Well, that is that. Summer is over, I’m going back in time. I’ve left New England’s summer, first for New Zealand’s springtime. In a matter of days, I’ll leave here for the coldest time of the year in Antarctica. So far we’ve been delayed a number of times because the ambient temperature is below -45 degrees F. Cold. The last swim of the summer’s been had. Didn’t I just leave Antarctica?
Busy and as short as it was, I had a wonderful summer. I squeezed in some rescue training, some NOLS mountaineering training, a NOLS mountaineering course with Naval Academy students, then some time with the fam on Martha’s Vineyard, a mini flying trip around New England, a NOLS course with the latest class of NASA astronauts. Only one full day at home before the NOLS course in Wyoming with the astros and only one full day at home in between departing for the Ice. It’ll be a six month deployment as I’ve taken on a new job which requires me to go early. I finally broke into the mountaineer department, oddly enough to be the supervisor (I don’t think anyone else applied). So we’ll see how it goes.
As crazy as the spring/summer was, I had some wonderful time with family and friends that I did not expect. Trainings were in convenient places to reconnect with family I hadn’t seen in years. And after 23 years, I got to see my best friend from my student NOLS course in 2000. We had lost track of each other but managed to meet up after a chance encounter she had with my sister. It was amazing to read through our journals, to look through our pics together. What a transformation it was for me.
So I now sit in a Christchurch, NZ hotel. I am trying to bank up on sleep, and trying to establish the habits I want to continue for the next 6 months. It’s not often that I’ve been in one place for that long other than when I was teaching. So I have stability – funny that I go to Antarctica and find stability. I am looking forward to being a recent returner. Last year was very challenging in the beginning. My job was challenging and I knew almost no one. Now I’m excited to go back into the community, and while there will be many new folks, I am excited to see some wonderful friends. It kind of feels like going back to the camp – the camp experience I never had.
It’s never easy to leave home. Especially to disappear from my family for 6 months. Everyone will be half a year older. Time that I will not get back with them. Though I am grateful when I think, some people only see their families for a weekend or two out of a whole year. I’ve been working on my acceptance of the present moment. And of letting go any expectations. All this while feeling so grateful for so many ways. What a gift to be alive in this world sometimes.
The astronaut course with NOLS was so much fun. I worked with an awesome co-instructor and had a blast with the astros. What a joy to spend all day walking and talking about airplanes all day. One woman was an F-18 pilot, another woman was an F-22 pilot, the other guy I was with was a private pilot like me, but now flies in the back seat of a T-38. At one point the F-22 pilot said, “Let me know if we’re talking too much about airplanes.” I laughed and told her how happy I was. How amazing to spend 8 days in the mountains with a bunch of wonderful space nerds. And how it made me smile to take a moment of quiet in the mountains to think, I’m leading astronauts through the mountains. Almost as good as getting an interview! Reconfirmed it’s a team I want to be a part of. Such wonderful people. We laughed together, we cried together, we shared beautiful places together, and hunkered from lightning and hail storms together. The wilderness has such a unique power. It always surprises me.
That’s all for now. More to come. Enjoy the moment!
Bon Voyage!!!❤️🦋