The same, but different...
I made it back to McMurdo today AS SCHEDULED! Hooray! One flight down, only three more to go to get back to California. I stepped off the plane and was immediately drawn to the mountains-- depth, structure, contrast. My infinite white is gone. It's bittersweet.
The plane that took me from my South Pole home
I'll be in McMurdo for at least one more full day and with the same luck, I'll board a plane on the 28th (AS SCHEDULED) back to Christchurch, New Zealand. I feel like I was just here. Has it really been over three weeks since I left for the South Pole?! Everything in McMurdo is the same, except for the sea ice. As we get further into the austral summer, it's starting to melt, which means more seals, which also means...penguins!
Melting Ross Ice Shelf along McMurdo
I am officially on the hunt. Tomorrow I will be hiking around McMurdo station hoping to see my very first Antarctic penguin.
Oh! I almost forgot to mention the weather. It is about 30 degrees F and I swear I have never felt warmer! I'm also finally at sea level again so I'm nearly skipping around everywhere with all the extra oxygen.
Me with more oxygen at sea-level
But, yes, I do miss the South Pole. I miss it so much already. But for now, I'm focused on penguins!
Talk soon, friends.
Jocelyn
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