16 January 2023 Postcard Project FAQ's Round 2!

Journal

An Overview

Before leaving for Antarctica, I ran a few outreach programs having friends, family, and students fill out postcards I designed. Every person asked a question that I am responding to. It has been fun to include members of the South Pole Station in answering your questions!

I am still making my way through 700 postcards! And I can't wait to send them out to you!

Elaine holds a stack of postcards — Getting ready to mail your postcards from the South Pole Station Post Office! Photo by Elaine Krebs.

As I am answering these questions, I am noticing some common themes and I wanted to share some answers to some Frequently Asked Questions here!

FAQ 6 - How's the food?

The food is AMAZING. We are so lucky to have an amazing galley team (Galley is the dining hall/cafeteria). Zeke is the head chef here who is about to stay for his third winter! And John makes fresh eggs as you like them every morning. It's one of my favorite parts of living here!

Different brunch dishes laid out on a table — This is Sunday brunch! We've had paella, pad Thai, flank steak, moroccan shrimp... I can't pick my favorite! Photo by Elaine Krebs.

FAQ 7 - Why is the sun out 24/7

This has to do with the Earth's tilt! As the Earth rotates, it actually rotates on a slight tilt. Right now, the bottom of the Earth is tilted towards the sun. So as the Earth rotates on it's axis, the south is constantly pointed towards the Sun!

The sun shines over South Pole Station — This was taken at midnight! Photo by Elaine Krebs.

FAQ 8 - Do you have heat or warm water?

Yes! It is luxury living here at the South Pole Station! We have (hot) running water (melted from the snow), heat, and electricity! We can do laundry once a week, and shower twice a week. This may seem like a sacrifice, but other people in field camps don't have any of these things.

Elaine's room at South Pole Station — These are my digs! Living at South Pole Station is basically like living in a college dorm. In all the best ways! Photo by Elaine Krebs.

FAQ 9 - What discovery have you made?

Something I learned about are "sun dogs" - this is when the light from the sun refracts through ice crystals in the air to create a rainbow halo around the sun!

Elaine stands in front of a sun dog — This is a sun dog! Photo by Hrvoje Dujmovic.

FAQ 10 - How have you grown/changed?

This has been the most AMAZING experience. I think I've grown the most in being socially courageous! I am typically very introverted and tend prefer taking my time integrating in new social situations - but I don't have that much time here! So I have had to take initiative and say hello and introduce myself to new people every single day which is not easy for me. I also have been doing ridiculous things like carrying around stuffed animals, and filming videos outside while EVERYONE is watching! But it's gotten easier as time has gone on.