On the Restorative Quality of Neil Gaiman's Voice and Other Tricks Learned After 1 Day at Sea...9/9/2018 Alrighty folks it's been more than 1 full day at sea and let me tell you...staring at a computer screen makes me feel greener than just about anything. This is a fun concept because I'm definitely supposed to be writing more of my thesis and you know...generally be keeping up with the world but I'm sure everything will be fine. As someone who has spent almost every opportunity that she's been presented with on the water, I found it truly disheartening when after the elation of passing under the Golden Gate Bridge had passed, I was left with a VERY upset stomach and a confused mind - how was it possible for me to be feeling seasick? ME?! At any rate, I tried to go about my day as planned, which was to say I waited and waited until dinner time by successfully sneaking some cookies and coffee around tea-time (which I am fresh back from right now, thanks) and waited feeling green as all get out. Hoping to keep things light and easy for dinner I grabbed what I thought was soup. So what I grabbed turned out HOT and SPICY enough for me to question every life decision before one of my crew mates gently asked if I had grabbed sauce instead of the soup. Wishing I could just put my face into my plate I gingerly ate everything else I had grabbed hoping that and some Sprite (the closest thing I can find to ginger ale,) would settle my stomach. It worked for all of about 10 minutes before I gave up on feeling good and decided to try reading in the recreation room on the vessel. Tragically the rec room is where the smoking room on the vessel is and the wafting scent of cigarette smoke did exactly nothing for my already trashed stomach. Upon returning to my cabin/stateroom/room/whatever I'm going to consistently call it, I felt like questioning why anyone would ever work on a vessel to go overseas for shipping/research purposes. Miserable I tried watching a movie and came to the conclusion that the rolling of the vessel along with the weird location of my bunk (I'm perpendicular to the bow rather than the bed being pointed toward the bow) that movie-watching would be an impossible task without something resembling someone reading me a bedtime story like I was a child. It came to me in a flash - I have Neil Gaiman reading his Norse Mythology on my computer! My night was saved! Listening to the voice of one of my favorite authors reading a story that took me anywhere that wasn't on my rolling bunk was like MAGIC. I fell asleep within one story and woke up about half and hour later wondering where I was when the ship rolled and I remembered that I was at sea. However, rather than the atrocious stomach ache of seasickness, I was left with just a slight feeling of dizziness akin to drunkenness that followed me into this morning. Luckily for me, the work I had to do today was out on the deck, which was an absolute blessing compared with being cooped up in the two hours following breakfast. I've spent maximum time outside today, which in my book is always a win and even though the conditions today are pretty trash (it's been confirmed by both the crew of the Launcher as well as my fellow Ocean Cleanup crew members that have spent time at sea), I could go about my tasks in helping set up equipment for various research projects without a HITCH y'all. I am looking forward to the day that I don't feel entirely sleepy/dizzy all day but I think for now I'm just thankful for a big boat to combat the wind waves that are hitting us from the Pacific. She's my favorite ocean but she has been unforgiving today. OH and I almost forgot: our boy Wilson is doing GREAT today - last night they changed the configuration of how closely he is following the Launcher so when I went out on deck today I had a good little scare thinking that everyone was super calm EVEN THOUGH WE'D LOST OUR SYSTEM THAT WE WERE TRYING TO TOW! but then I found him farther back than I expected. Wilson is a CHAMP. Onwards and upwards, and if you've made it this far in following my journey thanks for following!
1 Comment
Jan Grimes
9/12/2018 01:06:57 pm
Love this blog and this will be my "must see" item of every day. Thanks for sharing!
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AuthorBree Gibbs, here. I'm a recent Master's Grad just trying to share what it's like to be a trash scientist (for those who aren't in the know, I'm a marine biologist). Categories
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