McMurdo Station (in a nutshell)

It’s been too long since my last entry! The days have started to run into one another because I work so much (10 hours per day, 6 days per week)…so before I knew it, almost a week passed! I’ve been getting a lot of questions lately about what the living situation is like down here, what there is to do for recreation, what the buildings look like, etc., so in this entry I’ll try my best to explain what it’s like down here!

McMurdo feels like living on…a military base. Or a college campus. Or maybe some combination of the two! Let me explain. The buildings look similar to and perform similar functions as a military base: there’s a heavy shop, a vehicle maintenance shop, an explosives unit, helicopter pads, runways, etc. In addition, most buildings are covered with sheet metal siding and painted various shades of brown. But there are also some features of McMurdo that make it feel more like college: a coffeehouse, climbing wall, pottery wheels, craft room, library, greenhouse, multiple gyms, scientific laboratories…not to mention we live dormitory-style with roommates (sometimes more than one!) and share communal bathrooms.

I live, work, and sleep in a building affectionately called “155,” which is basically the common area for McMurdo Station. I live upstairs in Room 245 with 3 other roommates…Kira (fellow DA who I already knew from St. Olaf), Whitney (a janitor who works nights), and Emily (an administrative assistant at the National Science Foundation chalet). 155 is a happening building with an especially happening hallway called “Highway 1,” along which is the station store, a mail drop box, computer labs, the cafeteria, and several important offices. Doing all of my business in one building has its benefits: I usually wake up around 15 minutes before my shift starts, roll out of bed, put on my hat and uniform, brush my teeth, and run downstairs to report for work!

This is by no means is an exhaustive description of McMurdo, but I’m sure there will be many stories to come!

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