Not the best weather for flying.

This morning, after 20-30 minutes of anxious waiting to see if Daniela and Minako’s flight to Davis Ward would take off, we got the news: cancelled due to weather. We were disappointed because we’re ready to go collect some space rocks.

Antarctica has its own plans sometimes. Daniela called John Schutt to get his advice for dealing with the rollercoaster of uncertainty that comes with our time on the Ice and traveling from one place to another on it. Johnny said his many years mountaineering taught him not to fight forces outside his control, like the weather. If the weather wasn’t safe or favorable for a climb, the climb wasn’t happening—no matter how much he had prepped for the adventure.

Acceptance is key.
“It is frustrating to not know exactly what’s happening,” he said. “You try to get into zone of ‘this is the way it is and nothing I can do about it.’ But it does take a bit of patience.” Words to live by, on and off the Ice.

Maybe tomorrow, we’ll have better luck. We’re backup number three, meaning there are three missions ahead of us in line. As we’ve learned, anything and everything can happen in Antarctica, so Daniela and Minako are getting ready to fly regardless.

In the meantime, we’re watching Groundhog Day, which has been playing on repeat all day today. Antarctica is funny sometimes too.

-From Daniela in McMurdo