Hello Again Friends!
So today, February 16th, the last plane left from the South Pole right around 12:30pm. This was the last plane I will see or hear until sometime in late October. I can’t quite explain the feelings I had watching that last plane leave me, knowing that I am now to remain at the South Pole isolated from the rest of the world until October. I think that for most people, that would make them very nervous, but mostly I am super excited about this opportunity I have, and to spend the long winter with only 42 other people. Its going to be interesting I think. There are only 9 of women, and I am one of the (if not the) youngest people staying for the winter. But I do pride myself on the fact that most people don’t think I am only 23…
So I have been working as the “Grub Lugger” for a few days now, and I am really enjoying it. I didn’t even mind when I had to run down to the dome in the middle of lunch to get more chicken on Saturday. One of the last big flights that about 40 people were leaving on was delayed so we didn’t have quite enough food to cover all those people still being here. We got the last of the fresh fruit and veggies from New Zealand the other day as well, so I have been working on getting them into the cold storage rooms (rooms in station, in a wing where the heat is turned off…), and organizing everything.
Tonight we watched “the thing”, which is a horror movie set in Antarctica. It’s a south pole tradition to watch it the day the last plane leaves. It’s a pretty cheesy 80’s horror movie, and was not all that scary! I think it might be more fun to watch it once winter has actually started and it really is dark outside. But we’ll see. Tomorrow we have a “moving day” where everyone gets to settle into their new room, and office space and get themselves organized for the season, and then on Wednesday we start shutting down the station for winter, and making any building we can “go cold” to save on energy and fuel.
That’s about all the update I have for now, more soon!
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3 comments:
Hi Erin,
I wintered during the 94-95 season in the Meteorology Department. I have been following the winter overs the last couple of years. I found your blog, but was wondering if you can point to any others, especially the Mets.
I remember the last plane leaving my year, watching the
Sorry, got distracted and thought I was finished, I remember watching the last plane, they flew over wagging their wings at us, and then there were only 28 of us. We were still in the Dome then, hard for me to call that the old station. To me the old station is buried.
Jeff Lutz
w/o 94-95
Glad to here your stranded till October that means I get all your ice cream, cake and other goodies. See there is a bright side. Take care of your self. I have to copy your latest blog to share with others who are following your life in the second coldest place on earth the first being Maine in winter. Ha Ha. ROFL Summer Street
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