Thawing Out and Looking Back

I went to Antarctica knowing it would be an adventure and to get my head back on straight after some less than stellar career moves. Now having been to the Edge of the World and back, I'm looking forward to my next adventure. But before I start something new, I want to think back a bit on what I did and what it taught me, if anything.

I'm not one for introspection, at least verbally. For me, doing any thing is less about being able to identify the various small ways I've grown through it and more about letting it add to the overall fabric of who I am. If I can't identify each thread, that's fine, because the complete work is still better for it. So bear with me in this while I try and express what I've learned.

At least it's easy to talk about some of the cooking things I've learned. So Number 1: Add more salt than you think. One of the reasons food doesn't taste as good at home is just because it's under salted. So adding a bit more helps bump up the flavor. Of course, don't salt something to death. I had a buddy that made these really nice marinara crostini with egg for a staff meal one night, and he used way too much salt. So if you kill it with salt, just know it happens to the best of us. But adding a bit more than the recipe calls for is a great way to bring it all out.

And speaking of recipes, Number 2: Did you all know the DoD has official recipes? I sure didn't, but the ones we worked with were official documents from the US Government. Some of them were actually pretty decent, if you added enough salt. And others were an eight-step instruction guide on how to put frozen sausage into the oven. They can't all be winners.

Number 3: Hunger is the best spice. We were real limited on what we had down there, and when pepper could be a rare commodity, you had to make sacrifices. But something I noticed out at Willy, the air guard never complained about the food I served. Willy didn't have a lot of good equipment for cooking, so when I made something it was often more like reheated leftovers from the main kitchen. But many a night I would get compliments from the guard, about how good the food was and how they appreciated having a meal out here. I didn't do anything special to the meals; I just made sure it was safe and edible, and had something fresh if we could manage it. But their gratitude for even a simple meal like that was something I appreciated, and it made sure that I'd put in a little extra effort if I could to give them something nice. At the Edge of the World, a hot meal can be the reminder of home that you need.

As we're getting past the superficial I guess, Number 4: Adventure isn't as hard as you think. A lot of people have told me that they don't know how I could do something like this. But from having gone through it, it's really pretty easy. I'm not the first person going to Antarctica. I don't have to brave the ice and storms like it's 1912. They get hundreds of people down there every year, and while it was certain some nonsense would happen to me while traveling (and it did), there's no reason to be afraid. If you're looking to do something different, to go on this kind of adventure, even if it's not to Antarctica, there's definitely a way to do it. Getting this job was as easy as a few Google searches and sending in a resume. If there's somewhere you want to go or something you want to do, just start taking the steps to do it. You're not gonna be the first person to ever do it, and the people before you likely made it easier for those that come later.

And for me, with that call of adventure comes Number 5: Communicating with family makes it easier. A warm meal might connect you to home, but you know what's better at doing that? Wi-Fi. From what I know of past years, getting in touch with your family or friends was difficult. But with the new Starlink they've got down there, I was able to keep up with the weekly Zoom call that my family does (even if I was moving at the speed of PowerPoint). I made some good friends in the kitchen, but even that wouldn't have totally kept me from being homesick. If you're looking to do something big, to go somewhere new, having a lifeline back to where you're comfortable can make all the difference. Even if it's not family, close friends will help keep your heart full.

I don't think I'm much of a philosophy teacher. I've been trying to think about this article for like six weeks and I still don't know if "what I've learned in Antarctica" is actually true or if I'm just applying things I already know to a recent situation in the name of CONTENT. But I hope that this whole series has been a message to all of you reading to try something new and take chances (reasonable ones at least).

Before going to Antarctica, I had been fired from my second job in my career path. Writing was what I went to college for and it's what I thought I wanted to do with my life. But I haven't been able to really start my career long-term with it. Even my unfailing arrogance was getting a bit shaken up. But to have written this series for the love of it and to hear so many kind words from all of you reading, it's been a real boost to me. Even if I make some professional changes and look more into the world of contract employment that this has opened up for me, I'll at least know that writing is still something that I can share with people. And I hope you all continue to enjoy these unshackled ramblings of mine.

Anyway, adventure still calls me. Next stop: Germany.