With every breath I felt the chill.
The air so cold that as it entered my lungs I knew that Arizona was hours and miles away. Have you ever had a dream, a desire so strong that you are willing to apply for something year after year after year? That is how badly I have wanted to travel to the southern ocean to see, feel and taste Antarctica. That is how badly I want my Arizona students to see the world, to travel through my eyes so that when they get old enough they can remember that there is a planet waiting to be explored, a planet to teach them everything.
The plane was dark when the pilot announced the Aurora borealis on the starboard side and as I craned my neck there was a flicker of light, not enough but a taste, a glimpse of what was to come. These northern lights were welcoming me providing an opportunity to learn, to broaden my knowledge base and become a better teacher. And then I was meeting other educators from across America and Puerto Rico, hearing their stories, learning of their upcoming field experiences and I knew that I had come home. I am exactly where I am supposed to be. I am in Alaska, learning, expanding my mind to be the best that I can in helping tomorrows future citizens be the best that they can become.
And how, you ask, did the day end? Mammoth ivory on the wall, a bowhead whale vertebra on the floor, baleen on shelves a cornucopia of nature, a feast for my eyes and mind, yes I am ready for day two and eventually the Southern Ocean!
Keep following and learn about Sea floor changes and the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. So let's start:
- Where is the Scotia Sea
- What was the Scotia Sea named after
- Why is the science of the Sea floor in the Scotia Sea so important?
Who knows I might just see an iceberg or two on my quest south, I hope so! Photo Courtesy of 2008 PolarTREC Teacher Frank Kelley
http://youtu.be/9eAccrR3NWA
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