Daily Journey Updates
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Carleton University
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Expedition Update
***Just added: scroll down to see a video and some photos from July 29 at
Carleton University, as well as the first two journal
entries!***
Good evening and welcome to the first update of the Students on Ice Arctic Expedition 2012!
Everyone has now arrived safe and sound! It's been a busy day as SOI teams in Ottawa, Iqaluit and Yellowknife welcomed students and staff from around the world! Several students arrived in Ottawa as early as last Wednesday to get their passports but the majority of students arrived today. Most are now in Ottawa staying at the Carleton University campus residence, while others from Canada's North have traveled directly to Iqaluit and are staying at the Arctic College residence. The Iqaluit group will await the rest of the expedition team who will be flying a First Air charter from Ottawa tomorrow morning.
Some students
arrived early enough to see some of Ottawa's sights today including the
Museum of Nature, the National Gallery of Canada and
Parliament Hill. Following
dinner this evening, Students on Ice Founder and President Geoff Green led a
team meet and greet session, which included the first expedition briefing and a
review of tomorrow's schedule. We'll be up bright and early at 7:00 AM tomorrow
to pack up, get some breakfast and load up the buses for an 8:30 AM departure
to the Ottawa International Airport. Our First Air Charter is scheduled to
depart at 10:00 AM.
Many members of the team have traveled a long way to get here and, despite a little jet lag, we're all very excited that, after months of anticipation, Arctic Expedition 2012 is finally underway and we are ready to go!
Keep checking back here for daily updates, which will include students' journal entries, photos, videos and more!
Onwards! Let the expedition
begin!
Check out the first Students on Ice 2012 Arctic
Expedition video from Day 1 at Carleton University in Ottawa! Here comes the
team!
Photos from Day 1!
Checking in to the
student residence at Carleton University
Listening to SOI Expedition Leader
Geoff Green at the first meet-and-greet at
Carleton
Tired but
excited!
Sustainability Leadership Artist Kara
Stonehouse gets to work
SOI Expedition Leader Geoff
Green
Artist and inventor Bill "Father Goose"
Lishman talks to students about his iceberg
sculpture
Bill Lishman
Participant and Logistics Coordinator Kathleen Connelly welcomes Madelaine
Brown
Parliament Buildings,
Ottawa
National Gallery Art
Museum
Canadian Museum of
Nature
Student Journals - July 29, 2012
*****
EMILY WALSH
So here I am, Prescott House at Carleton University. It still doesn’t feel like I’m really going! I’m guessing it will when I climb on that First Air flight tomorrow. It’s definitely hot here in Carlton, especially compared to home. 33*C not counting the humidex is too hot for me! My challenge of the day was to repack my suitcase to make my carry on smaller – I definitely over-packed! I had to sit on my suitcase, but I managed to get it to work. All of the staff here are fantastic, and the students are very interesting to talk to! They’re from all over the world, and I find it neat that we’ve all come together to go to this place that most of us have never been. Canada, India, Germany, USA, England and more! Can’t wait to see what’s in store for us on this journey! – July 29, 2012
Here we are on route to Iqaluit! It’s finally starting to sink in that I’m really going! I think the picture of the polar bear on the tail helped to remind me. We were told that Iqaluit will be around 8*C and raining – not the best weather, but WAY more comfortable than the heat of Ottawa in my opinion! I’m always excited to see places that I’ve never been to, and this is by far no exception. I’m ready to get on the boat right now! I’d like to skydive off this plane and just magically land on the boat with our luggage. We have lots in store for us in the coming weeks, and I can’t wait to take in every moment of it!
*****
TERRI WOODS-BOONE
When Madie and I got off the plane we saw Mike. We walked over to him and then we went and got our bags. I met some other people like Abby, Ocean, and Jacqueline they're all very nice. When we got to Carleton University I finally got to meet Clare. She gave me my room key and brought me to the back room and then I got a Students on Ice vest, hats, t-shirts, and lots more for our trip. When i got to my room I first thought that Abby was my room mate but she had the wrong room key. It was Jacqueline's room key. So then I helped her back down stairs so she could get the right one and then me and Jacqueline met each other a little bit more. After supper we had a meeting and after that I went to my room and had a shower. Then Jacqueline and I had a really good night. I never thought that i could get so home sick in soo little time. I got reallly nervous about meeting new people but it's not as bad as I thought it was going to be I can't wait for tomorrow to come.