January 29, 2011 What I'll miss about WAIS Divide

Many aspects of life change when you move to an ice sheet to camp for over two months. Some of these changes, like sleeping in a tent outside or working in a freezer at -30 C all day, are difficult to adjust to, but soon they become normal. Being in a relatively small camp with the same ~35 people also fosters great friendships. As I prepare to leave WAIS Divide, I have spent quite a bit of time reflecting on the season and what I'll miss about my life on the ice.

Here are the top five:

1) My ice family.

The drillers and science crew celebrating the last ice core of the season.

Francie, one of our wonderful cooks, and Heidi out on the ice sheet. I will miss spending time with my WAIS friends

2) The fresh air and sleeping in a tent.

I am going to miss sleeping in my tent and all of the fresh air. I will also miss drinking the fresh melted snow of West Antarctica.

3)The food!

I will miss the delicious meals that our cooks prepared. We even had salad out in the middle of West Antarctica!

4) Goofing around and enjoying camp life

I will miss my several costumes, including this great 1980's pink ski suit.

I will miss having fun with my friends. Running the Turkey Trot in McMurdo was one highlight of the season.

5) Working with the ice cores.

I will miss working with my science pals. We had a challenging season but all pulled together to accomplish our goal of 3330 meters.