2 September, 2003

In anticipation of my upcoming trip "down south" I feel it would certainly be a useful exercise to practice sending journals and photos. While many journal entries transport the reader to the world of science research and the life of a TEA, I thought it might be instructional to find out what a teacher does at school and home to get ready for that incredible experience. Over the next few weeks I will be chronicling this process.

I leave for McMurdo and the ice of Erebus Bay on September 30th. Labor Day weekend was my 4-week marker. I spent 2 of the 3 days of this long weekend finishing a long-overdue home improvement project and catching up on the first few weeks of back-to-school paperwork (school started for us on August 18th (the students showed up on August 20th). I also began my many pages of detailed To-Do Lists, organized by week and types of chores; school, home, shopping, etc. I am an inveterate lister, and it definitely made me feel a little more organized to at least get the thoughts down on paper and develop a plan to ensure that I will have it all together a little bit before the 30th!

Lest you think that I spent the entire weekend either finishing up home projects or getting ready for my trip, I must confess I've also spent one amazing day hiking in one of our local wilderness areas. As I view it, it is essential to finish the summer with a spectacular and memorable hike, and I can always use the excuse that I should be in good physical condition when I leave for Antarctica. The weather cooperated fully, gracing us with the perfect Colorado bluebird day to wander along an exposed tundra-covered ridge winding for many miles at elevations between 12,000 and 12,600'. I returned from 9 hours of hiking ready to get down to the business of tackling all those long "To-Do" lists.

I will continue to give weekly updates of what it is like to get ready to leave home and school for nearly 3 months. Stay tuned!

Getting ready to go "The mind is no boomerang. Throw it far enough and it won't come back." Thomas McGuane

Getting ready to go