What is happening to this planet!
Last night I awoke from my evening rest and decided that I should get up to go use the restroom. (I’ll skip over the details of this part; if you need more info send me an e-mail.) The RV was pitch black and I though it was very early AM, but I really didn’t know at this point. So as I exited the lavatory I looked up at the microwave clock and it startled me. It was 6:30AM!!! Did I mention that it was pitch black? No daylight. Night time like. 6:30 AM.
Let me back up here a short bit. The last few weeks I have noticed that the sun is going down earlier in the evening. Not a big deal, normally I have been in the RV reading, working on the computer, or watching a DVD by 7:30 PM or so right along. So the fading light has been noticeable, but nothing drastic. That is until this morning. Now remember I don’t see 6:30 AM much lately, or 8:30 AM for that matter. So the sun is always well up before I am. Therefore I haven’t had the opportunity to see both ends of the daylight to this point.
Not until today. When I was suddenly slapped back into reality. The sun isn’t up for 12 hours any longer. Sure, not a big deal for you, but I haven’t had a day that lasted less than 12 hours in two and a half years!!! Actually I had a couple of days that lasted for 5 months. Suddenly I am claustrophobic. I am trapped between the darkness and the darkness. What am I going to do in a few weeks when we will be lucky to get 10 hours of daylight?
Everyone asks what it is like to adjust to living on the Ice. But really it is not so much what it is to get adjusted to Antarctica life; it is much more noticeable trying to adjust back to civilization. When you get off of the Ice, you suddenly have to pay for food, obey traffic laws, and deal with civilization! It is a bit of a shell shock for a few days, and fortunately we have always stayed in New Zealand for a while after the Ice. I can’t imagine coming straight to the US and dealing with people and how materialistic the US society is.
But these adjustments are expected, and they happen shortly upon leaving the Ice. I left the Ice eight and a half months ago. I had no notion that I would suddenly have to deal with an adjustment this far out from my departure. This has had me thinking about the shorter days all day today. I can’t get it off of my mind. That is why you all get to read this drivel.
FYI McMurdo if back up and running for this season now. Mainbody started on October 1st. And even before this episode I was having some Antarctica withdrawals. And since I could not post videos on my blog during my first season on the Ice, I never posted the following video. The topic really has nothing to do with this rant, but the setting is very important. This video was taken somewhere between 10 and 11 PM. You can see why after only a few weeks on the Ice you realize that darkness is really unnecessary.
I feel better now. Or at least I will feel better if I sleep well past sunrise in the morning.
R.J.
Let me back up here a short bit. The last few weeks I have noticed that the sun is going down earlier in the evening. Not a big deal, normally I have been in the RV reading, working on the computer, or watching a DVD by 7:30 PM or so right along. So the fading light has been noticeable, but nothing drastic. That is until this morning. Now remember I don’t see 6:30 AM much lately, or 8:30 AM for that matter. So the sun is always well up before I am. Therefore I haven’t had the opportunity to see both ends of the daylight to this point.
Not until today. When I was suddenly slapped back into reality. The sun isn’t up for 12 hours any longer. Sure, not a big deal for you, but I haven’t had a day that lasted less than 12 hours in two and a half years!!! Actually I had a couple of days that lasted for 5 months. Suddenly I am claustrophobic. I am trapped between the darkness and the darkness. What am I going to do in a few weeks when we will be lucky to get 10 hours of daylight?
Everyone asks what it is like to adjust to living on the Ice. But really it is not so much what it is to get adjusted to Antarctica life; it is much more noticeable trying to adjust back to civilization. When you get off of the Ice, you suddenly have to pay for food, obey traffic laws, and deal with civilization! It is a bit of a shell shock for a few days, and fortunately we have always stayed in New Zealand for a while after the Ice. I can’t imagine coming straight to the US and dealing with people and how materialistic the US society is.
But these adjustments are expected, and they happen shortly upon leaving the Ice. I left the Ice eight and a half months ago. I had no notion that I would suddenly have to deal with an adjustment this far out from my departure. This has had me thinking about the shorter days all day today. I can’t get it off of my mind. That is why you all get to read this drivel.
FYI McMurdo if back up and running for this season now. Mainbody started on October 1st. And even before this episode I was having some Antarctica withdrawals. And since I could not post videos on my blog during my first season on the Ice, I never posted the following video. The topic really has nothing to do with this rant, but the setting is very important. This video was taken somewhere between 10 and 11 PM. You can see why after only a few weeks on the Ice you realize that darkness is really unnecessary.
I feel better now. Or at least I will feel better if I sleep well past sunrise in the morning.
R.J.
posted by R.J. at 2:06 PM
2 Comments:
My microwave always displays the same time.
I never really consider the adjustment from ice world to US. Interesting observations RJ
"A day without sunshine is like, you know, night."
— Steve Martin
Post a Comment
<< Home