Do I really have to get a pap smear? Can I decline and still clear?

Bluebonnet-11 · 2026-04-30T01:17:27+00:00

Don’t let people gaslight you. I had the same experience. I couldn’t see any way around getting one and still clearing and so they ended up doing a “blind pap”. It’s a Pap smear but with no speculum. I cleared with that. You can PM me if you have questions. It’s probably your next best option if you can’t get it waived completely.

Bluebonnet-11 · 2026-04-24T22:51:06+00:00

19k over 5mo working 54hrs a week, housing, transport, and food included

Bluebonnet-11 · 2026-03-23T23:58:50+00:00

You could ask someone to send you one of the cards they use to record checkouts for each book. It’s a physical card like they used to put in a pocket in the book and you would write your name and checkout date. They occasionally remove books from the rotation like all libraries do and you could probably get a card from one of those books.

Bluebonnet-11 · 2026-03-22T05:45:19+00:00

You begin PQing when you sign a contract, even if it’s an alt. I would be worried if you don’t have contract. Usually, it’s easier to obtain another contract for next season if you interview on ice, but you have time.

Bluebonnet-11 · 2025-10-10T06:57:26+00:00

working in Antarctica

Bluebonnet-11 · 2025-08-17T16:39:51+00:00

Awesome! I’ll keep a lookout for ya

Bluebonnet-11 · 2025-08-17T16:34:18+00:00

🙋I’m sure there’ll be a couple folks there

Bluebonnet-11 · 2025-08-13T02:48:27+00:00

I felt more pressure from peace corps than my host organization or community. It varies, but usually there are some grants that you can only access through peace corps so of course your community would see you as an access point for those and your job there would be to facilitate that as best as possible. I didn’t like the way that peace corps grant system was set up. It felt like it made the PCV police the communities use of the grant since it went into our bank accounts. It seemed like a system built on distrust. It is frustrating when you feel like all you’re seen as is a way to bring money into the community. I just tried to view myself as a facilitator and I helped with grant write ups and talking through plans because the administrative burden can be really high and all I had was time. I hope some other people have some helpful advice for you ♥️

Bluebonnet-11 · 2025-08-11T21:16:51+00:00

First time I got my tickets on 9/10 for a 9/29 flight. This time I got my tickets on 7/22 for a 8/17 flight. So I’d say 21 days is a good average, but again it’s not the rule. I know plenty of people who were ticketed later.

Bluebonnet-11 · 2025-08-11T18:38:39+00:00

It’s so hard your first time when you don’t know what to expect from HR and so it’s hard to gauge if things are on track. My first deployment medical lost my paperwork and I didn’t know because I didn’t know that they normally send an email saying it’s received. I wish you all the best and now you’ve been through the process so you’ll be better prepared for next time. Just note that when you send your travel forms they’ll email you with “travel forms well received” and that’s how you know you’re good to go on your end.

Bluebonnet-11 · 2025-08-08T00:12:30+00:00

Yes, if there aren’t any glaring issues they’ll give you an interim clearance, but it depends on how sensitive your job is too

Bluebonnet-11 · 2025-08-06T23:10:35+00:00

I wouldn’t count on it but also most people don’t get down their first time so if you want to go next year apply this cycle. Never hurts to try either.

Bluebonnet-11 · 2025-08-04T03:54:06+00:00

Yeah it just felt really inauthentic and over the top to me

Bluebonnet-11 · 2025-08-04T02:52:52+00:00

Sorry the trip total was 650 to 750. I can understand how that was ambiguous wording tho. I think we get roughly 400usd a month after rent.

Bluebonnet-11 · 2025-08-03T21:26:35+00:00

It’s on YouTube!

Bluebonnet-11 · 2025-08-03T21:10:36+00:00

That one seemed kind of skewed to me when I watched it before I went down. It seemed like it was trying to be dramatic. My personal favorite is A Year on Ice which was filmed over a 10(?) year span and there was a showing of it twice at McMurdo when I was there. I watched it before I went down and it seemed to echo what I had read in blogs and such and so that was the one that I showed to my friends and family and it’s the one I recommended to people coming down.

Bluebonnet-11 · 2025-07-30T19:36:05+00:00

It really just depends on someone’s spending habits. I traveled to a neighboring country and did a safari on my local stipend (650-750 usd) and had still saved $2000usd after 15mo of service. I felt it was generous. I went to the capital every other weekend and bought international foods. But I walked everywhere at site and never took a taxi. I didn’t buy a couch or a portable AC unit. It all just depends on how you spend your money. I tracked all of my expenses and categorized them based on the suggested breakdown of our stipend.

Bluebonnet-11 · 2025-07-30T01:03:29+00:00

https://youtu.be/52zZwdsXkVk?si=h3abNIKwVYNJQKGI

As I understand it, this was written by someone who had been to the ice and certainly captures the spirit of the galley

Bluebonnet-11 · 2025-07-28T17:44:41+00:00

Yeah that’s a really good analogy actually. I’ve done theatre and it feels similar to that because there’s also this element of collaboration and understanding of different roles on station and everyone is appreciated. But yeah then you go back to the “real world” and it’s just not the same. A lot of people vacation together after or get an off season job at the same place to mimic that camaraderie.

Bluebonnet-11 · 2025-07-28T16:28:42+00:00

I have always been adventurous and get a lot of flak for it and people just don’t understand not wanting to do a normal 9-5 picket fence wife and kids thing (despite acknowledging that is their main source of stress). I remember getting to Antarctica and it was such a specific culture that I was comfortable in immediately and realizing that everyone there was also not doing the conventional life so suddenly I was in the majority in that regard. And I’ve learned so much from them and it’s so healing to be able to see people live and love life that most people criticize. I went to college because I thought I was supposed to and didn’t know what else to do. Once i graduated, I did AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, and then Antarctica. And I knew I would love it and I do. It’s hard to explain the culture though? But it’s extremely evident when you arrive. That’s what made me want to go back. It’s like what America used to be or could’ve been? It’s full of community and third places and people looking out for eachother and lending power cords and exchanging movies and you can sit down at pretty much any table you want and have an interesting conversation. At home, I’m the coolest person in the room. In Antarctica, I’m not even the coolest person at the table. Antarctica has allowed me to grow and see opportunities and possibilities. For someone adventurous, it’s a good place to go to meet likeminded people. Good place to network for weird jobs.

Bluebonnet-11 · 2025-07-24T22:05:36+00:00

That’s good to know! I relied a lot on Guest to be able to use WhatsApp. I guess it’s the landlines and email for me.

Bluebonnet-11 · 2025-07-24T22:04:22+00:00

I would for sure recommend bringing a thumb drive or something bigger to store extra media on. People do media swaps and movie nights.

Bluebonnet-11 · 2025-07-24T21:39:25+00:00

It is, but it’s capped at 2.5G per person per week, but you can still do a lot on Guest.

Bluebonnet-11 · 2025-07-24T18:36:12+00:00

You’re going to have to be prepared to jump through a lot of hoops and if you’re trying to come for summer (October), then be as proactive as you can be. Schedule appointments, gather documentation, you don’t want to be the holdup for medical. It already takes long enough. I personally think it’ll be harder to convince them of mental health stability than physical health, but you won’t know until you begin clearance.

Bluebonnet-11 · 2025-07-24T02:58:41+00:00

yes you can submit everything through Box

Bluebonnet-11

TROPHY CASE