McMurdo is the port of entry for most expeditions on the ice, and it feels like a waystation similar to the fictional Mos Eisley spaceport in Star Wars or Rick’s Café from Casablanca. The entire population is temporary: those in transit to field sites, such as me and my team, interact with people who are on base for six months or more and maintain and support its operations. Many people are waiting for flights into the field, others for flights home.
