People sometimes live in completely unexpected and abnormally interesting places, for example, in the medieval tower of the Tower of London, or in one of the coldest places on Earth – the South Pole, where the temperature can reach -50 degrees Celsius.
Michelle Endo has been living in Antarctica for a year, where she moved to work as a “hospitality manager” at the Amundsen Scott-South Pole Station. And she openly talks about her life on social networks, writes “Daily Mail”.
32-year-old Michelle Endo talked about what life is really like in one of the coldest regions of the world. While living in the southernmost part of the world certainly has its perks – like the chance to see the stunning southern aurora borealis and take part in a series of once-in-a-lifetime adventures – it also has its fair share of downsides.
Michelle documented the experience in detail on her Instagram account – and she was extremely honest about the pros and cons of making the South Pole her home.
In a video, Michelle explained that the airport “shuts down for the winter” on February 15, meaning “no one can come in or out” until it reopens on October 28.
That means she’s been stuck with 42 other staff who also live at the station for the past five months, and she admits it hasn’t been easy being around the same people for so long. In addition, they rarely go outside due to the bitterly cold weather, which is only exacerbated by the lack of sunlight.
“People tolerate isolation in different ways. Some people disappear into their rooms and you hardly ever see them. As for me, my patience ran out quickly. I like most of the 42 other people I interact with,” Michelle explained.
Michelle added that for six months of the year in Antarctica, it’s completely dark 24 hours a day and the gloomy conditions can actually lead to a disorder known as ‘hibernation syndrome’. “It’s a set of behavioral disorders. It includes depression, distractibility, forgetfulness, irritability and difficulty concentrating,” she said.
Michelle often shares “day in the life” videos on her Instagram where she takes part in various tasks at the station. In another video posted to her Instagram, Michelle captured the “first glimmer of sunshine” she saw after six long months of “darkness” and admitted it was incredibly exciting. She points out that even though she knew what was waiting for her, it is impossible to emotionally prepare for such an experience.
Speaking about her time at the station, Michelle explained that she had always had a passion for travel. She has been traveling solo around the world since 2013, when she started her own travel blog called “Wander Eat Write”. In her travels, she has visited six continents out of seven, and she firmly decided to somehow get to the last one – Antarctica.
Last fall, she got a job at the station as part of the National Science Foundation’s US Antarctic Program.
“We live in dormitories built into the station. The station hosts several scientific projects in astronomy, climatology and glaciology throughout the year,” she explained.
“Support staff like myself are here to keep all facilities and operations running smoothly. Food and housing is provided by the program because there are no apartments, no grocery stores, no restaurants, just the airport,” according to Michelle, her duties includes looking after the canteen: ensuring cleanliness and continuous supply of products and drinks.
She also manages a small post office and keeps track of the cleaning schedule. She also instructed the staff to “prepare numbers for the summer arrival.” Souvenirs, clothes, drinks and pharmacy goods are sold here. According to Michelle, there is a day every week when residents of the station are allowed to buy a certain amount of alcoholic beverages.
Ultimately, Michelle called her time at the station a challenging but wonderful experience. However, according to her, she longed for animals, birds and opportunities to breathe freely. This is difficult at the South Pole because it is high above sea level.
“Life in Antarctica is often difficult, monotonous and it’s always cold here. So why go here? Fewer than 2,000 people have ever spent the winter at the South Pole. But according to the situation, only 261 women have wintered here this year. And there are auroras!” now that her one-year contract is coming to an end, Michelle admits that while she’s grateful for the opportunity, she’s looking forward to warmer weather.
“When my time here ends, I will definitely go to warm countries where there are animals and fresh products,” the girl joked.
2023-10-21 02:43:00
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