Location: Underway to Barcelona
Dear blog,
My day started with a beautifully tranquil 8 am watch filled with coffee. Breakfast pit stops to sustain our sleep-deprived selves and discussions about the beautiful meteorite we saw last night. By lunchtime, we were all looking forward to food, but tuna melts didn’t quite sit right with some of us, so we opted for plain old melted cheese on toast (sorry, Ian, nothing personal!). The afternoon was filled with Basic Seamanship classes, learning to tack, jibe, and Student leadership classes. We discussed the various aspects of leading a group and being an active follower. This class proved most interesting as we all got to voice our slightly different opinions in a way that led us to a satisfying compromise. For some, an advanced yachting class started, while the others enjoyed a refreshingly cold underway shower, which proved very fun while contending with huge swells. Queue the seasickness. We all enjoyed a delicious, chewy spaghetti bolognese for dinner, followed by a dessert of anti-nausea tablets to spice things up a bit. Our night ended with the familiar tradition of a squeeze question followed by clean-up and, for most, some well-needed rest.
The four-hour shifts are well and truly in full gear and are far more welcomed than the days of three. The dance parties at 2 am continue, the conversations grow more interesting, and the people more familiar. I cherish these hours. Being surrounded by people who are willing to listen to you talk about what you love, miss, desire, despise, and everything in between is what keeps me going. It gives me the opportunity to see things from another angle and to learn more about the people with whom I will continue to live for the next 71 days. Just a personal shout-out to watch team 2 for making every watch fun. You guys are awesome. To all the parents, I’d just like to say that your children are alive and well, sleep-deprived but enjoying themselves thoroughly! I know I am, and would just like to thank my parents for making this all possible. With that, I am off. Enjoy
Slan,
Caitlin