We are officially en route to Antarctica! I am writing this aboard a Royal New Zealand Air Force Hercules heading toward McMurdo Station. It’s a 7+ h flight from Christchurch, so we have a brief break to prepare ourselves for the work ahead of us. This is my first flight on a C130, and despite the webbing bench seats, unbelievably loud engine sound and body-shaking vibrations, and the bucket-with-curtain “toilet” I am enjoying every moment of it. It’s a beautiful day for flying, with bright sun and no turbulence, and it doesn’t seem likely at this point that we’ll need to “boomerang” (turn back to NZ) for weather reasons (fingers crossed). The NZ Air Force personnel have been surprisingly warm and friendly, and have given us the full run of the ship. There is notable gender parity in the crew both on the ground and the plane, and the overall attitude is relaxed. It is also worth noting that some of the crew are displaying an impressive assortment of mustaches, with a particularly excellent specimen on Loadmaster Dave. Besides the ANSMET team, there are several other McMurdo-bound folks, many of whom appear to be seasoned veterans. Unlike me, they’re taking this opportunity to nap—and with no earplugs, no less. Some of the crew are also sleeping in the back, but with giant flight headsets and in some sweet beanbag chairs. This lounge area is made slightly less appealing by the proximity of the bucket toilet, which I am doing my best to avoid. Loadmaster Dave just passed by carrying some additional toilet paper, so you know things are already rough in there.

Before I left Los Alamos, I was so busy thinking about what I should bring and what needed to get done before I disappeared for two months that I barely had any time to reflect on this incredible scientific adventure that I am embarking on. Now that I’m finally sitting still, I notice that I feel an overwhelming sense of calm happiness. The opportunity to work in Antarctica is something that few people get to experience, and I’m thrilled to count myself among them. This is an incredible adventure for a lifetime—but even more importantly, we’re doing critical work for planetary science, which I find deeply satisfying. There have been very few missions to return materials from other bodies in our solar system; it’s really only a handful. But in Antarctica, we have the rare opportunity to find materials that sample many more of the planetary bodies in our solar system, all handily delivered right to our doorstep. Each meteorite that we bring home is a tiny gift from the universe that allows us to learn a little bit more about the formation and evolution of our planetary neighborhood. The materials we collect will be studied by hundreds of researchers for years to come—and who knows what paradigm-shifting insights might come out of their work? My contribution is small, but I’m proud to add my efforts to theirs. And on top of all this hard work and good science, I might even get to see a penguin in its natural habitat. It really doesn’t get any better than this.

Wait, one of the crew just gave me a special panini from a box in the cockpit. I have no idea why or how this happened but this sandwich is downright delicious. It’s filled with roasted vegetables and some kind of amazing sauce that I managed to immediately spill into the inside of my inner coat, which means I’ll be smelling its delicious NZ sauciness for the next two months. Consider this day taken to the next level.

-from Nina (I, Morgan, take all responsibility for the blurry picture and any problems posting) in the Sky with Diamonds