C-17 and McMurdo Station

I arrived at McMurdo!! Yesterday went very smoothly. We got to the Christchurch airport before 6am and got all our gear on and ready to go. Then we checked in through the NZ military security - loved it no limits on liquids, didn't have to take off your shows or jackets. Its the way it should be. Then we boarded the C-17. It was so cool flying on a cargo plane!! Although its very weird on take off and landing when you are sitting sideways towards the walls and there are no windows. You cant tell what the plane is doing. And the seats were not the most comfortable I have ever sat in. But oh well. We got to get up and go into the cockpit. It was up a flight of stairs and had more buttons then you could imagine.
It was a 5 hour flight to McMurdo and the whole time you are hoping the weather doesn't change so you have to do a "boomerang" flight and fly back to Christchurch. Luckily we didn't. We landed on the Pegasus Ice Field approx 18 miles from McMurdo around 2:30p on Tues our time (6:30p Mon PST). And boy was it cold!! It was so disorienting when you have this big red jacket and -25 degree weather hitting you, you don't know where you are or what it going on. All you can see is ice for miles. Great views of Mt. Erebus though. Mt Erebus is an active volcano on Ross Island where McMurdo is...
When we arrived in McMurdo it is quite the town. Not as scary as it seems. It has a weird vibe of a small community but at the same time everyone is on their own. I got all settled in my room last night and met my bosses. I have 3 roommates and one is from Eugene...go figure! They seem nice. I haven't got to talk to them too much. It's going to be quite the adjustment from living by myself to living in a dorm with 3 other people. But at least I am in the same building as the dining hall and store so I don't have to go outside to eat or be on the computer. :) Well I am sure you are all bored by now and I am off to my first day of work after an hour tour of the town in -10 degree weather. Yikes!!