Upon arriving at the orientation for PolarTREC I have found myself quite humbled. There is a tremendous amount of effort being focused into providing me with the opportunity to go on an adventure that is available to very few people. The responsibility to make the most of this opportunity is quite sobering. I am still very excited by the prospect of going to Antarctica but I am quickly coming to the realization that there will be no small measure of sacrifice and work to make the results of this trip worthy of the efforts of the individuals who have worked so hard to put me there. Equally humbling was the quality of experience and character of the other teachers that have been selected. I am pretty used to being the smartest guy in the room but with this crowd I'd be proud to be in the top 10. Each individual here is a obviously a great teacher and interesting person. I am honored to be counted among them.
Thankfully, I am rapidly being given the tools to get this job done. I have faith in the individuals who are preparing me and the scientists that I will be working with. Ultimately, though I am responsible for bringing the experience to a successful conclusion. That thought is as challenging as it is inspiring. So I guess the next few months will see me rolling up my sleeves and figuring out how to bring the science of the poles back to my students and I am looking forward to it.