Hi! I’m Tom Lang, one of the onboard educators for Expedition 356.

If you follow the blog or twitter (@TheJR), you’ll be hearing a lot from me and my colleague Jisun over the next two months, as we keep you up to date with happenings on the JOIDES Resolution. We’ll be video conferencing with schools, interviewing scientists and crew, taking pictures of our food for instagram… it’s going to be a very busy few months.

But I haven’t even met Jisun or the ship in real life yet. That all happens tomorrow. So right now, I’m enjoying a spacious landlubber bed, a big hot shower, and solid ground for the last night in a long time.

Between Fremantle and Darwin we don’t plan on making port again. Our entire world for August and September will be the JOIDES Resolution. I’m excited about experiencing life on the open ocean; I’ve never been on a boat for more than a day at a time before!

To prepare, I’ve done serious research. I’ve seen Captain Phillips, so I know how to deal with pirates. I’ve seen Castaway, so I know how to survive if I’m marooned. Joe vs the Volcano taught me the value of good luggage, and Apollo 13 taught me that everything can be fixed with science and a can-do-attitude. 

…Basically I’ve been watching a lot of Tom Hanks movies. But once we set off, it’ll be all science! And ships! And sedimentation! I’m looking forward to sharing our adventure with you, and I hope you enjoy it too! 

 Stay tuned 

 Tom