I'm in Christchurch, New Zealand now. It took almost 36 hours of traveling to get here so I'm glad I don't have to fly again till tomorrow. (Also: Happy birthday, Emily!)
I'm making a video about my travels but I want to include all of the flights so that won't be ready till I get to the South Pole. Meanwhile, here are some pictures of the things I've seen so far:
One of the gates at the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport in Texas.
Sunrise over the South Pacific. This is the first time I've been south of the equator.
My first view of Australia. This is about as much of it as I'll get to see since I'm not allowed to leave the airport.
My first view of New Zealand. I'm looking forward to exploring it a little before I go to Antarctica.
When I got to the airport yesterday, I had to go through passport control (where they made sure I was here for a good reason) and customs (where they made sure I wasn't bringing anything suspicious - including foreign plants and animals - into the country). While I was at the airport, I met a lot of other people that are also going to Antarctica. I'm going to see them all again today, when we go to the CDC (Clothing Distribution Center) to get our cold weather gear.
It's just starting to feel real - I'm actually going to the South Pole.