... Still at Sea

We are officially half way through our journey to Tamatave, Madagascar. There are not really words to describe what sailing on rough waters is really like... but unfortunately my video is too large to upload here. So words will have to do. Imagine sitting in a large conference room with 300 of your crew mates, only to all tip out of your chairs and onto the floor when you hit a large swell.  Imagine riding one, of the only two, stationary bicycles against the pressure of gravity as the boat rises and then you are suddenly lightened when it lifts.  Imagine sitting in the cafe, sipping some coffee, when your chair slides across the room and only stops once it hits your neighbor's table. Imagine watching the person in front of you walk with their entire body at a 20 degree tilt to stay on their feet... and realizing that you are doing the same thing. Imagine laying in bed being lulled to sleep by the sea, and then being rudely awakened by your body sliding nearly to the headboard and back to the end of your bunk, while the metal walls of your cabin vibrate from the shock of the waves.

We have moments of incredible peace at sea, and then times when you are just trying your best to stay on two feet, or stay in your chair, or keep your silverware from falling to the floor.  Today we managed to take a tour of the bridge, and it was nice to see our journey from the Captain's point of view: charts, GPS, engine throttle, glass walls, stillness from above while looking out on stormy seas. They even have a piece of glass bottomed floor so you can look down on the ocean below! It was wild to see the ocean speeding beneath my feet!

They are doing a great job at planning activities to keep us all occupied.  We continue to have nursing orientation each morning, this week we talked about tropical diseases (FYI, do your best to avoid getting any of these when traveling), local nurse education programs, palliative care, etc. It's been great to spend this time with my fellow nurses.  The activities coordinator is also keeping us busy in the evenings! Tonight we have a documentary about Madagascar, then "speed friending" for the old and new crew to meet. Tomorrow is the Academy's science fair (we have about 45 kids in school on the boat), a seminar on social media, AND Trivia Night. There's always something to do! Continue to keep us in your thoughts as we progress onward - the seas are supposed to get rough before they get better. We're also still on a time crunch to make it by Saturday morning since we're expecting to host some  local politicians and take part in some ceremonies later that day. Will be in touch soon!