-33˚ F to 93˚ F, the difference between February in Alaska and June in Texas. In less than 5 months, I will be able to report the temperature in Antarctica on a first hand basis. I am still in a state of disbelief. This is really happening. Tonight, I am sitting in the Lone Star State, alone, but not too lonely. I am too excited for lonely! What brings me to Texas this time of year? PolarTREC of course. I am here meeting with the two PI's (Principal Investigators) from UTSA (University of Texas San Antonio) who are heading the research I will be a part of in Antarctica. I have been looking forward to meeting Drs. Ackley and Xie and finding out more about the research and work we will be investigating for the expedition. I am admittedly a bit nervous but excited too. There are a lot of what if questions playing through my mind right now.
My flight landed at 1pm this afternoon. I picked up a rental car and drove to the hotel. After checking in and forming a plan, I headed out to the Alamo. I don't really enjoy driving in big cities, likely a result of having grown up in the country and being married to a man that prefers driving to riding, but I managed. Siri was kind enough to offer me directions and I found a parking lot not too far from the famed historic site. I checked out the Alamo and walked along the river walk admiring the architecture and views. I was told to check out the old Brewery District at the info center so that happened too. Unfortunately, late Sunday afternoons are not exactly the best time to tour any city. I snapped a few pics anyway and headed back towards UTSA. I probably should have had dinner on the River Walk, but, I wasn't sure how much time I had left on my parking meter. I found a Mexican restaurant that was fairly busy. I figured that was a good sign. Upon entering, the hostess asked how many were in my party. I proceeded to explain that I was from out of town and was by myself. She asked where I was from and upon hearing that I was from Wisconsin, decided to let everyone in the restaurant know too. The manager brought out a special 'rainbow' plate of all of their sauces. He sat with me and described each one while I tried them. He wanted to make sure I didn't get any surprises in my dinner. Another patron came over and told me I had made a great choice in frequenting the establishment. Apparently, Texas is filled with a host of really nice people and hospitality. A good day and hopefully a great sign for the week ahead.
River Walk in San Antonio on an early summer's day.
The Alamo in San Antonio, Texas.
A sweet little music on the River Walk in San Antonio.
Historic Pearl Brewery Building.
CIA in San Antonio.
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