New Zealand or Bust!

Brad has an opportunity to spend the month of February in New Zealand as part of Operation Deep Freeze. I would usually use the term "opportunity" loosely in regards to any trip that takes him away so long...but I must admit, this truly is a unique opportunity. He initially told me about it while he was still gone on his four month deployment, so it didn't sit well with me. Now that he has been home a few months I'm recognizing the cool factor for him and I'm more on board...plus, did I forget to mention...I get to go!!!!

Before I say anything more on that, you can read below a summary in a few articles I found of what he will be doing and why he is going.
A C-17 cargo jet sits at the Pegasus Ice Runway near McMurdo Station, Antarctica, in August 2004. The U.S. Air Force provides air support between Christchurch, New Zealand, and McMurdo Station, Antarctica, for the U.S. Antarctic Program.

Williams Field, a skiway 16 kilometers from McMurdo on the Ross Ice Shelf, is the aerodrome for ski-equipped airplanes. Wheeled airplanes use a harder, smoother runway on sea ice in October and November and into December, when the sea ice usually begins to break up and become unusable.
A permanent, hard ice runway for wheeled planes - the Pegasus site on the Ross Ice Shelf was completed in 1992 and can be used in all but the warmest months.

So essentially he will stay in Christchurch, New Zealand and fly about 4 out and back missions to Antarctica. I guess for a pilot, landing on an iceberg is an exciting flying challenge. The remainder of his month is more or less down time in Christchurch in some pretty plush accommodations provided by the AF! So when we learned that spouses were welcome to visit during the month we thought that despite the poor timing (remember...our house will be on the market) we couldn't pass up the opportunity. I had to purchase my own ticket, which wasn't cheap, but our hotel is paid for, we get a daily allowance, and Brad obviously will fly for "free".

Now if the thought of this is upsetting you or you're thinking that your taxes are funding government expenditures such as this...just keep in mind that in the 11 years of his military service and the months of deployments...this is really the first trip I've been "invited" to attend. There was a long weekend conference in St. Louis, but that doesn't really compare.

So I have a ticket, my passport renewal application is in the mail, and Grandma is onboard for keeping the girls! 8 Days on the South Pacific Ocean in New Zealand without my kids...Yahoo! It took me awhile to convince myself to do this...I was thinking practically about all the reasons I shouldn't...but then I decided to just be a little impractical once in awhile and go for it. Without a doubt this won't be the last you're hearing about this adventure.