Mars Date 10414.0: Space, Exploration, and Food

It is my last day before landing on Mars. It’s early morning and I am awake.

If you asked me a few days ago about my emotional state I would have said excited. But now, at this moment, I’d say anxious. Why? Because I know tomorrow the adventure really begins. I will be going where I never thought I’d ever go – to Mars for four months. That’s 120 days and the countdown is ticking.

People often ask me how, and sometimes more importantly, why I am on this journey. I think the other crew members would say that they want to be an astronaut, to engage in space exploration, or they like the scientific opportunities.

But not me.

Sian cooking at MDRS (photo by Yajaira Sierra-Sastre)

My response is simply food. Sure, I too want to be an astronaut and love the idea of space exploration. But I have been a foodie since I can remember.

It started with cooking Sunday breakfast for my family when I was around 10. By the time I reached college I was cooking for my roommates and anyone else who’d wander by. I am the person on Facebook who is always posting food pictures. I guess that’s the reason why my friend posted this amazing opportunity on my Facebook wall. She knew it combined things I love: Space, Exploration, and Food. So I applied. And somehow, for some reason, they chose me out of hundreds of candidates – and not just me, but 5 other amazing individuals to also go on this journey.

I am the crew Education Outreach Officer. My job is to capture our mission through photos and videos. My creative slate is this website. To achieve this I’ve set two goals for myself. 1) To tell the journey of the crew and their scientific endeavors and 2) to tell the story of the food using recipes from outsiders and my own culinary creativity.

So why am I awake and anxious? I guess it’s a combination of knowing that this 120 day journey won’t be easy. To have a successful mission, and for the crew to come out in a better space, will take some amazing collaboration and determination. To achieve my goals I will have to work incredibly hard. For me, personally, I will have to gain new insights about myself and my abilities. Engaging in self-exploration is difficult and scary. Keeping a journal will be my way of tracking my successes and challenges. And now, after writing my first Mars Date post, I am no longer anxious. I am back to being excited. Let the journey begin!