Longren Antarctic Newsletter #09 - 09.11.2023 ------------------------------------------------- Dearest people, After a year in Antarctica, I've made it back  to the land of the living. That is a bit of an  overstatement; the frozen continent is full of things like little microbes, penguins, orcas,  whales, and more! However, as I write this from  a busy Texas airport, Antarctica feels so calm and empty in comparison. Looking back, the past year has been quite nice  to me. I've already begun reflecting on the  experiences I have had and I know it will take  me a moment for the year to fully set in. Thus, I think I will leave you with a dozen photos  from the past couple months to summarize my  return to normal life. I don't know when I will return to Antarctica. Being there has given me an even greater desire  for adventure, more than I knew I had. I hope  that these newsletters have inspired you,  provided a bit of knowledge, and helped you  feel connected with me as I have been away. Until we see each other again, please enjoy  the final photos from my time on the ice. Sliding down a hill near the 'beach', a popular  spot to watch the sun near the frozen ocean. Being disturbed by the sun on a drive up and out of town to check on instruments. A view of a few 'fish huts' on the ice (top). Divers entering the ocean through a hole within  a fish hut (bottom). Surfing on a frozen pond. Watching the sun not set from the dorm room. A photo taken on my first day at McMurdo (top) next to a photo taken one year later (bottom), maybe just a little rougher around the edges. A cargo plane arriving to take 12 of us winter- overs back to the world. The inside of the cargo plane. A helicopter  joined us for the ride north. On the ground in Christchurch, New Zealand. I can now be bothered by ducks again. Thanks for following along with me. Sincerely, Luke ------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------