What it's REALLY like to be a NASA astronaut living in space for a year

Instagram Embed:http://instagram.com/p/BAxDClUgXhB/embed/Width: 800px I don't feel alone or afraid. I was up here for six weeks as the only American on the US side of the space station and I was fine. I have been afraid when the ground has called and privatized the audio generally meaning something bad has happened. So I have been a little afraid. This is a response to the question, Do you ever feel alone/afraid? If so, how do you combat those feelings?Instagram Embed:http://instagram.com/p/BAu2oYTgXq-/embed/Width: 800px My favorite spot on Earth to see from space is probably the Bahamas. The brilliant and varied colors of the blue water and contrast from here is pretty spectacular. This is a response to the question, What is your favorite part of Earth to see from space?Instagram Embed:http://instagram.com/p/60CVZSgXuS/embed/Width: 800px The first thing I will eat will probably be a piece of fruit (or a cucumber) the Russian nurse hands me as soon as I am pulled out of the space capsule and begin initial health checks. This is a response to the question, What will be the first thing you eat once you're back on Earth?Instagram Embed:http://instagram.com/p/BA0OT2HAXj3/embed/Width: 800px It seems blood pressure is lower because it doesn't have to fight against gravity. This is a response to the question, What are the cardiovascular effects of longterm space travel? My muscles and joints are a whole lot better up here than with gravity. It's almost like you are in a bed rest. There is no pressure or pain. I do stretch before I exercise because my muscles aren't stretched out, they are somewhat dormant. This is a response to the question, Do you stretch when you wake up in the morning from your space sleep? Is stretching just a waking up thing or does gravity make people want to stretch?Instagram Embed:http://instagram.com/p/1BadPngXsH/embed/Width: 800px I think a lot of people think that because we give the appearance that this is easy that it is easy. I don't think people have an appreciation for the work that it takes to pull these missions off, like humans living on the space station continuously for 15 years. It is a huge army of hard working people to make it happen. This is a response to the question, What is the largest misconception about space/space travel that society holds onto?Instagram Embed:http://instagram.com/p/_w8TMRAXps/embed/Width: 800px The calluses on your feet in space will eventually fall off. So, the bottoms of your feet become very soft, like newborn baby feet. But the top of my feet develop rough alligator skin because I use the top of my feet to get around here on space station when using foot rails. This is a response to the question, Could you tell us something unusual about being in space that many people don't think about?Instagram Embed:http://instagram.com/p/BAGP5FjgXln/embed/Width: 800px Smells vary depending on what segment you are in. Sometimes it has an antiseptic smell. Sometimes it has an odor that smells like garbage. But the smell of space when you open the hatch smells like burning metal to me. This is a response to the question, Does the ISS have any particular smell?Instagram Embed:http://instagram.com/p/BA5T3XhAXp3/embed/Width: 800px Your arms don't hang by your side in space like they do on Earth because there is no gravity. It feels awkward to have them floating in front of me. It is just more comfortable to have them folded. I don't even have them floating in my sleep, I put them in my sleeping bag. This is a response to the question, Why do you always have your arms folded?Instagram Embed:http://instagram.com/p/1oAsLiAXmL/embed/Width: 800px Recently I had to clean up a gallon-sized ball of urine mixed with acid. The acid is added to the urine so the urine doesn't damage the machinery that moves it through the system. It keeps it from clogging up the system. This is a response to the question, What's the creepiest thing you've encountered while on the job?Instagram Embed:http://instagram.com/p/-jgJs9gXkV/embed/Width: 800px I just sneezed twice coming into my crew quarters. And I do what I do on Earth and cover my mouth with my hand. If I didn't do that, it's possible the sneeze could be found floating in another module. I generally don't sneeze into open air on Earth or here in space. This is a response to the question, What happens when you sneeze or blow your nose in space? Does it stay on your face like tears?Instagram Embed:http://instagram.com/p/9mK5dhgXoe/embed/Width: 800px I think it's one of the great things about the space station program is that it's an international program. We get along very well. We have to because we rely on each other for our lives. This is a response to the question, What is like to work with members of other nations' space programs? Do the politics that take place on Earth affect your relationship with them?Sleeping here in space is harder than on a bed because the sleep position here is the same position throughout the day. You don't ever get that sense of gratifying relaxation here that you do on Earth after a long day at work. Yes, there are humming noises on station that affect my sleep, so I wear ear plugs. This is a response to the question, What's it like to sleep in 0G? It must be great for the back. Does the humming of the machinery in the station affect your sleep at all? I am not a great sleeper. I don't think I have ever slept eight hours straight in the last 20 years. I wind up waking up a couple of times. My dreams are sometimes space dreams and sometimes Earth dreams. And they are crazy. This is a response to the question, Can you describe your sleep cycle over the last 300 days in space? Always a solid 8 hours? Did you ever get strangely tired or have you consistently felt well rested? Bonus Question: When sleeping, is your dream world mostly in zero-G?The most challenging thing about being in space for a year is time. A year is a long time. This is a response to the question, What has been the most challenging thing about being in space for a year?Instagram Embed:http://instagram.com/p/8HIexRgXpJ/embed/Width: 800px I never feel bored up here. There is always plenty to do, and not enough free time to do it. As for lonely, we have pretty good ways to stay connected with people in your life. I certainly miss my loved ones, but I never feel lonely. And connecting to people back on Earth on social media like this helps too! This is a response to the question, What do you do to make time pass fast when you feel bored or lonely in space?Instagram Embed:http://instagram.com/p/_zcegBgXrN/embed/Width: 800px I will appreciate nature more. This is a response to the question, What ONE thing will you forever do differently after your safe return home?It is a little bit surreal to know that you are in your own little spaceship and a few inches from you is instant death. This is a response to the question, During a space walk what does it feel like having nothing but a suit ([albeit] a rather sophisticated one) between you and space?

What it's REALLY like to be a NASA astronaut living in space for a year

Space isn't as scary as you might think.

The Bahamas are just as beautiful from space.

Kelly's first meal upon returning to earth won't be fast food.

Microgravity could be good for your body.

Just because it looks easy doesn't mean it is.

The best pedicure could be space travel.

Space smells like burning metal.

Microgravity makes your arms feel weird.

Peeing in space can get messy.

Common courtesy goes a long way.

Getting along with colleagues is especially important.

Sleeping in space isn't easy, and the dreams can get weird.

Time is a challenge.

But Kelly never gets bored.

Living in space for a year makes you appreciate things.

Walking in space can be surreal sometimes.