Monday, March 19, 2012

Life after the Ice

How exactly do you get used to grass, darkness, dogs, and LOTS of people after being in Antarctica for 5 months? Well, that's a good question! This is my best attempt.
Jon and I decided to travel together after only dating for a couple weeks, a huge step for us, but it worked out great!
Our itinerary was changed a few times due to the cargo vessel being delayed. Our final itinerary was...
February:
13th: Jon departs the Ice
14th: My last day of work
15th: I depart the Ice(and arrive in darkness and rain!)
My ride- C17
16th: Mail suitcases home, pick up rental car, drive to Hanmer Springs
17th: Drive to Greymouth on New Zealand's South Island, West coast. Watch my first full beautiful, amazing sunset over the water
Sunset!
18th: Drive to Arthur's Pass
19th: Return rental car, fly to Sydney
20th: Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb!!
On top of the world!
21st: Ferry to Manly Beach
22nd: Fly to Ayers Rock Resort in the middle of Australia
23rd: Hike around Uluru, View sunset on Uluru
Uluru
24th: Sunrise on Kata Tjuta, Hike Valley of the Winds, Sunset on Kata Tjuta
25th: Sunrise on Uluru, return rental car, fly back to Sydney
26th: Museums in Sydney, happen upon thousands at the New South Wales Wine Festival(too many people!) then fly overnight to Honolulu and arrive earlier than we left on the same day
26th Cont: Laundry, showers, rainy afternoon= movie! dinner in Waikiki with an old Sea Base friend!
Aloha! Jon's 50th State!
27th: Explore, hike Diamond Head Crater
28th: Pearl Harbor
29th: Pack up, fly overnight
March 1st: After a several hour delay I made it to Burlington, Jon made it home.

What a trip it was. We had a great time. Jon was an amazing chauffeur. Driving manual transmissions plus on the opposite side of the road couldn't have been easy.
My chauffeur!

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