Monday, February 10, 2014

2/10/14 Exciting News!

The call interrupted my school day at 3:10 pm on Friday, 2/7. My initial reaction to the office fetching me for an unexpected call was fear of bad news of my ill grandma, but my concern was quickly replaced by elation as my tentative, "Hello?" was answered by Nina Page's, "I'm with National Geographic." I immediately realized my application to the Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship must have been successful to warrant such a call. I was psyched!
I just got the confirmation email confirming that I will be traveling to Washington, DC, in late April for training to be an ambassador for the GTF program and then to the High Arctic for a National Geographic Expedition from June 27 to July 13. My travel will include flying to Norway and then Svalbard, followed by ship travel through the archipelago. As I understand it, the ship will then follow the course of ancient Vikings to Greenland and finally Iceland before flying home from Reykjavik.
I've been studying oceanography and polar regions for 20 years, so I am completely excited for the opportunity to see the midnight sun, plankton blooms, cetaceans, polar bears, seals, fjords, icebergs, pack ice, and sea birds up close and personal. I can't wait to maneuver a sea kayak in the shadow of a glacier and meet 150 fellow travelers. I'm sure the experience will provide me with great photos, videos, stories, and connections to bring back into my classroom and inspire my students.