My bags are packed and I am ready to go…

As the song goes, my bags are packed (well almost) and I am (almost) ready to go.  {Song:  Leaving on a jet plane by James Taylor} I have 2 1/2 days left in Colorado.  I am enjoying as much sunshine and green grass as I can.  And with thoughts of very limited fresh produce, I am taking in as much fresh fruit and vegetables as I can.  I think other than the canned and frozen, I will rely on fruit rollups and dried fruits.  Yummy!  It will be part of the adventure.

I am making my final arrangements to leave what seems like my comfort zone and my home, both physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  Okay, enough of the mushy stuff!

I made the final purchases of the pretty new camera and all the accessories.  Who would have thought that a new job would be such an extreme adventure with a new address, new attire, and new toys.  Oh the fun change can bring.  I can only imagine what my next job following Antarctica will bring.  What could top all of this.  {If you have any ideas or connections, please don’t hesitate to share them with me.}

So, I have not lived up to my committment of one posting a day before I left, but I can only assure you that if nothing exciting is happening, I will keep my boring exsistance to myself. He, He!!!  I will be sure to keep you all updated when the fun starts rolling in!  And I am sure that will be VERY soon.

At this point, my only requirement is to totally clean my home, finish packing, enjoy time with family and friends, and enjoy the freedom of not working.  It’s pretty challenging, but I think I can handle this.

Eleven days and counting~

Not too much going on today to prepare for the trip.  I did finally purchase the exercise ball that I have been meaning to pick up.  I am sure that this will come in handy when I need to work out some stress of the day or just to throw really hard at someone that made me mad.  I thank my personal trainer for encouraging such a multi-use item.  I know it will serve me well over the next six months!  My coworkers and roommate(s) might disagree, but I will give them my trainers contact info to share their thoughts and feedback!  Thanks Jim!

12 Days Left

As I promised, more frequent postings, so here I go.  This morning I received confirmation of my hotel in Christchurh.  I will be staying at the Windsor B&B.  If you would like more details regarding my luxury suite (I hope!), you can check it out at http://www.windsorhotel.co.nz/.  I hope to be pampered and take several baths as there are not any tubs on The Ice. 

Travel Arrangements:

My flight leaves Denver Sunday afternoon, August 31 to stop over in LA and then head to Auckland, New Zealand arriving on Tuesday, September 2 in the very early morning.  Yes, it’s  going to be a long day of sitting on the plane watching the clouds go by.  As some of you may know, this is my only real concern, the 13+ hour flight from LA to Auckland.  Any suggestions you have to make the best of my flying time, please don’t hesitate to share! 

We will be processed through customs and then one more flight that takes us to Christchurch later that morning.  We then head to our hotels for the next day and a half to get acquainted with Christchurch and play around town.  Wednesday afternoon I am scheduled to pick up my ECW Gear (Extreme Cold Weather Gear-the really cool parka and bunny boots I have bragged about!) but the rest of the day is open. 

Depending on the weather, we will head out to The Ice on Thursday very early in the morning.  I have been told that the flight is anywhere from 5-8 hours and if the weather doesn’t allow a safe arrival, we return to Christchurch to try again the next morning. 

Then the real adventure begins!

The Ice Party

What an amazing celebration!  The Ice Party took place on June 28 at my parents beautiful home with great weather and wonderful company. 

There was a plentiful supply of incredible food and great personalities. 

The following are pictures prepared specially from our personal photographer (Patricia).  Thanks to her, we have great memories captured!

 

Gavin, Sofi, & Noa taking time to have fun in the sun.

Only a small portion of the great food...

Bob knew where the fun was at.

The party was not complete until we were blessed with the presence of Rebecca and Herbie.

Thanks to my Ridge View Academy peeps for coming to the party.

Smiles from Delores & Lou keep the party going.

Karen's creation of our very own Happy Feet

Yes…more food.

A little shade was enjoyed by Al & Bob.

Thanks to Mark & Melissa (and Gavin, not pictured) for joining us.

I am sure they are talking about wine!

Don't forget the infamous napkins...!

Noa was patiently waiting for more sweets from mom while Sofi wanted to take a little rest.

Don't get between a man and his bike.

Teddy & Debbie took a moment to smile for the camera.

Although we missed Larrabee, we were glad that Barb could join us.

Making her parents proud is Sofi sharing her chocolate with Bob and Carol.

Deep in conversation were Uncle Allan and Aunt Rhea. I am so pleased that they could make the trip from the Northest.

Noa gets attacked by the tickle monster (Aunt Marci).

The ladies and gents from Sage. Thanks for coming.

Staying cool are Pop-Pop and Uncle Allan

A true friend is one who will stay up until midnight peeling hard boiled eggs! Thanks to Patricia for all of your help with the party.

Women Chefs...we are going to take over the world!

After a long day of partying, Sofi says good night to us all

Two Weeks To Go…

The final countdown has begun.  I have exactly 14 days until my official deployment to The Ice.  I am so excited that words can’t describe it!  Where did the summer go?  With the help of family and friends, I am slowly packing my world in Colorado into a duffle not weighing more than 65 pounds.  What a challenge! 

It might seem that I have fallen off of the face of the earth during this summer and neglected my duties to keep you informed of my current status, but that’s not the case.  I am back and motivated!  

Over the next two weeks, I plan to keep you posted and educated on all the goings-on in my preparation for departure.   

At this point, I have received my flight information, my confirmation of my e-ticket and my luggage tags!  They are great!  My passport is ready to go.  I have started assembling all of my clothing and gear as well as the little items that will keep my mind occupied while I play on the big ice cube (ie: books, cards, wordfinds, etc.).  I have been consulting my resources (friends that have been to The Ice and The Participant Guide) regarding exactly what to bring and how much of it.  It feels like I am leaving for college again. 

The hardest part about this trip that I can’t prepare for is leaving my family and friends.  As I pack and prepare for my adventures, I keep thinking about all of the wonderful people in my life that I am going to miss.  Both in-state and miles away, I have great support and encouragement that will make this trip easier.  Thanks to all of you that have been there through my trials and tribulations to get to this point.  I know that you share my enthusiasm and will continue to be my biggest supporters.