I'm Back

I arrived in Anchorage late last night after about 34 hours of travel time. It was quite a shock to the system to step out into -3 degree temperatures after having spent the past 18 days in 100 degree temps! I was not dressed for it... I will be posting more on the expedition soon, I promise.

I have a ton of stuff to do now. I need to unpack everything and get settled in. I have to snuggle with the kids and reassure them that I did not abandon them. I really need to find a place for the boys; they are such sweethearts, they deserve a loving home.

I need to go thru all the photos I took and create a travelogue of my trip. I also need to create two power-point presentations of the expedition: one of Earthwatch in general with Africa tacked on at the end for the Eagle River Nature Center talk I'm giving on the 16th of December (all are invited!) and one of the trip exclusively for any other talks I'll give in the future. Perhaps the zoo will let me present? I want to show my family the trip, as well. My brother has a big screen TV that will work just fine: a great way to kick off our Family Movie Night perhaps.

All the paperwork and receipts I came home with need to be organized. Earthwatch is a nonprofit organization which means I can deduct the whole thing off my taxes this year! Airfare to and from Africa, the cost of the expedition itself, as well as any taxis and/or food = it all adds up.

I have to re-register for unemployment again, since being gone for 3 weeks closed my account down. I also need to get an add up at the University offering a room to rent. And I really need to work hard at finding myself a job. I have plans for my next vacation, don't you know - a job would really come in handy for funding that!

My Christmas cards are all ready to go - they just need to be addressed and stamped. The Christmas letter needs to be written up, however. I had hoped to do that before I left but never got around to it.

Then, to top it all off, I really should take a look at all my investments, banking, and money issues to make sure I have things as organized as I can get them. I have limited funds available so really need to keep on top of it all to make sure I don't run out unexpectedly.