Well, this is a new site for my blog. And it seemed appropriate to start a new blog with a new adventure.

ANTARCTICA!

Somehow the stars aligned and I get to go to the Continent that I have wanted to see since Peggy Burr introduced me to books on Ernest Shackleton and explorations. I never, in my wildest dreams, thought that a small town, non-scientific girl would ever be able to go there. But I wanted to go.

The story of how this all happened is a bit convoluted but I can never repay my friend and fellow traveler, Leigh for making this trip possible.

And now on to what I am doing right this moment to prepare for the trip that will begin this Sunday.

I did laundry. At a laundromat.

I haven’t done that in over 20 years. But the stars misaligned around Christmas and my washing machine decided to loudly protest its lot in life. It was so loud that I turned off its power and called the repair folks.

It is now January 18 and the washer sits in triumph. And I sit in a laundromat.

Tonight I repacked twice. I have reduced and increased the amount of items in the suitcase on at least a dozen occasions over the last 2 weeks.

Long wool “base layer” (yup, it’s long underwear!)  CHECK.

Midlayer jackets, shirts, pants etc.  CHECK

Outer layer jackets, hats, gloves, mittens, face guard, neck guard etc. CHECK

Boots, shoes, socks, underwear, mitten liners, boot liners etc.  CHECK

Camera, binoculars, other such equipment CHECK

I could go on. My lists are all over this house.

So I repack to make sure that I have everything and then I realize I have forgotten something (shampoo, toothbrush, sunglasses) and every day there is something new.

But the anticipation is like an internal vibration.

So I sit and write instead of checking the lists again.

I did remember the sea-sickness meds. The Drake Passage could be a doozy!!!