I was going to wait to write this post until after the applicant advancement announcement, but I’m just so excited that just maybe news will arrive today instead of tomorrow (or worse, Saturday).
Four months spent ‘on Mars’ is a quick trip compared to the complete 2-year journey that would be required of astronauts heading to the Red Planet. However, I’m sure that the 6 selected participants will feel the strain of such a lifestyle every so often. Before deciding to apply, I asked myself if there was anything I absolutely could not live without for four months that should keep me from submitting my application. While I couldn’t think of anything of that magnitude, I was able to come up with some items that I’d certainly miss (but, ultimately can live without IN THE NAME OF SCIENCE).
My Top 20 Things I’ll Miss:
- Family
- Friends
- Freedom to Travel
- Vegetarianism
- Sunshine on my skin
- Long, hot showers
- Animals
- Crock Pot? If the Mars kitchen isn’t equipped with a slow cooker I will be quite sad.
- Forests
- Hiking
- Mountains
- The Ocean (and it’ll be so close, yet so far!)
- Having my own room
- Fresh fruit and vegetables
- Direct contact with people (5-20 min delay on all communications)
- My own kitchen, stocked with what I want to eat/snack upon
- Streams
- A fully equipped lab and greenhouse
- Food choice
- A private life, outside of work
If selected, I’ll be very eager to see how this list of predictions holds up to what I actually end up yearning for the most.
Sweet Tea, Science 
I noticed the internet wasn't on the list…
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Well, we'd have some semblance of internet at the station, however any communication with 'Earth' would be delayed. Like that scene in 2001: A Space Odyssey with the interview. They talk about conducting it with a 16 minute delay.
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