I’m back in OMG-land.

Just got my deployment dates. Knowing that I’ll be heading to Antarctica “in late October or early November” leaves it vague enough that I can still dismiss the trip at some level in the back of my head. But a concrete timeline? I’m getting dizzy.

19 Oct – Fly to Colorado to meet the team for training and orientation
25 Oct – Deployment day
27 Oct – Arrive in Christchurch
29 Oct – Ice flight (weather dependent)
01 Nov – Pole flight on the first Herc out of MacTown

Mind you, the awesomeness is increasing monotonically in correlation with my nervousness. If the weather cooperates, I’ll be spending Halloween at McMurdo (Bill tells me they put on quite the party) – the word “surreal” just doesn’t seem sufficient to capture the flow of my life anymore.

[Yes, by the way, got back from Burning Man on Friday – I’ve made it a habit to go early and leave before the weekend crazies set in. Was a great few days on the playa. Spent most of my daytime hours “gifting” flights around the playa to BM volunteers in the “Yellow Peril“, dusk wandering the city and evenings trying to get some sleep at our camp wedged between two competed 24-hour bass-thumping techno raves. Will post some pictures when I get them sorted, I promise!]