lasts

Today was my last Starbucks shift; in fact, I just returned home and am just about to throw away my nasty milk and mocha covered shoes. It was a bit sad to go. While I'm very excited to be on my way to Antarctica again this year, I will miss my new friends at the coffee shop and my free on-the-job beverages (mostly the cinnamon dolce latte). I highly recommend Starbucks as an employer and continue to be impressed by their social and environmental integrity. Yes, the coffee prices are a bit high, but they invest in a lot of people along the way. I'm finished working for the company this summer, but I hope to return again sometime! Thanks to Jeremy for giving me a shot at the barista job for a short summer job.

As of tomorrow, I will also enjoy my last week here, in Washington. I have a week to get my life packed up in boxes, finish last minute projects, pore over my suitcase contents, and catch a few friends for last minute social engagements.

Finally, this is the last posting under "the summer tour towards the rest of my life." Don't worry, I'll still be posting my blog here, at this very same address. When you return, you find a new look and new content celebrating my fourth summer in a row!

maybe you could sit on it?

If you come over and sit on my suitcase, maybe I can get the zipper!

This weeks chore is moving out of my apartment and preparing my possessions to be stored at my aunt and uncle's house while I'm gone. Well, I'll be storing everything but what I'll be take to Antarctica. I downsized on the suitcase this year thinking I'd have a better idea of what to pack and what I'd need on The Ice. The only problem is, I can't get the suitcase shut. I guess that means I will be reconsidering what I think is important. Perhaps it means another trip to the post office as well!

ticketed

I had a twinge of excitement stab me yesterday afternoon when I saw my reservations were made with American Airlines for September 27 and following. First, I will spend a couple of days in Denver for rientation. Then I’ll be off, over the International Dateline (missing September 30 completely and Jen’s birthday), to Christchurch New Zealand for a couple days to get my cold weather gear and hop on a C-17 cargo plane. From there I will land on the Ice Runway just outside of McMurdo Station on Ross Island in Antarctica.

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10 things to look forward to on ice

In 16 days I hope to be headed to Antarctica again and there are plenty of things to look forward to. Here are 10 of those items I anticipate with great delight:

1. Seeing Laura when she comes off the South Pole.

2. Seeing the good friends I met last year again (and making some new ones, too).

3. Sunday morning brunch.

4. The mountains.

5. Quiet.

6. Traveling there and back.

7. The lack of American consumerism (especially at Christmas).

8. Working in support of the National Science Foundation.

9. Sending mail from Antarctica and receiving the packages I sent to myself (or finding I have mail from you).

10. Hopefully, some good wildlife again this season.

10 things i will miss in a month

I like lists! Again, in no particular order, 10 things I will miss next month when I get to Antarctica:

1. Fresh, soft Washington peaches, pears, and nectarines (or an abundance of fresh fruit availability in general).

2. The plush carpet at Uncle Jerry and Aunt Faye's house.

3. Rain.

4. My cell phone, wireless internet, and free online phone calls to mom and dad.

5. Vegetated hills and mountains.

6. Christmas with any family (not even Laura will be with me this year)!

7. My car.

8. Starbucks and real milk in my mochas (as opposed to dry milk).

9. Cooking for myself.

10. Night sky.

finding old friends

Sometimes people come along side you in life who just "fit." You know, you need them right then and there. I am the first to admit that God has blessed me with these people throughout my life!

Earlier this summer, one such friend appeared in front of me as a customer at Starbucks: Kristin. In high school, I knew Kristin with Rachael. They go together like peanut butter and jelly. I met the two of them at summer camp. They were great, energetic people. I appreciated their relationship in light of not having any real close friends at my own school or church. They were refreshing.

Finally, this past week, Kristin and I were able to sit down at lunch and find out who we have become over the past 11 years. Amazingly, the two of us share and abundant amount of similar life experiences and we are both in the middle of a lot of change and uncertainty about direction in life. She invited me to Rachael's birthday party this evening so we were able to catch up a bit in the midst of her four boys running around with other friends and another 10 children!

I would have never been able to track these women down without Kristin's visit to my Starbucks store. It was so much fun to see how God has put the three of us in the same place at the same time again. Their strength of character and enthusiasm for life is inspiring! Who knew?

Ice update: 1 month and counting! I put in my order with REI for some last minute belongings, ordered some amazon.com books to be shipped down to Antarctica for me, and I'm in the process of using up this year's gift cards before I leave the country, have put magazines on hold, and am canceling junk mail catalog subscriptions. My clothes are half packed and bills are being followed up on and paid. The WINFLY (Winter Fly-in) flights arrived in McMurdo this past week. The next cargo planes in will be in October. I will be on the second flight of "Main Body," if nothing changes before then.

blue planet

This evening I turned on the television (a rare occurance in my life lately). Strangely enough, familiar pictures dominated the screen; scenes from Antarctica. This was the first time I've seen a documentary on tv in the "real world" about the frozen continent since my own time spent down there.. The show I watched was called, Blue Planet. In addition to recognizing the area, one of the scientists interviewed did a science lecture in McMurdo for us last season.

What a strange world to be a part of!

rip roaring reunion

Last week, our extended Rip family had a reunion at a family camp south of Seattle. I always enjoy spending time with my relatives, catching up on their lives and finding out what issues of the day affect each individual and family represented. God has blessed this family with a great deal of faith and hope for the future. In fact, there were plenty of future family representatives between the ages of 0-12 at this reunion.

The memorable moments of this reunion included water skiing (or watching), rock climbing (I climbed so fast, the picture is blurry and when I got down, Caden was waiting for his turn to put the helmet on), short walks, lots of cards, and many kids. The weather was slightly disappointing for August around a dismal 65-70 degrees, but did not prevent us from doing any activities.

One of the things I will remember most is when the sun briefly broke through in the afternoon as I was reaching for a handful of juicy blackberries. I couldn't help but find some joy in the warm, juicy, tasty, sweet moment that will seem a world away in 6 weeks when I'm back on the south side of the world.

Ice update: If you've been asking, I have a more definite date of when I'll be leaving for Antarctica. My deployment date to the Cold Continent right now is on October 3 as a Passenger Services Representative. I'll be in Denver on September 26.

saturday of re-uniting

In addition to my class reunion, I also spent some additional time with my friend Jenny, and her boyfriend, Donovan for breakfast. They are from Montana and Colorado, but were in town for the weekend and I was thrilled that we worked out some details to meet on Seattle's Capitol Hill for breakfast. We ate at Coastal Kitchen for a wonderful late breakfast and lovely conversation. Jen was one of my good friends in Antarctica. We tended to talk about our fun(ny) Ice relationships together. I am glad to see that she and Donovan were having such a nice time together on this Washington trip! My breakfast was amazing: Coconut-Mango Griddle Cakes with Vanilla Butter and Caramel Sauce!

After spending some time with them, I had in mind to take the rest of the day quite leisurely until my cocktail party reunion that evening. I went to the Metropolitan Market by Seattle Center and the Space Needle to pick up a grocery lunch, wandered around the park, listened to the light notes coming from the musical fountain there.

Then I headed to Bellevue to reacquaint myself with the city I frequented during my junior and senior high school years. While I felt like I recognized the area, I lost myself in the remodeling and new buildings around the area. I wandered through the mall, and the huge art fair going on reminding myself all the while that it was ok not to rush. This was the first day I had to relax and not accomplish anything in a long time! My city exploration took me also to the newer Lincoln Center in Bellevue, they have this beautiful Chihuly Glass Chandelier hanging in the entrance. I am enchanted by Dale Chihuly's work!

I wandered some more and found myself at my favorite and my first Starbucks at NE 8th in Bellevue. I sat, read, and wrote a bit there while the world went by.

Eventually, I picked up and settle in at the park to read and people-watch before heading over to the class reunion. It was a fun day to explore and roam as I pleased!

done

No more poking, prodding, sticking, drilling, filling, testing, making appointments, or completing paperwork. I've finally finished all the physical qualifications procedures to go to Antarctica {insert loud applause}.

good things

I received the most curious package in the mail the other day; all the way from New Zealand. It was from two of my most favorite Kiwi friends, Jeremy and Kirrin. They had promised me the "tried and true" recipe for my favorite dessert, pavlova, since I've had a difficult time whipping it up. I didn't expect they would send the entire Edmonds Cookery Book! They even went through and marked their favorite, or most challenging recipes in addition to noting the page pavlova is on! This little gift had me nearly tearing up, I was laughing so hard when I got it.

This morning was an a.m. of accomplishment. It started with a dentist appointment and a prayer that went something like this: "Dear Lord, I don't know if it's possible to not have a crown, but I really don't want one and can't afford it right now." Well, God was merciful. And, at the end of the appointment I had to offer another little prayer of "thanks" since this dentist is quite confident that I can do a small filling to fix the problem. Make a few small fillings in as many teeth, but those are covered by insurance. The dentist can also fit me in on Thursday morning since I'm in a rush for this work to be done.

Then I went to REI to buy some wind pants for my hiking excursion next week (and for Antarctica). The kind on display did not fit me well, but I found some on the sale rack. To make a long story short; by some sort of snafu, I got a $150 pair of wind pants for $20!

Now, the good things are important because they balance coming home to a keeping track of Antarctica paperwork. My HR paperwork should be finished. And, I'm nearly done with my medical and dental qualifications! My friend, Lucas, likened it to a puzzle; although, trying to get all the pieces in the same place at the same time is the trick! Then I still have to put them together!

missed connections

I missed a phone call this morning in my post-nap stupor after an opening 4:30am shift at work. I located my phone by the third ring, pulled it out of my bag in a rush, hit a button expecting my doctor's office to offer some information regarding my appointment yesterday. Instead, I heard a fine friendly and familiar "hello," and promptly, accidentally, hit another button that terminated the call.

Do you ever have a sinking feeling like you've missed something that could have been important? If it was you, I apologize and I'll be more diligent about picking up the next "Unavailable ID."

Something is telling me I need to slow down again. This summer is supposed to be "restful" for me and here I am, in the midst of a week of bumping into things, late arrivals, dropping, flipping, squirting, and losing all sorts of items to the floor, or my clothes! I hope it ends today!

Many of you have asked about my Antarctic update, so periodically I may add a note on the bottom of my posts: I'm working on PQ'ing (that's "physically qualifying") for the program now. Yesterday I took a trip down to visit my former physician, who was kind enough to take me back as a patient, for the medical appointment. I've got a September 25th departure date to Denver for orientation and a deployment date from New Zealand on October 3 for a position as Passenger Services Representative at McMurdo Station.

It's hard living in the "hinge" of life right now; knowing I'm here for such a short amount of time and moving on afterward. I'm enjoying life in Washington, loving my Starbucks job, and looking forward to some late summer activities with family and friends; but I also know that right around the corner, I'll be off seeking some sort of adventure again! It's a strange part of life to be a part of.

daisy picking

In Antarctica, "daisy picking" is the task we did when we ran out of pertinent work to do for our department or found responsibility to clean up an area; picking up any non-native material to the continent wherever we saw it laying around. It's not too difficult to find since pretty much anything (wood, glass, plastic, fabric, metal, etc) but the snow, rock, and ash on the island is "non-native." Once, I discovered and recovered a 1/2 buried 3 foot fake Christmas tree (I actually had to wait until the ground thawed a bit in January before I could chip it out of the icy permafrost).

A week ago, I did some daisy picking of my own. These white flowers have been beautiful for a full week; long after my purple and white sweet peas and other petaled plants wilted. I think I'll have to enjoy some more daisy picking before I head super-south again!

talk of ice on a warm summer's day

Who knew four people could talk about so many things "McMurdo" in one afternoon! My friend, Elizabeth, who lives in Bellingham and also spent time in Antarctica last fall called me up to tell me that our mutual friends, Ben and Krista, were in town (from Massachusetts and Wisconsin, respectfully).

Within a few minutes, I was packed and ready for a big bike ride with them down to Larabee State Park. We took our picnic lunches and chatted nearly all the way. Much information was exchanged and stories were told about our 4 months down there.

I had a fantastic time catching up with the three under beautiful skies and kind temperatures. It was wonderful to chat with them and learn about what they intend to do next in life. I'm so glad I was able to spend the afternoon out with them!

To cap off our day, we had a picnic/potluck outside. We talked and talked until I knew I really had to get home to put away some of the 1/2 completed projects I abandoned to join them on the bike ride earlier! I love being around beautiful people accented by an amazing outdoor kind of day!

a little plug for penguins

I've seen penguins in Antarctica, and I've seen surfers in Hawaii, and while penguins are known to roam parts of the South Pacific, I never thought I'd see penguins surfing in Hawaii.

I sort of feel like I have to keep up with all things Antarctic now that I've been to the frozen continent. People sort of expect that I keep on top of issues like global warming, the historical expeditions, and penguin movies. So, I do.

I have to admit, I wasn't so happy with Happy Feet (you know, the movie about the dancing penguin). So, with some hesitance, I went to the movies with my friend, Michelle, to take in Surf's Up. I also have a friend, Jonathan, who works with Sony, and insisted I take every kid I know to see it for a few more bodies in the theater (sorry, I only got two of us there).

Well, I enjoyed this penguin flick much more than the last and appreciated one value in particular that people often overlook: Putting others before oneself. Of all the strange characters in this show, I thought it was funny that most of them related to one person or another in McMurdo. They were all penguins, but each was quite different from the other. I identified with Lani (the lifeguard in the picture); sort of the peacekeeper, intermediary, stable type.

If you're looking for a good movie, for the family, or just for fun, it's worth a look.

it's official

I signed my name in ink (nearly in blood by the time I send in all the samples of bodily fluids for medical testing)! I'm contracted to work in Antarctica for another summer season as a Passenger Services Representative. I'm slated to depart around October 1; but everything can change over the course of the summer. The worst part of the process is over; the drug test. I drank nearly 3 liters (no exaggerating) of water before walking into the lab this morning and still struggled to let all the water flow through.

In the next few weeks I'll be PQ'ing (physical qualifying) with dentist and doctor's appointments. They really put you through the works to get a trip down south, but it certainly offers some piece of mind; knowing that I'm healthy when I leave The States.

I am certainly excited for the warmer July and August temperatures in Western Washington, but now I have a big trip to look forward at the end of the summer as well. I've started packing myself a care package and am jotting down lists of items to pick up here or in New Zealand. It's much easier to think of heading to The Ice for the second time. There are not so many "what if..." or "will I be able to..." or "will I miss..." questions.

I am also excited to be the first family member to see Laura on her way through McMurdo from her long dark winter at the South Pole. I'll likely only get to see her for a day, or two, but it shall be a nice reunion! She has some interesting observations from the South Pole on her blog, if you feel inclined to do a bit more reading.

rainy day success

Lest you think I'm only reporting the beautiful Washington days, I don't mind sharing that it rained most of the weekend. Rain may not be the correct term; drizzled probably fits the conditions a bit better. The precipitation sure makes it difficult to get out of bed in the morning and motivate to do anything!

However, tonight, just as the sun was beginning to set, the sun peaked through the clouds in a warm glow. The wet asphalt made for a nice reflection down the street.

The drizzle continued while the sky cleared for a colorful evening in the neighborhood. And, now, as I'm writing this, the last of the warm colors has dipped below the hills and I'm left with a gray-blue evening sky at 9:25p.

Rainy indoor days should promote healthy indoor activity; like thinking, right? I've been thinking a lot about success lately. I have to admit, the thoughts have come to my head in light of my 10 year class reunion this summer. I am looking forward to it with some trepidation regarding how we will all calculate each other's success.

Wikipedia posts this: "Success has been defined by Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary as 'the attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence."

I enjoy watching people find success in life. Every time I get exciting job news, or hear of some one's engagement I get giddy with excited for them and their new opportunities. I've seen my friends & siblings all graduate from colleges and universities, I have friends who have climbed into amazing sales and marketing careers, and others who have climbed to the top of humongous mountains. I've enjoyed seeing families grown by means of weddings and births, I have seen people win races, and create beautiful art in many forms.

But, I'm glad I was a shuttle driver in Antarctica, because I have a new and very different idea of what success is. Wikipedia goes on to say this on the topic: "True success in life, however, is not about what you have, but how you've lived."

I guess I used to have this image of success as an upward-one-way path in one's life or career; by one-way, I mean that it requires taking on more responsibility, or making more money, or buying a nicer car, a house, or starting a family. I'll label this "the worldly view of success;" trying to obtain a goal and escalate in society while doing so. While, I won't deny that this is one way some people can achieve success (and may be a pattern I follow all too soon), I found that doing something smaller and less mainstream can also be a way of finding success in life.

I went from working a solid job in the Chicago area to driving vehicles in Antarctica. While it's great to say I've been to a fairly uninhabited continent, visited by only a few, it certainly was not the career move or successful business-venture the world would hope I would take. But, it was the exact place I needed to be. It gave me more joy than I thought I would have in life as a grown-up.

This morning, at church, as if to reiterate my thoughts from the past month, we heard about success. We were challenged to think about what God's idea of success would be; if he had one. And, when we determined what some of those goals and hopes of God would be, we were challenged to make those objectives to success our own. So, I don't need to go chasing down the worldly view of success, or live a life that even I feel is successful for my selfish edification (although, that may happen along the way). I need to live my life so when it's over I can say I was used by God for the fulfillment of his purpose.

When I go to my class reunion, I look forward to seeing how people have achieved their version of a successful life; families, careers, leisure activities. After listening in church this morning, I'm also looking forward to seeing how God has been successful in their lives.

photo contest

In all my spare time, I entered a little "Far, Far Away" photo contest with Snapfish and I'd appreciate your vote! If you could find the time to follow this link to snapfish's photo contest and give me a five star rating (make sure you click on the star furthest to the right) on my photo titled "antarctic adelies," I would certainly appreciate it! I know it's a big marketing gimmick by the photo company to advertise through people like me, but I thought it would be fun, anyway! And, I'm not opposed to you forwarding the link to all your friends for the added votes; in fact, I'd encourage it!