1 The second once in a lifetime trip..............

Hi friends and welcome to my blog,

Many or you might have been lucky/unlucky enough to receive my emails from my first season as a your going to be receiving much the same just in a blog format. Well the time has come again as I have been given for the second time the once in a lifetime opportunity to make another trip over to Antarctica.

After arriving back from my last trip my life has been changed forever for the positive as that's what the place dose to you. Friendships made in one of the most unique workplaces on the planet have been forged and acceptance to a very unusual club. I remember having a conversation with one of my fellow expeditioners in relation to this and I remember thinking wow I've joined a special club where not even 200 Australians get to work there per year. When you think there is in 2008 the World Bank estimated the Australian population at close to 21,500,000 people and that isn’t even 0.01% of the population. Then you think globally there are approximately 6,600,000,000 people on earth estimated by the World Bank in 2007 and in the same year there was 37,552 visitors according to the http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/about_antarctica/tourism/faq.php so when you look at it from a global perspective I’m really a very very special boy aren’t I.

Am I doing a good job of rubbing it in????

Well since arriving home from the last trip life has been different. After arriving home and indulging myself in things we take for granted like fresh milk, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, fresh coffee, and for that matter anything fresh I went back to work. Work, besides a few people, hadn’t changed much but I had. I wanted more and more currently is still undefined. After initially arriving home my thoughts were that I was not going to be making the return trip this year. But when situations hadn’t gone anywhere for me at my then workplace I decided to head up to the central Qld coalfields and make some money.

Was a good idea at the time but while waiting to commence in that position I received notice that I had been accepted to work another season at Casey. As applications for any positions in Antarctica close normally in January I had put my application in not knowing where I’d be but better be sure to be sure if you get my drift. So ultimately by the time I had gone up to start the new job my heart was already set on returning to Antarctica.

DECISION MADE

Deciding I was not going to be going back up to the coalfields was not a difficult decision as there was more than enough to get ready for me at home to keep me busy. This tour was going to be different..............different as I was going to be going and returning by ship for a 4 ½ month period (same as last time). So due to be departing for training in Hobart on the 11^th October then returning 2 weeks later only to go back to catch the ship departing for Casey on the 2^nd of December.

As per normal with working in Antarctica things change and two weeks ago I received a call from the Division advising me that I would be going in on the first flight again via Mcmurdo and a Hurc to Casey and a entire summer season which is 6 months this time. But as per normal with everything and as I mentioned earlier things change at a moments notice so ill keep you posted.

So here I am writing my first blog getting soooooo excited you would not believe. This trip is going to be different very different to my last. My journey last time was incredible and I'm not looking to replicate that trip as I'm not going into it blind. I'm entering having been trained and ready to go as soon as we hit the ice. Friends that have been there over winter who I'm hoping haven’t been too affected by long periods of isolation and with my returning friend in Cliffy then there is my friends that aren’t going to be able to make it, sorry Brett.

Since arriving home I have received many comments about how good my emails last season were well this time I ask of you all this time to please involve yourself in them by asking questions or making comment. I found it difficult at times past season putting them together, it was like talking to myself...................so do it!!

So currently we are not at 23 days to go and there is so much to do and people to see. Time is ticking ohhh my I'm getting excited.

Hope to see as many of you all as I can before I go,

Michael

P.S ....... "I'd rather be a failure at something I love than a success at something I hate."
              George Burns