On Snow and Packing

After more than a few days of anticipation, we finally woke up to (a light, almost imperceptible dusting of, but still) snow in Vancouver this morning.

Yay!

I've lived on the west coast for nearly 18 years but having grown up on the Canadian prairies, one of the things I did not miss when I left I was the snow. (As Nelson from The Simpsons might say, "Smell ya later snow... smell ya later forever.") And yet, looking out the window today, I was literally jumping up and down. I hardly recognize myself anymore. The only reason I can think of for this change of heart is our upcoming trip to Antarctica.

Prep Work
Today is going to be a "practice pack" day. I rarely do this for trips, but given our usual travel involves big cities with lots of stores and ATMs versus being sequestered on a boat away from civilization, I thought this might be a practical exercise. Also, I'm a little concerned about luggage weight restrictions, given the amount of weather-related essentials Quark Expeditions recommended we bring. So... not exactly the norm for us. More on the outcomes of this later.