The journey home was a much smoother experience than the journey here. No volcanoes, no being stranded in two different locations, waiting for the ash to clear. No, it was a very uneventful trip back home.
The long journey back home started with a 9:30am meeting at the KISS manager’s office. Robbie Score, from Polar Field Services, gave us a ride to the Kangerlussuaq airport and a final goodbye.
Within an hour we were in the air heading to Copenhagen, Denmark. It was bittersweet looking out the airplane window and seeing the ice sheet for the last time, but realizing that I would be reunited with my family overrode those feelings.
We landed in Copenhagen at 8pm and quickly secured a ride to the Strand hotel in downtown Copenhagen. We were within walking distance to some great restaurants and the city center. After dinner, we walked around, taking in all of the sights, smells and sounds Copenhagen had to offer at midnight.
The next morning came quickly. Koni, Simon and I had breakfast and said our farewells. I grabbed my baggage and walked to the metro a few blocks away. The metro is an experience everyone should have. There is no “real” person you interact with! There is a pay station, you indicate where you want to go, pay for the ticket and get on the metro. You then need to watch the red scrolling sign to see when your stop is next. The metro stops and you get off and on your way. It was way to easy.
The rest of the trip was very relaxing. I asked the attendant at the Copenhagen airport if there were any spaces to upgrade and she gave me a complimentary upgrade that was very nice for the 8+ hours on the plane. I then had a quick layover in Washington DC and then one hour later, I was greeted by my very happy wife and kids at the Pittsburgh International Airport. We had a great welcome back dinner and lots of great story sharing. It’s great to be home!
I hope that you enjoyed reading my journals and encourage you to take a look at the other PolarTREC teacher’s expeditions. There is a lot to be learned in the Polar Sciences!
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