Over and over again I’ve seen it reiterated: you’re going to Antarctica to work. Anything fun you get to do should be considered a bonus and not expected. Everyone works long hours, 50-60 hour weeks, with no paid vacation days nor even sick days.
That being said, my mother has asked me what “fun” things I could be doing so I’ve compiled a list of those things I’ve seen others post about doing while stationed in Antarctica. Sources for this information can be found here.
- Spending hours reading through every book in the library I can get my hands on
- Hiking the various trails
- Sight-seeing tours to the ice ridges, etc
- Training for the half-marathon
- Hanging out at one of the three bars/wine lounges on base
- Working out at the gym
- Tour of the scientific facilities
- Board games
- Science lectures
- Volleyball
- Cross-country skiing
- Snow-shoeing
- Cooking
- Yoga
- Blogging
- Mountain biking
- Rock climbing
- Movie nights
- Stargazing
- Photography
- Search and rescue exercises
- Dances
- Camping
- Snow golfing
- Arts and crafts
- Boondoggles (trips to go see penguins, helicopter flights, etc.)
- Musical performances
- Movie nights
- Card/board games
- Dancing lessons, bingo, trivia, karaoke, burrito bar, basketball
- Building igloos
- “Happy Camper” trips
- Tours of the Discovery Hut
- Annual events such as wine tastings, a fashion show, IceStock music festival, polar plunge, Freezing Man
- Hula jams
Picnics in the greenhouse(update: the greenhouse no longer exists)- Penguin and whale-watching from the ice edge at Scott Base
Bowling(update: the bowling alley has been removed)
So, in essence, what I’m seeing here is that only one thing from my current list of activities is missing: LARP. Everything else? I can definitely do from down here. And honestly I bet I can convince a few people down there to create a LARP or maybe just an interactive tabletop game…
