Hello Ms. Herrmann! What amazing journals. I can't believe you've actually made it to Antarctica! I bet it was exciting to see that first bit of land/ice in the distance. You've been seeing such astounding sights and meeting such fascinating people--it must be the experience of a lifetime! I can just picture you and Dr. Amsler and other scientists sharing and learning from each other; they must be researching really amazing things. It's cool to learn about all the data collection and research that's going on in the Antarctic. I'd never really thought about exactly how much research was being done. I wonder why permafrost climate change data has been collected only for such a short amount of time compared to the Artic! Your boating class sounds fascinating too--so much to learn! I spent 15 minutes just looking at the stunning pictures in the Cierva Point journal, wow. The Primavera Station is surprisingly beautiful against the rock! Thanks for sharing about the Antarctic Convergence and the cape petrels--they're beautiful, and they sound far nicer than the giant petrels! Your photography is beautiful. Well, my break is done so I'm going back to finishing off my JSEP application essays! I think that even if I don't make it I'll try applying to other programs like this to travel and do science research this summer or the next--it's not really something I'd thought about before, but now it seems so exciting and doable, even in areas other than polar research! Thanks for writing such a wonderful letter for me, and I'll let you know if I find out anything more while you're gone. We all miss you by the way, but Mrs. Mistrick is really nice. I can't wait to read about Palmer! Mila