McBrr-do

We made it! The "ice flight" this morning down to McMurdo Station (head base of the United States Antarctic Program) was delayed a couple of times, but here I am. Qantas even managed to get my bags to me this morning -- I was worried they were going to be waiting for me when I went back through Auckland in February.

Today was a very nice Condition 3 day (Condition 2 entails lower temperatures and decreased visibility among other things, while Condition 1 requires that all personnel not leave the building they're in). The cold here today reminded me a lot of winter in North Dakota -- it's very dry, and with layers definitely not bad at all. We'll see if I'm singing the same tune once we get out into the field in a couple of weeks.

Living arrangements in McMurdo remind me of a typical college dorm. It's quite nice, actually.

Tomorrow morning, I am starting on a two-day overnight snow survival course out in the field. I think I'm going to call my parents to let them know I'm alive and then call it a night. I've attached some pictures below -- one is from the plane, one is on the ice, and one is a funny mix-up on name-tags.