realizing reality

I try to write my blog entries about the fun, exciting, and good things that happen here, but sometimes things don’t go so well, either. I wrote this before Christmas, but it seemed like too much of a downer for the holiday. Life still has it’s dull moments and frustrations on this fascinating continent.

This morning, I woke up with a sore throat and I felt pretty tired. I have what we call “The Crud.” It is a generic term for any sort of cold or sickness. Being sick here is never healthy for anyone because we are always using the same facilities. Our housing and dining crews aggressively clean common areas to give us the best shot at staying healthy while we are here.

Then there are things going on around station like the norovirus which is highly contagious. If you catch it, you are promptly quarantined. It comes from an outbreak in Christchurch. That disease certainly prompts one to stay away from folks arriving from New Zealand!

I’ve also lost some new friends two days ago. The first rotation of Kiwi Cargo left for New Zealand and with them, was my new friend, Kirrin. I do hope to see her in Auckland when I return. One of our shuttles drivers, Rick, is also headed home after the New Year. It is sad to watch people leave when I just started to know them!

This morning on Willie Field Taxi, I was around for the medevac flight of a 74 year old Swedish woman who broke a femur about a cruiseship. She was helo-ed to McMurdo and put on a flight to New Zealand. However, this flight didn’t get off the ground due to another medivac who needed to fly north today, as well. So, as I write this in my van, the crew I am picking up is assisting in loading her back into the ambulance to McMurdo. They will try again later today with two medivacs. Getting hurt while in Antarctica can pose some big logistics issues. The estimated cost of the Swedish woman’s medivac was in the range of $150k US.

And, every time we see a cute little penguin, or some of the slithering seal, we usually have to remind ourself that these poor little creatures have wandered too far from home. While they make for good pictures, the penguins are usually sick or disoriented. The seal we saw out at Willie Field was quite a distance from any open water. It's fascinating to understand the cycle of life and death as it works in front of our face down here. But, it still makes me want to help these creatures find their home again!

Don't get me wrong, I'm having a fabulous time in Antarctica. But, sometimes there is a bluntly honest and real part of life that deserves to be reported as well!