I cannot believe that I am writing these words, that eighteen months has passed by and that the big red taxi going by the name, RSS Ernest Shackleton, is waiting for us at the wharf. My Antarctic tenure is drawing to a close and in three weeks time, if all goes to plan, I shall be walking back in our green and pleasant land! It is hard to convey the feelings that abound right now, sheer excitement at the prospect of being back amongst my friends and family, being reunited with loved ones and seeing trees again, let alone the chance to consume inordinate amounts of fruit and green leafy vegetables ( Of note I hasten to add I am obviously far more excited about seeing friends and family than consuming apples!). At the same time however I am also aware that I may never see Rothera again, although I am contemplating coming back when I am old granny on a cruise ship and revisiting my old haunts, and possibly even skiing Stork Bowl again! I cannot be too sad though, because at least I have had a chance to explore Antarctica, live and work here, run amongst penguins, boat amongst whales, sleep near seals, ski up majestic peaks, fly beside incredible icebergs, descend into crevasses and explore the blue caves below, live with just 21 other people for 7 months and survive to tell the tale. I am just incredibly grateful that I have had the opportunity to be here and I am exceedingly grateful to those who have supported me throughout my time here, emails, care packages, telephone calls and carrier penguin post, thank y’all!
