Prepping for departure

In just one more week, I leave for Antarctica! I will be flying to Punta Arenas, Chile, where I'll be meeting up with my research partner, Uffe. We'll spend about a day in Chile prepping the last of our gear, and then flying the rest of the way down to Antarctica.

We'll be flying to Rothera Station, which is a station run by the British Antarctic Survey. (Which we abbreviate and call BAS.) So, instead of working at one of the American bases like I usually do, I'll be hanging out with the British this year! This has developed from a great collaboration with British scientists, and we look forward to working with them! You can read more about Rothera Station on BAS's website.

During this last week at home, we are busy packing up the rest of the gear we need and making final plans for the sites we hope to visit. Plus, we have to pack all of our warm clothing, toiletries, and anything else we'll need for 2 months. I'm packing my binoculars so that I can watch wildlife, some good books to read during any downtime, and a lot of work from my office that I'll need to do while I'm away.

I'll keep you posted on my journey as I make my way to Antarctica!