Entry 8 - T -1
Its finally here. The day before I leave for the Ice. I’m going to Antarctica tomorrow. Crazy! Pretty excited, nervous. Not worried about being cold. Mostly concerned about there not being enough food in all of Antarctica to feed me. I haven’t finished packing yet, the truth is I haven’t started. My room is a mess with clothes all over the place. The last load of laundry is on the line. I’ve just enjoyed some hot chips with the flatmates and we have big plans to get a pizza, drive to the top of the port hills and watch the sun set. Its the last sunset I’ll see for two weeks. I’ve made all the phone calls to the states to wish family Merry Christmas and Happy New Years. A little bittersweet that I won’t be there. I miss all my friends (you know who you are). I miss Willy, my pony like there is no tomorrow. I’ve got big plans and adventures to attend to though. Everyone has said that I’m up for the experience of a lifetime. That very few people go to Antarctica, even fewer go to Ross Island. Virtually no one does what we are about to do.
I have to leave the flat at 5:30, be at the airport by 6:20, sign in, present my boarding pass. Gather more gear, receive my dog tags. Get weighted. Wait around for an hour. Drive 5 minutes across the street to where the Hercules is. Board. We get a bit of a nicer plane. Its got forward seats. Its a South African Plane, being flown by the Italians, leaving from New Zealand, going to the American runway on the Ross Ice Shelf. Talk about international! The food will at least be good from the Italians. We are not meant to eat it till half way through. That way we know we will not have to wait another 5 hours to eat if the plane turns around. It will take 7 hours if we make it. However, if the weather is bad they will not hesitate to turn us around mid-flight and take us back to Christchurch. Also, we might not actually leave on the 29th. Our flight is the only one scheduled to leave between Christmas and New Years. So if the weather goes bad, I’ll be stuck at Scott Base for New Years. Here’s hoping. Pilots also like a bit of a break for the holidays. Point of story, don’t be worried if you don’t hear from me for awhile. There is no WiFi in the field. Maybe at Scott Base but don’t know what the access will be like. That’s one of the good things about Antarctica. You are so removed from the rest of the world.
Anyway, I’ll be fine so those of you who are worried, don’t be. I’ll try my hardest to bring back all the requested penguins. I’ll do the polar plunge if the opportunity arises. I have 3 packages of Tim Tams. I’ll write more when I’m back from the Ice!