Sailing On

The days are passing so quickly out at sea… we are officially at the half way point in our voyage which is so hard to believe! John and I and the kids have really started to develop a routine on sailing days. We’ve even managed to both exercise in the gym every day while at sea! It’s going to be quite an adjustment for all of us when we return home and try to settle back into our former lives…! I’m quite amazed how we’ve adjusted to the very small spaces we live in and the limited amount of possessions we have! It’s hard to believe that our entire living space is about the size of John and I’s bathroom!
As we travel through Asia, our stints at sea will be much shorter. Most often, we will sail for two days between countries until we leave Japan and have to travel ten days to Hawaii, and then another six days until we arrive in San Diego! First things first, we arrive in India in five days. I am really excited to experience India. We will spend the first few days in Chennai and then head about 90 minutes south to Mahallapuram, a small seaside town known for its amazing temples. We will spend three nights there and hopefully have lots of R&R!
Mauritius was a beautiful island albeit we only saw a limited amount of it. The kids and I took a bus to a beach town in the northern part of the island which was quite interesting. Johnnie doesn’t travel public transportation at home so you can imagine his regard for it in the developing world! I on the other hand think it is one of the best ways to get to know a place and its people. The bus we rode in was like a deluxe Mercedes compared to the kandongas in which I used to travel in Guinea-Bissau! The kids loved it and we spent a really nice morning at a little beach while Johnnie was fishing. I was on call the entire two days in Mauritius: the first day I lucked out without even a call before 2am! The second day as expected, the “issues” were nonstop as the students began to literally limp back to the ship with a whole host of ailments and crises! As to be expected, a number of students were stung by jelly fish or unexpectedly encountered a sea urchin in their hand or foot! Others enjoyed the night life a little too much! Par for the course in my mind for 600+ college students!
Professionally this has been a great learning experience for me! It seems every day I am learning something new. I’m realizing just how much we refer out of our office to specialists in the area. On the ship, we have to deal with everything! I’ve also had the great fortune to be able to lecture in a number of classes. Most recently I gave a brief talk in a class called “The Economics of Poverty.” I spoke in the lecture about “Infrastructure.” I talked about my experiences in Guinea-Bissau, a country with literally no infrastructure. I have also been asked to speak in a Biology class and hopefully a class called “Disease and Healing” where I will speak about working with an animist population and their approach to traditional medicine and healing.
We had apple pie tonight for dessert and I couldn’t help thinking about fall in New England…! A small part of me will miss our annual apple picking trip and the delicious apple pies that Johnnie bakes! Instead, I’m looking forward to savory, spicy Indian curries, sweet Chai teas, and all of the delicious delicacies that India has to offer…! Here’s hoping the prophylactic doses of pepto bismol keep us all healthy!
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Missing you all!
Love, Traci