I was talking with Alex at project night about this job in Antarctica:
Winter-Over Engineer, South Pole StationReporting to Astronomy faculty member, will oversee the BICEP3 experiment at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station during the winter observing season from January to November 2020. Responsible for daily operations and service of the BICEP3 telescope; will maintain and troubleshoot BICEP3 instrument components, including electronic, cryogenic, and mechanical subsystems, in consultation with the BICEP3 team. Will manage BICEP3 computer systems, including organization and transfer of observing script queues and data files; will update control software as needed. Will communicate regularly, via internet and satellite telephone, with the BICEP3 team in North America; will report on telescope performance and activity, and discuss operations at South Pole. Will collaborate with the Winter-Over Engineer for BICEP Array, the other on-site telescope of the BICEP/Keck experimental program, handling tasks that call for several personnel.
It's an incredibly sci-fi job!
Even if I had no attachments, I don't think I'd get that much out of 11 months in the Antarctic. Alex was saying, though, that when he worked on science boats, he talked to people who had worked in Antarctica, who really loved it and wished they could spend more time there.
In parallel, there's a work day trip to go fishing. It's, like, five hours on a boat. I've heard fishing is really peaceful, but I can't imagine that actually being fun. Maybe I should try being out in tranquil nature to see if I can get it.