Yippee! I'm in Alaska! That's right, I'm really in Fairbanks, Alaska and I am on my way to becoming a PolarTREC teacher who will go to Antarctica this fall. It took only thirteen hours of traveling to get here from Norfolk, Virginia. When I arrived at 2:00am on Sunday morning the first thing I noticed was the snow. It was everywhere and I loved it. We began training bright and early the same morning at 8:00am. I was tired but I was also so excited that I couldn't wait to get started. The people at ARCUS are super organized and they are giving us oodles of helpful information. The other PolarTREC teachers are really incredible. Jillian teaches at a school in Arizona that is very similar to mine and she will be spending four weeks on a ship this summer in the Bering Strait. Robin is a teacher from New Hampshire who will be going to Antarctica for the fourth time (she dives under the ice - is that cool or what?). Jeff and his students have been following PolarTREC expeditions for the past year and now he will be going to Antarctica himself. There are seven more teachers going on expeditions in the Arctic and four teachers in all going to Antarctica. I keep pinching myself to make sure that I am really here. I just can't believe my luck at getting to work with a real live research scientist in one of the most amazing places in the world. I also can't wait to tell you all about it. However, it is time for me to put on my coat, gloves, scarf, and hat because we are all going to the World Championship Ice Carving Contest and Ice Park. We are going to see some amazing ice sculptures and I promise to show you a picture soon of my favorite one. They also have ice slides and my students all know how much I love rides. So I'm off to brave the cold. Yippee!!!
Missy Holzer, Cathy Campbell, Cameo Slaybaugh, Robyn Sweet (PolarTREC 2007 teacher), Mindy Bell (Antarctica Undersea ROV 2007 teacher ), Elizabeth Eubanks, Craig Kasemodel, Frank Kelley, Kevin McMahon (TREC 2006 teacher), Jillian Worssam, Stacy Kim (my real live research scientist), Robbie Score (Logistics Manager for CH2MHill Polar Resources), Jeff Peneston, Gerty Ward, Robin Ellwood, Jackie Hams, Craig Beals.