3 days untill I set off to Antarctica

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Today is is an emotional rollercoaster as it is so close to departure day that I have butterflies in my tummy with excitement but then I have sadness in my heart as I have just said good by to my family. I will not see them for just over 3 weeks, I will have email and phone contact for another few days but once we get on the boat from Ushuaia next Sunday then there will be no contact. In this day and age having no contact is very strange to cope with.

Also you have to consider frieghtening things as a family - would you want to know if anything tradegic had happened at home even if you could not do anything about it and you could not return home, so all you could do is stew on it? We have had those conversations but lets just hope and pray it was all a waste of time hey!

As this is a very exciting time too ... the time is nearly here to depart. Antarctica has been in the press a lot recently with Environmental ministers from all over Europe holding a meeting there and learning about the effects of climate change. Great to see the governments taking it as a serious issue at last and hopefully we can all do our part to save this beautiful wilderness. But every time I see it on TV or see photos on the web it just looks amazing and the wildlife is so close, plentiful and beautiful, I can't wait to see it for myself.

I have been buying all the different items of clothing and equipment that I will need in the freezing conditions over the last few weeks and today have just been sorting it out. Attached is a photo of most of it laid out ... there is so much and it is so big and bulky; how will I ever get it there. I think I will have to wear most of it on the plane as the baggage weight limit is 20kg!! It is a real dilema the whole clothing thing as we do get a list of essential items but then you think, will I need this extra top or fleece for the cold but you don't want any of that whilst sitting on a hot boat in the evenings so need another set of clothes and don't forget the couple of days in Buenos Aires before and after so what will I wear then?? This is starting to sound like my wife when we are going on holidays !! I will find out tonight if I can pack it all or what is going to be left behind ahhhhhh!

Off to finish off all the jobs before I head off.

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Photos

All my gear
Well this is most of it I hope!