Life At Sea, The Atlantic

Hola, I am currently in Cadiz Spain but I wanted to share about my crossing of the Atlantic before I go into Cadiz which has been amazing.  Sorry about the delay but here it is.

After leaving Halifax I was filled with excitement.  This is really happening!  It was amazing to get out onto the open ocean, but then the seas started to get rough because of a nearby storm.  The ship is very light which is why it is very fast (well plus the 4 engines) but it is also very tipsy as a result.  Lots of people got sick but I was okay.  It did make having to go to classes that much worse though.  We all had to kind of crawl down the hallways so as not to run into each other.  Also, listening to all the lectures about the rules and regulations of the ship was mind numbing, but hey I cannot complain.

I met so many people the first day because I was helping people find there cabins which was really amazing.  The people I was working with thought it was amazing how many people I already knew or people who knew me.  This can be explained by chapman being the second most represented University after UC San Diego which has close to 70 students on board.  Remembering everyones names seemed like an impossible task but over the next week I would start to make a dent.  I still have the occasional “sorry what was your name again” but everyone is understanding.  Finding people on the ship is something of a unique challenge.  We are all living in such a compact space but we cannot use any of our modern devices of communication.  It is like the good old days when the only time you would see someone is if you bumped into them around town.  We do have cabin phones but no one really knows what cabin number people are in so they cannot call.  I imagine it gets better as people start to adapt but it seems pretty difficult now.  I am usually napping or reading anyhow and you can usually find someone in the dinning halls to sit with which is nice.

My classes are difficult and require a lot of reading but I am learning a lot.  Sleep is something of a novelty on the ship so you take it when you can get it.  We lost an hour almost every night while we were at sea which has more effect than you might think.  You are better off losing all 6 at one time than doing is slowly and painfully.  You might think I am crazy but dragging it out only makes it worse because you can’t really function correctly for six days instead of one or two days if you loose all six at once.  Anyway I napped quite a bit along the way, especially on the days of my 8 am class.

As some of you know I am working on the ship in the Audio/Visual department as a part of a work-study scholarship.  This has been one of the best things while at sea.  My shift takes place every evening while the ship is at sea.  This is a very busy time because it is when all the “seminars,” as they are called, are held about the upcoming port.  This is an enjoyable time for me because I don’t have to feel guilty about not studying and I get to hang out with some really cool people and still learn about where we are going next.  It is also a special position because we get to work with and hang out with two crew members, Alan (or Sparky as we call him), and Ludwig.  Most students do not get this chance because the company that manages the ship has a strict no-fraternization policy between crew and everyone else on board.  Sure you can chat for a minute in the hallways but you cant really kick back and share stories.  This is sad because most of the crew have been working with Semester at Sea for many years and they have many good stories to tell.  I have been fortunate enough to hear a few from Sparky, during work hours of course, about things that have happened on SAS in the past.  Some I had already heard about but there is nothing like a first hand account.  He told me what it was like to have a reality TV show on board and about the crazy storms they have been through.  Unfortunately for us, Sparky is leaving the ship in Cape Town to go back home to his family which I think he is looking forward to.  Ludwig has been tagging along to learn the ropes for when this happens.

I cant complain about my cabin and the food is decent so really what more could I ask for.  Life at sea was pleasant but I have to admit I could not wait to reach the shores of Spain and oh was I right about that anticipation.