out there so we have plans to play cricket on the sea ice to pass the time. How fantastic is that?
In the meantime I'll leave you with this video of the Cape Evans Adelies in full action. I can't take credit for it, and unfortunately my classmate who did take it didn't give themselves credit when they posted it to the common drive.
Enjoy! They will melt your hearts.
j
I will probably get time tomorrow morning to post a blog on the last few adventures I want to share with everyone before we are shuttled out to the airfield to await the landing of the C-17. They basically just offload and load and go. No messing around. Apparently the wait can be hours out there so we have plans to play cricket on the sea ice to pass the time. How fantastic is that?
In the meantime I'll leave you with this video of the Cape Evans Adelies in full action. I can't take credit for it, and unfortunately my classmate who did take it didn't give themselves credit when they posted it to the common drive.
Enjoy! They will melt your hearts.
j
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