In New Zealand Again!

(Pics from Last Flight)

I love this place- it's so beautiful and humid and the people are great and I could go on and on about how wonderful it is here!!

I did get in on time, I'm up north in Motueka right now, headed back to Chch tomorrow and I'm headed stateside on Friday. Off to Southeast Asia next week for 3 months!! I feel fortunate to be living the life I am- it's a pretty great one!

I've just been relaxing, eating really great food, drinking really good coffee, looking through travel guides for Asia some more, and oh yeah- I got some shots done too. No side effects thank goodness, so I'm all set for typhoid, polio, yellow fever, and rabies. Just in case there's any wild monkeys mom- I'm good. :)

Well, that's about all I've got to say for now. See some of you soon! Others of you later!!

Farewell Ice and Friends... We shall meet again...

"Don't be dismayed at goodbyes, a farewell is necessary before you can meet again and meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends.”

I leave the Ice tomorrow, for the 5th time. It's been a fantastic season, my best ever. It was challenging and rewarding, I learned a lot in my job, and even more about myself. I worked on building friendships to last a lifetime, and look forward to seeing many of you off the Ice. This place is unique, and sometimes I have to remind myself how lucky I am when I start to get tired of work and being here, I'm in Antarctica after all! It's been an incredibly fast season, and I'm looking forward to coming back next year. Thank you to all of you that were a part of this experience- I cherish each of you and the impact you've had on my life!

I'll be in New Zealand in 24 hours if the weather gods are smiling upon us tomorrow.

Good food, greenery, humidity, dark skies and stars at night, bookstores and coffee shops-

here I come!!

Part of the Job Description

For those of you thinking that the continent is always frozen here, this is what the roads looked like for most of January for us... Awful conditions to drive in...
It's a running joke to pick the hole that doesn't have a seal in it to drive in...

50 Moments From My Season That Make Me Smile

Happy 80th Birthday Joe!!

“Great is the man who has not lost his childlike heart.” -Mencius

Joe works for me as a shuttle driver here on the

Ice. This is Joe driving the airporter.

This is his second season here on the Ice, and he is turning 80 this month!!! He is a phenomenal person and an absolute joy to be around! He's got so much positive energy and exuberance for life, he is truly an inspiration and I feel fortunate to call him my friend. Obviously turning 80 is a pretty big deal, and an even bigger deal when you're doing it in Antarctica!

This is a pic of Joe from last season.

Joe had applied for several years in a row and hadn't yet been hired. When I took over, someone that worked for me was his employer in the states and recommended him for the next year. I met Joe and did his interview and just loved him instantly. He's been driving in Glacier National Park for years, and now we're fortunate enough to call him a part of our team.

This is Joe driving Ivan.

Joe owns a farm back home in Illinois, it's part of a co-op now, but he farmed that land and ran it for many decades before he became a shuttle driver. His wife Geri and he have been married over 50 years! They have 5 kids and still spend holidays together on the farm (although Joe has missed the last few since he was here.) :)

Joe's first day of training in Ivan last season- it was a snow storm- and he just went right for it! Nothing stops this guy!

Another great story- there is a workout class here called Guts and Butts- which is an hour torture you put yourself through in order to work off some of those desserts that the dang bakers keep making. He showed up at the class and the teacher was a little concerned when he decided to join in- well Joe sure showed her what he's made of- he could do more push-ups and exercises than people who were half, 1/3, and 1/4 of his age!!

Joe holding the plaque we had made for him (thanks to the carpenters here!), it commemorates his accomplishment of being the oldest shuttle driver on Ice!

We had a big sign made and it was hung outside the galley for all to see. We also printed several different pictures of him and hung them all around the buildings with different captions written on to them.

Joe and I at his Birthday Dinner.

Kathy singing the Marilyn Monroe version of Happy Birthday to Joe for his B-day. What a ham! That's what happens when you've owned a pig farm all your life.

A certificate that he was given in thanks for his service.
The galley was kind enough to let us rename all the food items for the dinner meal to something that had to do with Joe. So we had "Curly Handlebar Carrots" and "I'm Unemployed Bread" and "Super 80 Soup" and "Oba-kayba Tempe" and "Rock n' Roll Rice." These are all things he says- whenever you ask him to do something, he responds with "Oba-kayba" or "That's Super" and when he is available to do another task he'll call in on the radio and say "I'm unemployed."
The galley also made these beautiful cakes for him as well.