As our PolarTREC Orientation week came to an end, I was left with conflicting emotions. I was feeling excited to go home and share all my new knowledge with my friends, family, students, and colleagues. I was also feeling a little sad to be leaving my new friends-the cadre of the 2010-2011 PolarTREC teachers and the PolarTREC mentor teachers. There probably will not be another time we all meet together, except on-line during live events. And I was definitely feeling a little nervous and overwhelmed with the arrangements and planning I will be involved with over the next 6 months. I don't think any of us new PolarTREC teachers wanted to leave the safety net of the wonderful ARCUS staff - Janet, Kristin, Zeb, Ronnie, and the other folks back at the ARCUS office. They have all been so helpful and supportive through this whole process! Knowing they are going to be supporting us over the next year made me feel a little better as I boarded the plane in Fairbanks - loaded down with my new (loaned) laptop and digital camera! My lay-over in Seattle was extra nice as I met my friend Debbie for a quick picnic lunch at a park close to the airport. I was also lucky to get to have dinner with my friend Wendy in Seattle on the way up to Alaska. I hope my trip down to Punta Arenas, Chile, and home from Christchurch, New Zealand goes as well!
Lesson Learned: Traveling is so nice when you have friends in different places!
The image on the Alaska Airlines plane perfectly embodies the frontier spirit of this amazing place.
The frozen mountains of Alaska, as seen from the plane flying home from the PolarTREC teacher orientation