Life at sea

Ava Dennewill, B Watch, Benilde-St. Margaret’s

Today has been a long day, but then again, I can't tell if I'm recalling just today, or grouping together the last several days, as they all kind of flow together, or rather clump together in a relatively untidy mess. Anyway, as I write this, roughly an hour before my wake-up for dawn watch, I recall the recent highs and lows, of the last 12. or perhaps 72 hours (in no particular order). A few of the funny, memorable highs are pictured for you.

Adventure Barbie taking a ride on the Neuston Net.

A recent high was getting in the Halloween spirit by beginning to carve out our pumpkins. Each watch group has been set aside one pumpkin to design and carve together, and might I say, our beluga whale skeleton is coming along quite nicely. Another high that made for quite an entertaining evening watch, was during a lively galley clean-up when my watch group (B watch) collectively decided to speak in a variety of accents including, but not limited to: British, Scottish, and Australian. Standing watch at the end of the day can frequently be quite exhausting, so finding joy in the little things can make a big difference.

While the highs often outweigh the lows, I feel a blog about living at sea would be incomplete without mentioning the obstacles that are frequently unavoidable. Even with a fairly sized crew of 31, everyone has important roles and responsibilities in maintaining the ship and getting us where we need to go, and one can only have so much time to rest before starting their next watch. Such a schedule in a relatively new and unique environment can be draining to say the least. The ever changing sleep times are especially challenging when the waves are feeling extra bold and you can't stay still enough in your bunk to get some decent shut eye. One must balance sleep, friendships, project work, self-care and more outside of watch rotations, no easy feat.

That being said, this truly is an incredibly unique opportunity. I have been pushed out of my comfort zone in countless ways, and had memories and experiences that will last a lifetime. Every day I discover a new found appreciation for the world around me, through people I interact with, and things I see, from beautiful sunsets to amazing wild life (big and microscopic). With every aspect of an SEA trip in mind, it's an experience that has taught me so much, and one I won't soon forget.

- Ava Dennewill, B Watch