and will soon sail into the Straits of Magellan, arriving at the port of
Punta Arenas tomorrow afternoon. Our journey is ultimately coming to a
close. I leave you with these thoughts…and a few parting images of
the trip.
I left North Carolina, my boys, my fiancé, my friends, my "normal"
academic life almost 5 weeks ago and set sail for the Antarctic. It
seems like forever and a day ago and I miss everyone terribly, but this
adventure will probably seem like such a short trip when I look back in
a couple of years. During the last five weeks I have had some
incredible scientific and personal experiences. I think it is hard to
travel to this corner of the earth and not feel like you have been
granted a gift…the Antarctic is truly a treasure to behold and I feel
very lucky to have been able to visit. I hope that our experience and
our science will add to the understanding of the changes taking place
along this continent and across our globe. For those that still
question whether our planet is changing, and changing rapidly, I
encourage you to visit (by boat or internet) and witness the vast
changes currently taking place in and around the Antarctic. From ice
cover to predator-prey relationships…all are being influenced by a
changing climate, changes that will have impacts, not just here, but
across this planet.
I have enjoyed sharing this adventure with those of you that have
followed the blog and the 5th grade class I spoke with via Skype while
at Palmer Station. I can only hope that the posts and pictures provided
a window into what we have experienced, both scientifically and
personally. Although this expedition is coming to a close, the
adventures of our lab group certainly won't stop…so, keep our Blog
bookmarked and check back soon for other scientific tales!
RC and group,
ReplyDeleteI have enjoyed all the pictures and information you guys have shared through this blog. For the families of those who are there with you, it's been a small window into what you're seeing and doing. It helps to better understand the purpose and science behind this adventure. Those who have viewed your blog have shared how much they have learned and their awe of the photographs captured by your lenses. For most of us, this will be our experience of the Antarctic, so thank you for sharing what you have.
Reide, the boys and I are so excited about your return! We can't wait to see you and hear more about this year's adventure!
-Sandy