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.
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