Location: Komodo
One of my daily appreciations on Vela is walking up the companionway just as the sun is waking up and seeing the beauty that surrounds me. Today is day 67 of this voyage, and I thought back to the first few days on the boat in Fiji and how far we have all come. Komodo has this hazy landscape and makes me feel somewhat as if I am in a vintage postcard. The ships that often pass us here have such charm and were built with character. I woke up to the haze of the mountains and to Arden working tirelessly in the galley, mushing frozen berries to prepare a smoothie bowl breakfast for Velas crew. We all sat in the cockpit and enjoyed the fresh starfruit with our breakfast from yesterdays provisions. The plan for the day was to move anchorages and perform some operational tasks around the boat while underway. Zoe and I began sorting through the fresh sheets in the salon from yesterdays laundry load. This task quickly turned into a full performance while everyone attended to their respective cleanup jobs.
We played song after song and danced and sang to each other. At one point, I realized how sweaty and out of breath I was from this physical expenditure. We sorted and danced and organized for quite some time. Soon after we arrived in Sebayor Kecil, we prepared for the afternoon activities. Many went on a fun dive to explore the underwater landscape while the rescue students worked on their final scenario assessment for their certification. I was part of the rescue group, and it is always entertaining to save a performing victim and go through a rescue scenario. We successfully saved Dan in our practice and are eagerly awaiting hearing if we have all officially passed. Kat, Anda, Josh, and I shared a truly meaningful conversation at the bow just as the sun was saying goodbye for the day and dipping below the horizon. Dinner was ready soon after, so I rounded everyone up to eat and share a squeeze. My squeeze question for the day was what place the person to our left would be (completely open to interpretation). The responses were really thoughtful and special. We had a memorable end to squeeze with our Awimbawe quire and everyone singing the song The Lion Sleeps Tonight. After dinner, everyone was excited and in anticipation of our elections being held to determine the leaders for the student-led passage. Everyone who ran gave a really heartfelt speech on how much this trip has meant to them and why they would like to be part of the group.