The Journey
I am at Dallas-Fort Worth airport three hours from seeing my family. It is already hard to believe I was here 78 days ago full of illusion and expectation for the trip to come. The experience, which fulfilled those expectations, is now over, but it will take me a lot of time to assimilate all that I lived.
While waiting for our first plane in our long journey back to our normal lives at Punta Arenas' airport, Kevin asked me yesterday for one or two trip highlights. I said being in such remote area of the world with scientific experts, and free to explore the science around me was the highlight. His face showed some disappointment by my answer; he wanted something more specific. I still cannot think of the most amazing moment alone. Perhaps as time molds and archives the memories one will stand out over the others.
Meanwhile I will say I have been more than lucky to be able to be part of this expedition with leaders in their fields. The cruise was a success thanks to all participants' professionalism and good nature, which helped us navigate through different challenges. Not knowing better, I thought that things worked well on the ship because they always do in these cruises, but I learned in the past days that some participants were weary of being at sea for so long as they recounted past experiences that had not gone that well. Being the longest cruise for all aboard, it is amazing how well it all went. Praise should be given to Dr. Jim Swift, who instilled a sense of respect and care for each other among all members of the team.
The biggest lesson I take back to my classroom is learning about the parts of the scientific process that are not written in the books. I wrote before that the big idea or key message was discovering some of the links between changes in seawater properties and global warming. I still think this is the main main message; the one I will tell people about. But anyone will be able to read about these findings without having to travel to Antarctica once Alex and other scientists publish their work. It is the main idea, but not the overarching idea that can be applied to any of the science classes I teach, even those not related to climate change.
There are two things I want to relate to my students that I experienced first hand and are hard to find on textbooks: the joy I saw among the scientists as they try to make sense of the world, and how much scientists need to adapt to ever changing circumstances when collecting data.
It was great to see scientists being curious and getting excited as they interpreted the data we were collecting. Their face would lit up whenever the data looked different than expected and lively discussions would begin in the attempt of figuring out if what they were observing was a real oceanographic signal or a mistake int he data.
I was also amazed by how much Jim and Alex had to revise their plans to make the best use of our time and resources. Jim said it since the first day I met him, but I failed to understand what he meant. 'My job is to help others do their work. I not only have Plan A for the cruise, but I need to have a secret Plan B and even Plan C'. It seems to me he had 20 more plans that helped us all have a successful cruise.
Jim's plans had to be modified the moment we arrived to McMurdo Station when we found that most of the equipment he had labeled as 'Do Not Freeze' was well frozen. We almost had to cancel the whole cruise, but for some strange 'miracle', the glass bottles with the indispensable chemicals for the different analysis survived the low temperatures. We had to canceled the deployment of the Argo floats, but where able to continue with the rest of the science plan. Then came what seemed like endless storms in which we could not work, which sent Jim and Alex towards the drawing board. Then were the moorings that somehow had moved more than a kilometer from their original location that required more time to find them than was allotted for them. The snow covered ice that prevented the Palmer from reaching the coastal shelf in the Amundsen Sea also modified our plans, as well as other events that kept the chief-scientists on their toes at all times. This is real science, not canned experiments with predictable outcomes. I learned that it pays to have alternative plans and creativity to solve continuous challenges when doing science. How can I transmit this in my classroom, where experiments are mostly designed to not fail? This is a lesson I want to transmit to my students, which is not found on textbooks.
I have also said I went to Antarctica searching for collectible memories, one-of-a-kind memories that would leave a significant print on me, and that I would savor for years to come; that is exactly what I found. Memories of the science on the ship, of the camaraderie among 35 scientists canned for 64 days in the Southern Seas, of not feeling well in stormy days and yet working together with great people, of the penguins, whales, seals and amazing Antarctic scenery, of the ice forming in front of our eyes and the green glowing sky during a magical night. It all went better than in my dreams, even that bad night with terrible headaches.
Writing this journal was the best idea PolarTREC could have. It not only helped you follow our expedition, but it also allowed and forced me to explore many different scientific areas at my own will and pace. The discipline demanded by the self-imposed requirement of producing an entry everyday helped me make sense and organize events that would have otherwise morphed into a large blurry memory. Overall, working on the journal kept me extremely busy and sane during the 64 days we were at sea. Jim said it on day one, during a rainy afternoon in San Diego back in November. 'you will need to find something to do to remain sane in such a long cruise'.
The actual trip has ended, but I am sure I will keep visiting mentally those icy waters for a long time. I want to thank the incredible PolarTREC team that has allowed me to fulfill this dream by supporting me at every moment. Thanks to Ronnie and Zeb for helping me with the challenges I faced writing the journal and dealign with computer issues at sea, and thanks to Janet and Kristin for their support and helpful insights. I also want to thank Dr. Swift and Dr. Orsi, the two co-chief scientists, for taking me with them on this expedition, and all the scientists aboard the Palmer that treated me at all times as if I were one of them. Thanks to Dr. Paul Brost, principal at Monona Grove High School, for all his support, as well to the Monona Grove's School board. Many thanks to Galen, Ana and Diego, for letting me be absent from their live's for so long, and thank you for following our expedition; I hope you found it worth while.
It was awesome to be part of this expedition, and it is wonderful to be back with my family!