Feels weird that after 2 years waiting I am finally sitting in an office with Station Leader written on the door, I really have never thought that this time would come.  I still remember the evening that I rang my now employer and asked if I had been successful, every-one else who had been in our selection group was txting and emailing to say they hadn’t been successful and I was sick of waiting I wanted to know.  I couldn’t believe that so many people who were way more spectacular and amazing then I was had been found not suitable.  There was no way that I could have got through, I though they must have lost my phone number.

I was in a hotel room looking out over Melbourne and I had a bottle of Janz my favourite sparkling wine in the cooler, I was waiting for my partner to arrive from work and then we were going to hit the town for the night.  It was 4pm on a Friday and I thought bugger it, I’m going to ring them I want to know.  I have to know or I am going to burst.  So I called the number that every-one else had had a call from and asked……….. only to be told.  “I have a list of people to call to advise they have been unsuccessful and no you have not missed a call……. You are not on my list………… call on Monday…………..”

I opened my bottle of Janz and poured a glass and dutifully repeated the conversation to my partner who had just arrived, still not willing to believe that I must have been successful till he started whooping around the room.  I still didn’t really believe it, even when I got the official letter in the post.  I didn’t believe it when I was booked on a familiarisation trip and got flown down to Antarctica for a long weekend.  I didn’t believe it a few months ago when I was getting briefings from operational planning areas on upcoming season plans for science and infrastructure projects.  I didn’t believe it when I quit my job in Saudi Arabia and moved home to have a month off with my little family before travelling for another year away.

Finally sat in this office I am starting to believe it, as I email the team and arrange freight, logistics and training.  Pack my things, decide between puffer and fur lined jackets, ice skates and cross country skis it’s becoming a reality.

I’m so excited, so excited that I could squeal just a little bit.  Only a little bit because I’m still on probation and I am running out of back up plans if this one fails for some reason……….. I think I’ll get really excited when I actually land and the big red resupply boat leaves and I am there in the freezer with only a few other people for the next 10 months………….