Home Sweet Home.

I have been so terrible at writing since I left the Ice! New Zealand was an absolutely incredible experience and I just wanted to enjoy my time there, without worrying about my cyber-life. :) 

I spent 5 days by myself on the South Island, which was a wonderful time of relaxation and rejuvenation. I stayed with a wonderful family who was so gracious to me, feeding me fresh veggies from their garden (I think I almost squealed when she set fresh cucumbers down on the table!) and driving me to the city center to catch my Arthur's Pass shuttle when I looked at the wrong bus timetable. 

I had some great conversations with random people. I spent two hours on a wharf in Akaroa talking to a "pom" (the Kiwi term for British people) about life and travel and currency...? I talked to a tiny Kiwi woman at a bus stop about the devastation from the 2011 earthquakes. My favorite conversation though was when I sat next to two highly entertaining Kiwis on the flight from Christchurch to Auckland. They were so excited to go to the System of a Down concert in Auckland that night, invited me to go drinking with them before the concert, and were delighted with the fact that I went to Antarctica and insisted that I show them all my photos. Also, they bought me a Diet Pepsi. I liked them a lot.

Auckland was wonderful as well, mostly because I got to see people I hold very dear to my heart! Mike and I spent our week on the North Island with Brooke & Travis Scott, and their adorable little girls. For the past three years, Brooke and Travis have been working towards establishing a church in central Auckland. It was wonderful to talk to them about their experiences ministering in a different country to a different culture -- especially in a city where prostitution and abortion are both legal. We are so excited about what God is doing in them and in their community. We even got the chance to go to a Sunday service and chat with some of the members of their church; it was so encouraging to see their ministry in action and to meet some of the cool people that go to there. Brooke and Travis are pretty stellar people, and we thoroughly enjoyed spending time with them. (Mike really liked it because Travis also loves Lord of the Rings and allowed encouraged Mike to watch all three EXTENDED versions while we were there.) I was dying to get home by the end of the trip, but I couldn't help but shed some tears when saying goodbye to Brooke, who has been a huge part of my life. I am so thankful for her. 

I think my eagerness to get home cursed my long flight from Auckland to L.A., however. It was bumpy -- really bumpy, to the point where I couldn't even fall asleep because I was practically jumping up and down in my seat. Also, tuna salad was an option for our in-flight meal. I'd like to meet whoever came up with that idea, given that tuna reeks and that the plane is full of recycled air. I was already having trouble sleeping, and the tuna burps/coughs from the woman behind me didn't help. So, I arrived in L.A. a zombie, had a super short 6-hour layover in Cali, and...

....now I'm in Denver, with my husband who is sitting on the couch, shirtless, trying to convince me that I would like Celebrity Death Match while wearing a blanket as a cape.

Sounds like home.

Not for the Faint of Heart.

This post is about poo.

Just thought I'd get that out there before you keep reading.

Because you see, people poo here at McMurdo, and we have to do something with their droppings.

Which is why the Wastewater Treatment Center exists. And yesterday, I got to tour it! Sounds gross, but it was actually really interesting to learn about the process...of processing...what our body processes. :)

I'm sure you're dying to know about processed poo (and other such nastiness), so I'll explain it. The waste (everything from toilet water to galley water to shower water) comes in and is ground up before it goes through a filter. After passing through a filter, it goes into the Aeration Tank, where it literally gets eaten by amoebas and other tiny bacteria-eating parasites.

After all the "bad stuff" is eaten by the amoebas, the solid waste settles on the bottom of what's called the Clarifier, and the water runs out of the Clarifier to get disinfected by UV light.



Yes, I did ask if I could use this machine to work on my tan.


After it goes tanning, the water just goes right back out into the ocean! The solid waste, however, still has a ways to go. After the waste is separated from the water, it goes into the Digester, which aerates the waste further and separates more moisture from the solids.

After it goes through the Digester, the waste moves on to the Belt Filter Press, where it gets pressed to squish out all of the leftover moisture. The leftovers are packed away in boxes so the vessel can carry them back to Port Hueneme where they meet their tragic fate: death by incineration.

Belt Filter Press

Box o' Poo

So....that's how poo gets processed down here. I thought it was interesting, albeit a tiny bit disgusting. :)

Peace, Love &....well, Poo!

Cravings.

I swear, I get more cravings than a pregnant woman down here. It doesn't make any sense because it's not like I'm really deprived of much down here. I have soft serve ice cream, and cookies, and vegetables (or "freshies" as they're called here). So why have I been having so many cravings?!

I don't know, but I started making a list and I thought I'd share because it's kind of funny. And really random. And I feel like I need to get it out of my system so I stop craving things.

Here goes.

Nachos. With tons of nacho cheese. (What the heck? When do I ever eat nacho cheese? I don't know, but I wanted it real bad.)
Moose Tracks.
Ballpark Hot Dogs. (Again, I probably eat those like twice a year...why do I crave them?)
Dunkin' Donuts Coffee.
Real bacon.
Frosted Shredded Wheat.
Nutella.
Marshmallows. (I seriously just wanted one marshmallow yesterday. Just a nice big, puffy marshmallow to go along with dessert. Is that too much to ask?)
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.
Chinese Take Out? (Seriously haven't had Chinese in over a year)

What is wrong with me......?

MUST. HAVE.

Peace, Love & INEEDTAKEOUTNOW.