Rest and Recovery

This past week went a little slower on the adventure side of things. My roommate, Alexia, was sick and it was inevitable that I would as well. Nothing that bottles full of vitamins, reading, and a couple hot toddies can’t fix. I was hoping to have a go in our dorm sauna in Hotel California (HoCal as it’s referred to) but it’s been broken and likely won’t ever get repaired So Alexia and I booked it to dorm 209 to snag their sauna.

It’s also been and adjustment as a social introvert who can enjoy social ambiance…from a distance. Meal time shifts me back to those middle school lunch room memories of trying to find a secluded table or a friendly face.

A lioness gazes across the cafeterial plane, tray in hand; scanning the various herds until she spots a lone table off at the edge. Success.

I’ve also felt very distant from a lot of my responsibilities back home. The pull of having to make posts to The Hot Spot IG about upcoming classes has ceased. Maybe i’ll guilt myself into posting something. I probably should look up the changes in my health insurance plan. Checking emails might be a once a month occurrence. Maybe I should reconcile last months account…

But I don’t for the simple justification that internet here just sucks. Also health insurance is inevitably going up and there’s not a whole lot I can do about it.

Other than tapering obligations to life back in the States, life here has been pretty good. Working as a chef in McMurdo has it’s exciting as well as frustrating moments. I’ve had about 3 changing sous chefs in the course of my first week for the AM shift which i’m currently in. I arrive to work at 4:30 in the morning, have my coffee, oatmeal, and begin the shift at 5 and it goes until 3pm with a 45 minute break at 7:30, a lunch break at 1pm, and 15 minutes of stretch time in the gym from 1:45-2. There is also the imminent knowledge that ALL of this will change after Thanksgiving and everyone will swap shifts.

Everyone here is really friendly and interesting in their own ways despite only being in their 20’s and 30’s. There are older people here too but a majority of the Galley and Kitchen is pretty young except for the sous and supervisors.

The food is pretty good cafeteria style grub. Different stations of cuisine depending on the mood people are in- action stations for those who want fresh eggs or hamburgers, pasta station, pizza station, salad bar, and the main buffet which has all our steamed vegetables, potatoes, French fries, rice, beans, and mains like steak, meatloaf, lamb, fish, etc. depending on the menu. Also our brunches slap. They are every Sunday and always have a carving station with prime rib.

Around Tuesday of this week I felt well enough to have a shower beer after my shift and go venture off to the Coffee House. This is a place where people can gather for events. It happened to be absolutely dead inside save for Porter who was part of my flight crew to Antarctica. He’s a really cool guy who worked briefly on a shipping boat before coming here. He does not recommend. But he’s working in the Galley this season. We wrote our letters and emails in silence for the remaining 2 hours there.