Well me peeps…  I’ve bag dragged.  What does that mean?  It means I took all my bags and all my cold weather gear (giant boots, “Big Red”, etc) and dragged it up the hill to building 140 to get weighed in.  They weigh our checked bag first, then our carry on then ourselves with all our gear.  My checked bag was 23lbs under the allowable limit and my carryon is crazy heavy.  In it I have all things I don’t want to chance freezing while it waits for the plane and enough clothes and toiletries to last me two weeks though my flight is scheduled for tomorrow.  That’s right I have a little field camp bag drag PTSD… where they took my bag and it was like two weeks before I actually flew, or close to it!

So we’ll see if I actually get out tomorrow, I’m feeling pretty good about it.  Flying north…off the ice.  I’ll be honest, I’m feeling conflicted about leaving.  Sad to leave friends and an…interesting lifestyle that I’ve grown to love.  I’ve got to experience the vastness of Antarctica and the fun college lifestyle with dorms and cafeteria style eating of McMurdo.  I’m made some friends at the Kiwi base next door too, that I’ve promised to send pictures of greenery, fresh veggies and sunrises to as they winter over down here.  A friend at dinner tonight referred to his season as a “semester”, accidentally.  Too funny!

However, home is calling.  It’s time.  I’m starting to spell things phonetically and completely forget words all together mid sentence.   My wardrobe of flannels and hoodies needs a vacation and I’ve been wearing the same boots for the past four months, day in and well… I haven’t seen day out in four months either.

Sunsets and night time, fresh veggies and Seattle coffee…here I come.

PS – I still have a ton of photos and stories to share that I’ll work on as soon as I get home as well as some answeres to questions I’ve gotten so stay tuned!