The Antarctic adventure has come to an end. We departed the Ice on Feb 11th at approximately 4pm. We were both a bit nostalgic and sad to leave some good friends and the tight nit community we had grown to enjoy, but at the same time, we were ready to leave our isolated life and get back to civilization, outside stimulus, fresh fruit and vegetables, nighttime, and of course, warm weather. All in all, we both had a spectacular four months and are shocked that it is already over.

The question that was asked over and over to both Karen and I before we left was: "Are you coming back next year?" Although a truly tempting opportunity, this is not a question either of us are ready to answer yet. The pros to returning to Antarctica far outweigh the cons, but whether we want to take another 4 or 5 months out of our lives to return is something that we need to think carefully about, preferably on a beach while drinking a couple rum soaked frozen cocktails the size of my head. If we did not return it would not be because of McMurdo, but rather the fact that there is still a great deal of other things we want to see and experience on this amazing planet. Like sunny beaches and rum soaked frozen cocktails the size of my head

For you plane buffs, our flight back to Christchurch was on a C-17, which is a very large step up from the antiquated C-141 that we flew on the way to McMurdo. Larger and much more comfortable, the C-17 will now be the work horse for Antarctica. The C-141's were retired in January after a very successful 40 years of flying cargo and personnel back and forth to Antarctica.

The first 24 hours back in civilization were a feast for our senses. The whole time we were on the ice, OAE's (old antarctic explorers - slang for people who have been to the ice before) talked about the smells that hit you when you walk off the plane in Christchurch. We arrived around 9pm to a warm, dark evening that had just seen a good size rain storm and the air was thick with a very welcomed humidity. New Zealand smells fantastic to begin with but when we deplaned, the smell of a fresh rain and wet grass on our noses that haven't smelled anything for four months but exhaust from a passing truck or the stink of a passing unshowered coworker, hit us like the perfume lady at Dillards. My nose immediately started bleeding and I began choking on the pungent smell of vegetation and I passed out. Kidding, but it was a pretty intense sensation. I think just seeing rain again was more enjoyable than the smells. We passed through customs and took the shuttle to our hotel. The next thing to do was eat. Not just eat, but CHOOSE where to eat as well as CHOOSE what to eat. As it was about midnight by the time we made it out, our selection was limited. My buddy from the ice, Chuck Watkins, told me that the first thing I eat when I get back to New Zealand is never anywhere close to what you had planned to eat. He was right. Karen and I had glorious dreams of bathing in a delicious curried Thai dish, or possibly dunking our heads into a spicy Marsala and rice at Little India in Christchurch. Nope. When we finally did find somewhere still serving dinner, we were limited to their late night menu. I ordered something with as much taste as possible: A gourmet pizza with, get this: chicken, cranberry sauce, cashews, roquette, and cream cheese. Karen ordered a good looking grilled salmon dish and Bill followed with an equally exquisite gourmet pizza. Now, I'm not the most super religious man around, but it was as if God himself tossed the dough and made my pizza that night. I do give the restaurant a lot of credit for producing such amazing feasts for us, but heightened by months of eating beige food served on a blue cafeteria tray, our dinners were arguably the top five most sensational meals of our lives. The next day was a gorgeous sunny and 70 degree day that we spent at a small cafe overlooking the Christchurch botanical gardens. It felt good to be back and the heightened awareness of our surroundings lasted about 24 hours. We are pretty much back to normal, albeit a bit more conscious of the smaller things like fresh fruit, vegetables, new people to chat with, and the comfort of being back in the world.

Where we go from here is still being determined. We have plans of traveling the world over the next 6-8 months, but for now, we are in New Zealand until April 1st. After that, who knows. Most likely Australia in April, Thailand in May, Africa in June, Europe in July-August, and North/South America from September - Christmas. That is...if we don't return to McMurdo in August. Stay tuned!

As for this website, I plan to add to it when and where I can. We both miss you all and please, please consider joining us somewhere in the world for a bit of traveling. We would love the company and the familiar face.
m&k