10 February 2014 Fairbanks where the journey begins

With every breath I felt the chill.

The air so cold that as it entered my lungs I knew that Arizona was hours and miles away. Have you ever had a dream, a desire so strong that you are willing to apply for something year after year after year? That is how badly I have wanted to travel to the southern ocean to see, feel and taste Antarctica. That is how badly I want my Arizona students to see the world, to travel through my eyes so that when they get old enough they can remember that there is a planet waiting to be explored, a planet to teach them everything.

The plane was dark when the pilot announced the Aurora borealis on the starboard side and as I craned my neck there was a flicker of light, not enough but a taste, a glimpse of what was to come. These northern lights were welcoming me providing an opportunity to learn, to broaden my knowledge base and become a better teacher. And then I was meeting other educators from across America and Puerto Rico, hearing their stories, learning of their upcoming field experiences and I knew that I had come home. I am exactly where I am supposed to be. I am in Alaska, learning, expanding my mind to be the best that I can in helping tomorrows future citizens be the best that they can become.

And how, you ask, did the day end? Mammoth ivory on the wall, a bowhead whale vertebra on the floor, baleen on shelves a cornucopia of nature, a feast for my eyes and mind, yes I am ready for day two and eventually the Southern Ocean!

Keep following and learn about Sea floor changes and the Antarctic CircumpolarLocated or found within the Earth’s polar regions. Current. So let's start:

• Where is the Scotia Sea
• What was the Scotia Sea named after
• Why is the science of the Sea floor in the Scotia Sea so important?

http://youtu.be/9eAccrR3NWA