Guess what I found today? Well, you will never guess so i will just have to tell you. I found my supervisors’ old voyage diary. This is the hand written stuff (this is like my fav. Technical term BTW) that gets recorded which is not actual data but is important so that you have (a) a frame of reference of other things that happen and (b) written proof that you did something *grin*.
The supervisor in question was the most awesome guy. An excellent scientist and also a really nice guy. I don’t recall him having a bad word to say about anybody (but more importantly me), ever. The diary was from v1-99 (that is voyage 1, 1999). It is actually i photocopy of his actual diary. Bound and everything. It has additional notes and annotations from me. It records events, dates, times, positions and activities/data.
It is a wonderful document. Reading it i can remember the days on board the ship and the scientific activities myself and others carried out. What is also cool is that he drew pictures. Of sea ice conditions. Little sketches if you will. So after a decade i can still make those connections between the satellite data and processed products (which i made myself) and the perspective from the ground. Sure, it is not a scientific document but it is invaluable.
That is why you should always keep a diary. Even if it is just scribbles and little, badly written, notes. Well, i have to really. I have a poor memory for personal details and am the worst photographer. Ever. No, seriously i am shocking. This is where i get my belief that you need to live life and “see” it rather than take a picture of it for later.
I must go and find my own diary. This details all the things i was doing. Well, it would because it was my diary! I seem to remember that my diary had less scientific bits and more personal experiences. I think i wrote about the people i was expedition-ing with more than anything.
All this reminiscing has been fun. I wonder what those people are doing now and if they even remember the voyage (or me). Also makes me wonder about what could have been (personally and professionally).
This is the first page of the diary. It details a “station”. That is what you call it when you stop the ship and everyone gets buys recording/doing things! This page includes:
· Date, time, location
· Weather information
· Who was also working (and what they were doing)
· Diagram of ice (and where people were working)
· Details of ice and snow conditions
· What information collected
and also a large dose of nostalgia.
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