… and how to create a terrible bonding experience.
For whatever reason, our first two days at sea, traveling from Southampton to Civitavecchia were some of the rockiest seas almost everyone had ever felt. Even the crew said it was rare and bad… especially when you have 500 poor should trying to live on a boat for the first time. Well, many a barf bag and seasickness pill were used. our maritime “orientation” was basically a miserable experience for everyone involved. Even as excited as we were, all our faces stayed in that slightly disgusted/exhausted frown for the better part of two days. My roommate was smart and surrendered early on, basically sleeping through the whole thing. I attempted to withstand the nausea and actually attended every single orientation event (cue applause), yet I slept through most of them in my heavy for of whatever pills they were handing out like skittles at the infirmary.
And then, on the third magical day, the day classes actually began, the motion of the ocean came to a a calm sway. I attended my classes and held down my food. Hooray! It was like shock therapy, because we the community bonded pretty quickly.
My professors are amazing. The classes I’m taking:
-Gender and Sexuality in Literature
-The Anthropology of Language
-World Geography
-Global Music
The day after they were able to re-open the upper decks, and as we passed the Straight of Gibraltar I stood on the deck with everyone else as Spain and Morocco were simultaneously visible on either side of us. These crossings are, to me, as exciting as the ports themselves. After all, you can fly to Istanbul any day, but you cannot just drop into the middle of the sea.
Also, this ship is nice. Almost too nice for a bunch of heathens like us. Honestly this ship could be a floating Bursley and I’d be happy, but instead we get a beautiful vessel where every inch is decorated. She was actually the set of the German TV version of “The Loveboat”!
–Aline
