Is it really going to happen? One month from today, I will board a plane headed toward Chile, then a boat through the ominous Drake PassageStrait, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans between Tierra del Fuego and the South Shetland Islands. Located about 100 mi (160 km) north of the Antarctic Peninsula, it is 600 mi (1,000 km) wide., finally a short 5 or 6 days later I will step foot on ANTARCTICA! The past 3 weeks has been a whirlwind for me. First I got to meet all the other amazing participants in my PolarTREC cohort, and I do mean AMAZING, in Fairbanks, Alaska where we were flooded with a deluge of information and technology. Then, off to Ecuador for a backpacking trip for my high school's spring break. Of all that, the week I returned to school was probably the most hectic. Sunday, I had my pre-field organizational meeting with Elaine form Antarctic Support Contract (ASC). This was super helpful since it laid to rest a lot of the logistics of getting to Antarctica and getting my Extreme Cold Weather (ECW(abbreviation) Extreme Cold Weather clothing) gear, luckily they will have some gear that fits me better than the samples at orientation. Monday, I was able to send in the last of the corrections needed to finally be Physically Qualified (PQ’d) – note to others, double and triple check what you send in, it will lesson the stress. Tuesday, I had my final pre-field meeting with my whole support staff. Janet, Judy, Nell, Chuck, and Elaine, let me extend a big thank you for everything you have done for me already. Wednesday, the final news and last thing holding me back from this wonderful experience, the email stating I was PQ’d came through from UTMB (insert happy dance here). So, yes this is really going to happen!
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