Dorm Sweet Dorm

Everyone at McMurdo Station lives in dorms. Folks who work during the October-February “main body” season have at least one roommate.

My roommate, Gina, is a carpenter. She is awesome. When we don’t feel like being social, we knit and watch Miyazaki movies.

The last time I lived in a dorm, it was the one semester I went to UW-Eau Claire, when I was an awkward 18-year-old who had never lived away from Madison. Now, I’m an awkward 25-year-old with a full time job and a decent amount of experience living and working abroad, so dorm life feels much less intimidating and all-encompassing. I don’t spend a lot of time there when I’m not sleeping, mainly because it has 24/7 quiet hours (to accommodate night shift workers) and no Internet. Some of the dorms have lounges with Internet and regular social activities, but my dorm, dorm 201, does not.

Dorm 201. The little brown building next door is a smoking shelter. Since we’re on federal property, you can only smoke in designated areas.

Bunkbeds! I have the top bunk.

Decorations.

Our desk, covered in all my clutter, plus our sweet vintage telephone!

I made some crude but effective beanbag chairs.

Thick wool blanket over the window to keep the midnight sun out.