The journey begins November 12, 2009

Well, actually, metaphorically, the journey began about a month ago.  It really got going in the past two weeks, and then it went into hyper-drive in the past three days.  I’m just about to head to Brazil for the first leg of the journey, and I can tell you I will be catching up on a lot of Zs on the way.

Thanks for all the messages:  nearly 100 today alone!  Be sure to stay involved if you want to ask questions about what we’ll be doing or seeing in Antarctica.  This expedition is all about engaging people on climate change, so be sure to share your thoughts.

Besides packing, this morning consisted of two interviews with the BBC.  The first was a phone interview with BBC Radio Oxford.  It turns out it was done live, which was a bit nerve-wracking given the amount of sleep I’d gotten.  The interview, I’m told, can be heard again here (starting at 2:09:40), for those in the UK.  I haven’t had a chance to listen to it – although I guess I had a ringside seat for it anyway.

Next was a TV interview.  This was a lot more work.  The thing about TV is, you have to actually put some clothes on.  And if the filming is to be done in your dorm room, the level of effort required goes up that extra bit.  It actually felt exactly like the familiar TV scene where two brothers who have just trashed the house suddenly stop and look at one another and one says, “Mom is going to be home in [specified short period of time].  We have [specified short period of time] to make it look like none of this ever happened.”  In my case, that was one hour.  Many thanks to my floormate Gigil for helping to make it happen.   For those in the UK, the clip can be seen tonight at 6:30 pm on BBC1 (the BBC South Today program), and it may also be available here afterward.  For those fortunate enough to watch this, you will get a master class in the important skill of randomly stuffing items into a big rucksack.

In yet another collaboration, the BBC is also preparing a story for its website; details to follow.  There’s also a story on the website of the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, the department where I work, written by Cath Harris:  http://www.smithschool.ox.ac.uk/.  I’ll be following up with all of the above when I get back and hope to have lots more to say.

So a very busy morning.  Apart from having a baby, I suspect there have got to be few things in life that make you as busy as preparing to go to Antarctica.  (I will no doubt revisit that quote later in life.)

Off to Heathrow now for an overnight flight to Rio. I’ve never been to South America before, so this is really exciting – and the journey is only just beginning . . .  Tips on what to see in Buenos Aires are most welcome!