Day Zero - Monday 28 Feb.
What is a day? 24 hours, usually. But working nights made me question that. Well, today I've yet to sleep and though having laid in bed awhile, 2:30 am is the magical time to quickly clean up, pack my final affects and say goodbye to Antarctica as home.
The sky is the darkest I've seen yet... and the air cold; no better day to leave.
The final cargo 463L pallets were quickly thrown onto trucks for our last drive to Pegasus Airfield for the season. A beautiful pink, red and orange sunrise seemed to bid us safe travels. Now routine, in an anxious but nostalgic haste we serviced the last C-17 to land in Antarctica for the next half year.
I felt a little VIP walking last onto the 99 passenger + cargo plane to settle into a reserved seat. Starboard jumpseats - or what served as "bed" for the "night" - as it was just barely daylight.
How did everyone change into T-shirts so quickly without my noticing? Oh, the last four hours asleep might have given almost everyone else the time to get changed for a beautiful 75 degree Christchurch. The remaining half hour consisted of me stripping off all I had worn against a -35C windchill morning, then discriminately eating a sack lunch/breakfast and getting everything situated for our final approach. We melted. A few in shorts, most in Carhartt bibs, jeans and long johns, plus the despicable "bunny boots".
The warm sun nice; the warm breeze welcoming; the smell of trees, grass and flowers overstimulating.
At the deployment center near the airport, we mailed boxes home, rid our warddrobe of ECW gear and planned for fun. Most in our program headed north on a connecting flight to Auckland, as advised, due to the devastation of much of Christchurch. Nestled around the cul de sac is the CDC, travel center, APO and the Antarctica Experience Museum which we joked about attending. While I imagine it would hold my interest, the last intention of mine was an Antarctice experience of any kind.
Meeting in the grassy courtyard, I laid in the long, smooth bladed grass with other Antarctic survivors. Old wives tales tell of people taking off shoes immediately to feel grass once again. While I didn't do that or see that, once situated in a spot, I indulged and couldn't help but nuzzle my face into the heavenly green carpet.
Saying goodbye to buches at a time leaving to fly north, suddenly it was down to three.
David, Sarah and I were trapped. Talk of busing north was had, but research and reason led to a quick car rental. We now had an open road... and time to spend on it. But Christchurch will be home tonight. Fish 'n' chips in our bellies, 70F degrees, no work and only fun ahead, we'd never exhibited such excitment to sleep in a car!
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