Hello again to anyone who has taken the time to read my journal posts and checked out photos.
If you are counting, it takes three solid days of flying to get to and from Antarctica from Arizona. Getting back was a bit of a hurried mess after the flight from Sydney to LA was delayed by about two hours. Of course this meant that connecting flights were missed and one of my bags took an extended vacation and arrived three days after I got home.
As this is titled as my final post, I would like to share why I think this type of experience is important and what I learned. One important part of travel, in my opinion, is that it forces people out of their daily life and the habits that often make it seem like days, weeks, and even months blend into one. Stepping away from daily routine can help a person who may feel like he/she is on autopilot see the bigger picture more clearly. I never heard anyone call Antarctica their comfort zone, although I am sure these people exist.
With routines turned upside down and my surroundings mostly made up of varying shades of blue and white, I had the time to evaluate myself and consider where my values lie, my social worth, my professional aspirations, and what could be done to move things forward.
I have come to see travel and education in much the same light. The experiences we have in school and those we have far away from home help to shape who we are. It is nearly impossible to try to recall everything you might have learned in school in much the same way it is very difficult to try to try to recount all the lessons learned from travel. Just as we take many different classes in school, travel to different places can teach us lessons. Some people seek out white sand beaches and posh hotel rooms, while others skip over the tourist destinations to immerse themselves in more genuine surroundings.
Antarctica felt like a very genuine experience. It is the only place I know of that combines the elements of a college campus, militarism, and communism. It had all the ingredients for creating an experience unlike any other: remote, month-long duration, good company, some danger, some discomfort, and some hard work. In these ways and others I felt tested.
In a classroom your test gets a number and you can compare your number to other numbers to see where you stand. In travel, your tests produce feelings and reactions from yourself and others. You can measure your success in these feelings and reactions. Inevitably you will ask yourself, could I live here? How long could I be happy? What could make it better?
In travel, what it really comes down to is being present in the moment. Forgetting about the things you don't have, the places you could be, or how great it will be next week or next month. If you can find something enjoyable where you are while you are there or make the most of a not so great scenario, then you are passing the test.
Just as the knowledge you gain from taking a Spanish class in high school will fade over time without use, your travel smarts need updating from time to time as well. I know it will not be long before I am back in the routines of work and family life that bring both comfort and discontent. Will I be able to draw on my travel smarts and remember to try to enjoy myself while washing the dishes or grading papers?
Moving past my personal growth and introspection, I am also more comfortable with my professional goals. Before this experience I was not sure how much I really believed my students could learn from their teacher going to Antarctica. At this point I feel like programs such as PolarTREC should be expanded to allow teachers to travel to different parts of the world and maybe even do teacher exchanges. I have been so impressed with the questions from students and feedback I have already received that I know my students will benefit not just this year but for as long as I teach.
I feel fortunate to have been part of a scientific research team. I have a better understanding of the planning, logistics, and execution of both lab and field work, along with how to effectively bring these experiences back to the classroom. It was amazing to see a portion of the world that is so different from any other location, and to be able to share a glimpse of that through photographs and stories.
Throughout this experience there is one thing that has been constant and that is my appreciation for the many people who made this possible and the feeling of being very fortunate to participate in PolarTREC. I need to thank my wife for all of her support and helping me achieve this goal, my amazing substitute teacher and good friend Diana Laufenburg, Egbert Schwartz for being a great travel companion and having the faith in me to bring me along, the support crew at PolarTREC, my students at Alpine and students across the United States, and a big thank you to the Alpine teachers that carried the load and made it look easy in my absence, thanks Josh and Sarah.
Thanks for following along. I hope you found it enjoyable.