Setting sail today--Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! Among the things I'm thankful for today is not getting blown off the dock yesterday, when winds swept a more petite colleague--a poet in residence, actually-off her feet, like Mary Poppins. The dock was closed so cargo could not be loaded onto the LM Gould vessel, my 215-feet-long home for the next four days.

So we're now scheduled to leave at 2p today. I'm soon off for a jog through this clean and friendly city to brace my body and mind for the tumultuous voyage. Here's a photo of me newly outfitted in U.S. government-ordered Extreme Cold Weather gear.

Much love to all, and enjoy family, friends, turkey (tofurkey for some?) and relaxation--at least for today, those of you in the U.S.

Pisco Sours and Sleep Deprivation in Punta Arenas

After three flights and some 20 hours of travel, and many more hours of no sleep, I've landed in Punta Arenas, Chile, with several others affiliated with the U.S. Antarctica Program. It's a breezy town with colonial buildings and the ocean within a stone's throw of anywhere. We flew over a snow-capped volcano and glistening glaciers in Patagonia on route here from Santiago. They took my breath away.

After all the buildup and hype, I had to taste a pisco sour, the local drink, and I can say I'm underwhelmed. Heretical to say around here, no doubt. Tomorrow we'll be outfitted with the "ECW" gear--for extreme cold weather and have a tour of the Laurence M. Gould vessel (see photo, courtesy of Chris Neill, our PI from Marine Biological Lab).

Then we'll sleep in it tomorrow night at the dock and then setting out for the Drake Passage. I'm thrilled, and admittedly trepidacious as I'm so prone to seasickness. We'll have no Net access but will have intermittent email access on the boat but I'll post (if I'm not too nauseous) from the ship via my husband and IT manager, Tom. Wish me luck!