all photos
[11/13(Tu) => New Zealand]
4PM I'm about to fly San Francisco -(1hr)> Los Angeles -(12hr)> Auckland, New Zealand.
For the 3rd time, Nacchan was the last one to see me off of Berkeley -- you must really want to go there :)
It's strange... I feel like I'm just going on another day trip, even though I'm heading to the southern most edge of the Earth for a 3-month stay...
From the plane, half of San Francisco was covered in clouds like a scene from a fairy tale, with only the top of the Golden Gate sticking up above (background photo)...
6-8PM During my layover at LAX airport, Phil came to meet me again.
I also talked on the phone with Mark, my friend from middle school that I hadn't talked to in 7 years. We had no way of contacting each other, until last month I went back to Michigan for the first time since 2000 for high school reunion... I walked up to his old house but no one was home, so left my phone number in their mail box, not even sure that his family still lives there. It was really nice catching up with Mark again. Apparently his little sister got a whole new view of the world after traveling in South America, and now lives like a hippie at an organic farm in Northern California! She'll probably like Loth, my co-op house in Berkeley :)
[11/15(Th) New Zealand, Clothing Distribution Centre]
9AM I'm about to fly Auckland -(1hr)> Christchurch. Just met Keith, who's been going to Antarctica the past 11 years as a flight engineer.
Getting clothing was easier this time since they had prepared most of the right items and sizes based on previous years.
How do you feel?
=)
[11/16(Fr) => Antarctica]
We have to report to the airport by 3:30AM tomorrow!