Galley food, an orange moon, and celestial talking

All in all life down here, on the Ice, has been really sweet. Although, I will admit, those first few hours on the ice were surreal. When I got off the plane, I was giddy with Antarctia. Erebus looming and pluming, the Terra Bus awaiting us. But after 30 seconds in the galley I felt (very very oddly) as if I never left. Everything was known. So many of the same people greeted me with big smiles and familiar embraces, the food tasted the same (it was definitely not better than I remembered), and even the table conversations familiar. It was odd, like being home again, yet in some desolate far off land. Very very odd.

Yet then, at night, it got dark! *grin* The one continual day that I knew Antarctia to embrace broke open to reveal saturated black. I love the darkness down here! I love it.




The darkness feels special, and Winfly weather is wild. We've had some of the most beautiful sunsets and sunrises, some full on crazy Condition 2 (should be 1) storms! Last month, I also watched the lunar eclipse and as a group of us gathered up by the start of the Castle Rock Loop Trail. Dressed in what felt like a dozen layers, with our heads gazing toward the sky, we were all visited by a celestial god!

Photo by unknown artist

Aurora are AMAZING! I've seen them before, only once or twice as a child in Iowa, but this time was absolutely phenomenal. We laid on the ground and watched the white on the horizon grow to fill the whole sky with dancing green. Then the green swirled into pink and bright turquoise. The clouds opened and the stars sparkled above. Blue and green wisps dancing among bright twinkles everywhere. To the north, the moon shown orange. It was awe striking!

Photos by Erik Kawasaki

I am one of the luckiest women in the world!