Flag Swap at the South Pole
After six months of darkness, the sun rises as I mark 37 days until the first plane arrives. Reflections on managing winter at the bottom of the world while my family waits in Istanbul—and the long road back home.
Originally published 21 September 2023 from the South Pole.
South Pole Station, Antarctica
~ 37 days left until the first plane arrives
I’m currently writing to you from the South Pole, Antarctica. While the location has nothing to do with Istanbul, everything about me does. My family is in Istanbul. I left them on 9 July 2022 to begin the role of Winter Site Manager at the South Pole Station form the US. Leaving meant that our family of four would turn into a family of three until my return in November of 2023. Today the sun rose after a six-month absence, and in honor of its return I’d like to share some thoughts with you on Istanbul and our family.
Back then, when I left Istanbul, it seemed like an incredibly long time, a near insurmountable hill that I, and my wife, were getting ready to climb. We knew I’d be gone for nearly a year and a half, the longest I’d ever been gone before. While I’d be embarking on an incredible and challenging journey of managing the South Pole Station during the nine-month austral winter, she would be taking the lead in Istanbul, raising our children and guiding the direction of our family. In their own ways, each of us had, and still has, an incredible job to do.
With just under 40 days until we are due to get the first plane here at the South Pole, my thoughts have drifted to Istanbul. I can’t wait to get back to the ancient city. Since I’ve been here at the South Pole, I have had ample time to read and explore new concepts and ideas. My goal was to read a lot, and I think I’ve lived up to that. I’ve read over 12 books since I got here to the South Pole Station on 16 November 2023. I recently read a great book about Istanbul that I should have read a long time ago. I finished Istanbul: A Tale of Three Cities by Bettany Hughes about a month ago.
I’m currently in the middle of Istanbul: City of Majesty at the Crossroads of the World by Thomas Madden. Both of these books have opened my eyes to the history and complexity of the city we currently live in. I felt I had a mission to learn more about Istanbul and its storied history as both of our children have begun going to an anaokul in Istanbul. Anaokul is Turkish for preschool. Both of our children, under the age of four, have learned so much Turkish we barely understand what they say to each other. Learning the history of the city and culture that is crafting their existence and being is special and has given me a much deeper appreciation for the city, the people, and how lucky we are to live in Istanbul.
As we get closer to leaving the South Pole after nearly a year on ice here, I eagerly and anxiously look forward to returning. We’ve lived in Istanbul’s Anatolian/Asian side since March 2021, bouncing around from Umraniye, Kartal, and now Atasehir. It’s been a wonderful journey, and I can’t wait to return and be back in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Byzantion, Constantinople – Istanbul.
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– Zane
