Dorm Life...

The dorm rooms here at McMurdo can be summed up with one word, tight!  There are approximately 150 more people here this year than there have been in years past due to the work load and the number of projects going on this year.  You don’t really tend to notice a whole lot of people when you are working, or out around the station, but when lunch and dinner time come around, it gets pretty crowded. 

Raytheon’s solution to accommodate the large amount of people this year?…Bunk Beds!  Yes that’s right, installing bunk beds and cramming as many of us into a room as they can.  I lucked out in the fact that I don’t have any bunks in my room, but I do have to share a room (a small room) with four other roommates.  My roommates are all really pretty laid back and we all tend to get along really well so I guess I lucked out in that area.  The hardest thing to get used to around here I would say has to be the shower and laundry situation.  There are basically only four shower stalls on the whole first level of my dorm, none of which has very much privacy, and everyone has to take turns so it can get a little frustrating from time to time. 

As if that wasn’t enough, the laundry situation is a nightmare.  There is one small room that has around four washers and four dryers.  For the most part, every time I have gone down there at least two of the machines are broken and under repair.  If you are lucky enough to actually get a machine to use, then you have to wait around for a dryer forever, and the whole process takes around two hours from start to finish, and that’s for one load.  

Although I’m not too thrilled about the whole cramped living situation, I guess I will just have to try and adapt for now, and just dream about my king size bed waiting for me at home.  Although I’m pretty sure Rusty has officially taken over my place on my bed at home…. Damn..Oh well.