Today was very confusing. Today, I boarded the MV Explorer, and we set sail for Cadiz. I woke up in the hotel this morning feeling inexplicably pessimistic about my decision to come on Semester at Sea at all. I didn't know any of the other participants, and by their choice of meet-and-greet venue (the over 19 bars) I felt strangely unwelcome by them already. But something changed when I set foot on the ship. I finally began to meet my peers and was able to begin to imagine what my life would be like on this program. I was excited about this beginning.
At the same time, it dawned on me that living on the ship would also involve many physical adjustments. For example, my cabin is tiny, even by Simon's Rock standards. There is also the fact that the ship is moving. Of course, it is moving from port to port, but it is also "pitching" and "rolling" as we sail. Everyone is working on their "sea legs" because it is difficult to walk in a straight line. We are falling down or bumping into each other and the walls. It's difficult to imagine what this might be like if, like me, you have never actually been on a ship before. Think of an airplane in turbulence... except all the time. I find the movement of the ship surprisingly relaxing to fall asleep to, but during the day, it is quite disorienting. I should also mention my moment of shock when land faded into the horizon. It was only then that I realized I am in the middle of the ocean, surrounded by water, and I will not be able to get off the ship until we arrive in Spain. Wow.
All of the realizations that I mention in this post--the feeling of getting on the ship for the first time, the small cabins, the pitching and rolling, the ship's isolation--are things that I had read about or thought of before. But it is very, very, very different to feel them happening to you.
Hi Kristie! Very fun and interesting to read your blog - thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteOnce you get your "sea legs" and then get off the ship you will feel off-balance and like you are still rocking on the water. (That has happened to me after just camping overnight on our sailboat. It is weird and cool! The brain is amazing!)
Hope there are more underagers on the ship - but I know you will deal and have a great adventure in any case. We are looking forward to your next bloggings. Have fun!
Hey Kristie! This is Jenny, I kind of hijacked the family account. I used to have a blogspot account, not sure where it went...oh well.
ReplyDeleteGive yourself a few days to get used to the pitching of the boat, you'll definitely learn how to move around. I dare say it even becomes fun after a while. :) I hope you have a fantastic time on your travels, I'm quite jealous! Seeing all of those places should be very exciting and enriching.
It's too bad that the meet-and-greet was held in bars, not the best planning I've seen...but hopefully things pick up after this. I'm sure you'll befriend some people in your classes and along the way, whoever else is taking this opportunity is bound to be an interesting and adventurous person. Don't let it get you down! Have fun, take pictures, and hope to talk to you soon!
I've also been pretty pessimistic about my decision to study abroad. For me, I think part of it is knowing what is going on at the Rock and comparing it to what is going on right now, which is orientation and not much else. Hopefully once things pick up we'll get into it, although it sounds like you're already at that stage.
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