Selected to Join Arctic Research Team in Utqiagvik, Alaska - PolarTREC

December 23 – “Hello…, yes I’m sitting on a plane in Dallas. Just landed. Turned on my smartphone and it immediately began ringing. I’m excited to talk to you...”  

Although I was sitting on a completely full plane of Christmas travelers, I chose to answer as it was a number from Alaska I had seen a couple weeks prior and was excited to hear from them. Yet it was curious if Santa was calling me from the North Pole?

It was a call to invite me to participate in a 2020 PolarTREC expedition in the coming months. I was selected from over 200 applicants through a rigorous application and interview process to join Arctic researchers from the U.S. Navy and University of Washington who work on the International Arctic Buoy Programme. An opportunity of a lifetime, to go to the Arctic with a science research team. They even mentioned during the interview the possibility of going to the North Pole! I accepted even though it means missing my grandmother’s 100th birthday during the same week of April.

I’m so excited, I’ve been telling nearly everyone I see that I’m headed to the Arctic for at least a week, most likely longer (hopefully). As it has been winter holiday break for nearly everyone involved, I have not yet received any further information or details. So instead of waiting I’ve been researching what I can:

• Learning a bit about the whaling community of Utqiagvik, Alaska where the research team will be based. Utqiagvik was formerly known as Barrow before returning to its native name in 2016. 
• Reading a bit of the Arctic Sounder's online version of the local newspaper that covers the entire North Slope Borough (happens to be the largest municipal district in the world at the size of Minnesota).
• Requesting a couple books about the Arctic from my public library.
• And I’ve found an Al Roker NBC News video about the importance of the buoy program to understanding climate change.

Also, I am glad I have had a globe to show friends and family just how far north and west Utqiagvik is, as typical flat maps just aren't the same as a globe.

I can’t wait to share more as I learn more in the coming weeks; especially how to correctly pronounce Utqiagvik. 
-Sarah