PRIVATE.
Alive is preferable. Although it depends what we consider living- I'm glad you're alive and not much worse for wear.
I think I saw something about the observatory. I think it's in the park with the zoo and the horseback rides? I hadn't considered a cartoon spaceship... that might be... difficult? I don't think I'd fit in a cartoon spaceship for one.
Desert seems safer. At least I know how to deal with the things that want to kill me there.