I have been asked many questions about my time in Antarctica. Many are simple to answer.
How cold is it? Very
Does it snow a lot? Not as much as you might think
What about the polar bears? Nothing, they are bears… they can’t fly from the top of the world to the bottom
Are there aliens? We don’t talk about the REDACTED
Some questions have surprisingly common answers, like:
What do you do when you are not working? Umm yesterday I went to the gym, watched a movie and read a book.
Most people struggle to understand that what we get up to in our time off is much the same as everyone else, kind of.
Sure there are weekends spent traversing ice that is thousands of years old to stare up at what can only be described as the True Radiance of the night sky, not the pale imitation we get at home. Driving on the ocean in search of majestic Emperor Penguins. Or going for a hike on a mountain top, whose tip is poking out from a frozen icy plateau large enough to drown the world. These are the awesome moments that we share on social media and with our families but not our everyday.
Those are the days afterwork, when the weather is bad or we are just tired where our lives are perfectly normal. We have a gym to work out in, even a spa and sauna for when the cold seeps into your bones. The small library is maintained with a selection of factual and fictional tomes to suit a wide range of tastes. There are board games a plenty with a dedicated table for jigsaw puzzles. Many people learn new skills from some of the master craftspeople on station or the musically talented.
Many people also bring entertainment items with them. I personally sent a 3D printer down here to learn how to use. Others have PlayStations or Xboxs. Lego sets tend to make an appearance each year. While almost everyone brings their own computer.
One of the most popular hobbies that many take up is photography. Whether it be the stary night sky, blazing auroras or precocious penguins many discover a love and talent for taking and editing pictures. How can you not even try a little given the inspirational environment we live in.
We even have limited internet so while we don’t get TV down here we can still watch our favourite sports and see some of the latest shows on streaming services (beware the dreaded Buffering Wheel).
So overall its not too different from home.
Other than the fact that its thousands of kilometres away on a continent that is completely inhospitable to human life.
Yeah, totally normal.
Aaron Munro
