6 November 2008 Where in the World is S.A.R.A.?

 We landed in Auckland, New Zealand at 9:00am. The view from the window was absolutely amazing. Everywhere you look it is green, but not just a plain green. It is a dark, luscious green that makes you want to lie down and roll in it. New Zealand is comprised of a group of islands that have beautiful snow-covered mountains and are surrounded by clear blue-green water.

When you land in New Zealand you have to collect your luggage, go through customs, and then find the gate for your next flight. However, I had several problems. The first problem was that one of my duffle bags was missing (yes, I have two duffle bags to carry my clothes along with S.A.R.A. and all of her parts). The bag that was missing has most of S.A.R.A. and a lot of my clothes. The people at the airline were very kind and I completed a form to try and locate my bag.

My second problem was that the delay in our flight from Los Angeles had caused us (me, Scott, and Seth) to miss our flight. After going through customs we headed to the ticket area to book a new flight. By the time we got a new ticket for an 11:45 flight to Christchurch, New Zealand it was 11:30am. We rushed to get on board and continue on our trip.

We arrived in Christchurch at 1:00pm and we had an appointment at the CDC(abbreviation) Clothing Distribution Center (or Centre as they spell it in New Zealand) (clothing distribution center) for 1:00pm. At least we haven't had to wait around.  We grabbed our bags and walked to the CDC(abbreviation) Clothing Distribution Center (or Centre as they spell it in New Zealand). We just had to follow the blue footprints (human and penguin) that are painted on the sidewalk from the airport.

We were greeted by Maureen who is one of the people who manages the CDC(abbreviation) Clothing Distribution Center (or Centre as they spell it in New Zealand). The first thing I had to do was take my laptop to be examined and cleared for use in Antarctica (it passed!). The next thing up for me was a flu shot. It didn't even hurt. The next step was to watch a video about what we needed to do to go to Antarctica tomorrow morning. I can't believe the day has finally arrived. Yippee!!!

We were then separated into boys and girls and taken to rooms to get our ECW(abbreviation) Extreme Cold Weather clothing or extreme cold weather gear. Each of us was issued 2 orange bags that contained the clothes that we need to survive in Antarctica. The contents of the bags are tailored to what you will be doing in Antarctica.

My bag contained a huge, puffy orange parka with a fur-lined hood. I also received another orange parka that was just the shell (no puff). I got a pair of wind pants that look like overalls with some puff. I got a pair of bunny boots (big, white, and cumbersome but super warm). I also got 2 pairs of long underwear (one thin and one thick pair). I got a fleece pullover with a pair of fleece pants. There was a baklava (like a face mask), a fleece hat, leather mittens, wool mittens, 2 pairs of leather gloves, 2 pairs of glove liners, 2 pairs of super thick socks, and a neck gaiter. I almost forgot...I also got a pair of goggles that are going to make me look really cool. We tried everything on to be sure it fit and that the zippers and buttons worked. Once you get to Antarctica you are sort of stuck with the gear that you are issued.

The next stop was the hotel. We took a shuttle into downtown Christchurch to the Windsor Bed and Breakfast. During the ride we met Beth who works in Denver for the USGS (just like Seth). She and her team will be doing an aerial study of some ice-covered mountains in eastern Antarctica. If you'd like to know more, just send me your questions under "Ask the Team" and I'll be happy to answer.

Downtown Christchurch is lovely and the hotel is delightful. We decided that the first order of business was to find some food because we were all very hungry. After a yummy meal we went in search for fresh fruit for Stacy and the rest of the team. We found tangelos, mandarins, pears, and kiwi fruit.

We returned to the hotel and hung out in the lounge. We met some retired teachers from Australia who were very interested in the details about our trip to Antarctica. At around 10:30pm we decided to call it a day. After all we leave for Antarctica tomorrow at 5:05am. I can't wait!

P.S. I am amazed at how interested the people in New Zealand are in the results of the election that just took place in the United States. We tend to forget that what happens to us in the United States impacts people in other countries. We are all truly connected.