5 October 2017 15 Days and Counting!

Sirens are screaming. Every alarm bell in my head is sounding off simultaneously. 15 days till deployment. Too late to get off the train. I'm here for the long haul, but there is so much to do and so little time left to check the items off my list. I have had months and yet, no time at all. The PQ process is complete, that is to say, I have been cleared medically and dentally. I have submitted loads of paperwork. My substitute teacher has been chosen, postcards designed and printed, students informed, on board and excited, newspapers contacted, interviews in the works, extreme cold weather gear kit in hand. I have purchased protective eyewear. I have a closet full of new clothing to keep me comfy and with any luck, warm enough, to survive five weeks in Antarctica. And yet, here I sit, typing my first journal in many months brutally aware of all the balls dropping around me. I'll have to try to catch them another day!

I would like to start this journal process by introducing you all to the school that is my current home away from home, Nicolet Union High School, in Glendale, WI. Nicolet is an exceptional school and I am certain many of you reading are nodding your heads in agreement. Nicolet is located just north of Milwaukee. Our district is comprised of four communities, Glendale, River Hills, Bayside and Fox Point. The student body enrollment is just over 1100. Nicolet offers a comprehensive education, course offerings that rival small colleges and amazing extracurricular activities that allow all students to find their niche. Nicolet is incredibly supportive and empowering for students and staff alike. It is truly a place where even the most wild and far reaching dreams are nurtured and the smallest of successes celebrated. It is the perfect place to share my journey. I can only hope that my journey will find its way to the heart of an aspiring young scientist, perhaps one in my classes or one that has already passed through my doors or maybe even one I have yet to meet. Join me as I test my own courage and challenge my abilities as a teacher, a scientist and a human being. Please write to me with questions or comments and stay tuned each day as I learn to function like a polar scientist!