Pacific Northwest Bound!

So, I went to bed around 3 last night, after finishing my policy proposal and readings, woof, it was certainly tough getting up at 8. I've been so tired lately, that I kinda forgot we're going to...the PACIFIC NORTHWEST TOMORROW!!! It's just starting to hit me, and I have so much packing to do, and we'll be leaving at 5am. Which means, in order to get 8 hours of sleep, I need to be in bed in about in hour. Is this doable? Probably not.

But...here's the schedule for the next 10 days! (Courtesy of Jim's syllabus)

Feb 27:

"We travel from Mystic to Seattle today, arriving in the early afternoon. We head first to the top of the Seattle Space Needle for the "Big Picture," and then check into the College Inn. Dinner will be on your own tonight, with various spots to choose from in the University District."

Feb 28:

"We start out with a talk on how the shores of Puget Sound, particularly the Seattle waterfront area, have changed since the 19^th century, and then we’re off on a tug boat trip to see Seattle from a water view and to motor through the Port of Seattle container docks. After lunch, we’ll walk through the history of old maritime Seattle, and then visit Fishermen's Terminal, before heading for dinner at the Burke Museum, and an after-dinner talk by Alex Conley S90 on salmon restoration in the Pacific Northwest."

March 1:

Seattle to Tacoma Container Ship terminal and thence to Portlant, OR

March 2:

"Today we’re up bright and sparky to head east up to the Columbia River Gorge and to Bonneville Dam. Then we turn west for the Pacific Ocean, pausing to bond with Multnomah Falls, arriving by late afternoon in Astoria, at the mouth of the grand Columbia River. Tonight we’re hosted by the good folks at the spectacular Columbia River Maritime Museum."

March 3:

"Up again to greet the dawn and, after one more stop in the Museum, off to Cape Disappointment in the State of Washington for our first view of the Pacific Ocean, followed by going back to Oregon and a visit to the salmon raising net pens in Astoria. Then we head south along the Oregon coast, with a lunch-time stop at Cannon Beach, nationally famous in the world of marine policy for the case of Thornton v. Hay. We make several stops thereafter as we head south to our overnight in Newport on Yaquina Bay."

March 4:

"In the morning, we’re at the Oregon Aquarium. In the afternoon, we’ll stop briefly at Sea Lion Caves to examine an aspect of public marine tourism, And then, depending upon weather and time, we may stop at the Oregon coast dunes. Tonight we are at the University of Oregon Institute of Marine Biology (OIMB)."

March 5:

"This morning, we head for the tidepools of Cape Arago for an exploration of the rocky intertidal zone. After lunch, we visit the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, one of only 5 such reserves on the Pacific coast."

March 6:

"This morning you'll have * free time * to relax and explore the area, before we reconvene to begin heading north to Portland, and then back home overnight to Mystic."

That's it! It'll be quite an adventure. I won't have internet...again. But! I will have a cellphone. I will only be able to check it when we are at a hotel though.

Have a wonderful 10 days, everyone! I am so excited to go back to the PNW! Puget Sound is one of my favorite places in the world.

XOXO

Fish Larvae are Special, apparently.

Last night, as Elizabeth watched, Jessica and I officially went crazy. We were able to register poor Elizabeth's fear for our sanity. We were so stressed and jittery, that we were laughing hysterically over everything whilst making popcorn on the stove. Somehow, we ended up pretending we were squirrels and ate our popcorn like acorns. I cannot help but wonder if we'll end up at a mental institution by the end of the semester.

I feel like it's final exams week...ALL the time. I get the same high from adrenaline rush though, and everyone is stressed together, so it's all okay. I sometimes feel like I'm wayyy behind on my work, but then after talking with several other people, I find out pretty quickly that we are all on the same page, more or less.

I have finally decided on my semester long project for Oceanography! I'll be working with Jessica on fish larval studies! Whoo whoo! We were so tired though. This is the title we came up with for our project at 3am this morning: "Early Spring Fish Larvae Special Variation in the Mystic River and Estuary." We couldn't stop laughing over what a horrible title our cloudy minds fashioned after writing our proposal...special...(as in variation among species), except it looked so silly. Special? As in, super fantastic fish larvae?? Cuz, you know, that's the only kind we plan to look at. Common fish larvae just won't do.

We fixed it though, never fear! After straining to think of a good title in such a tired state, we finally came up with: "Variation of Fish Larvae Species in the Mystic River and Estuary During the Early Spring." Yeah, 15 words long, and it's not even a full sentence. Kind of ridiculous, but that's how it goes.

Well, I just finished my Oceanography class, and I feel bad that I wasn't able to fully concentrate. Diane is so sweet and is so excited to share her knowledge with us, but well, the proposal kind of took up all my energy last night. I am going to nap now.

Good night! Er...morning!

Cramer Video! Hooray!

Hello, all!

Ben sent me a video of a message I wanted to send you all while on the ship. Mostly, I wanted to show off my hot rain-gear, (so in season right now)...haha, just kidding! I thought it would be neat to capture the storm and how tumultuous everything was.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/hhpti8

Click on that link and download the video at the very bottom. (I believe there's an arrow pointing to it.)

If you can't hear what I'm saying, and if you can't understand sign language, I'm saying the following:

"Hello, friends and family! As you can see, I'm on the ship right now. It's very windy, rainy. It's a lot of fun! Feels like an amusement park ride. Um. I'm really enjoying it, a little bit seasick sometimes, but other than that, it's fine. I hope everyone's doing well! Love you!"

Just thought I'd share. :)

Busy as a bee!

My goodness. The past week/weekend has been incredibly busy. I don't even remember the last time I was this busy. Smith actually seems quite lax compared to all the activities/work we do during this program. I'm not complaining though...I thrive on being busy. And I love how we're all busy and stressed out together. We all take the same classes and are working on similar projects. We can empathize with one another, which allows us to try helping each other out and we feel more inclined to lend an ear to another who needs it.

Oh, for those of you who do not know: I am now a professional blogger! Sort of. One of the work study jobs was "admissions blogger," I applied for it, since I thought it would be great getting paid to do what I already do for free. Lo and behold! I'm going to start up that job soon. I'm guessing I'll focus on this blog and then pull out excerpts that they'd like for prospective students to read(?) We'll see! I just hope I won't have to write two different things at once, since this blog consumes a lot of my time. Or perhaps I'll direct you to the other blog. Hm.

So right, this past week has been crazy, CRAZY, I tells you! Some highlights: Going to the Mystic Aquarium on a school "night." (okay, 5pm, but still!) We get to go in for free with our Mystic badges! (Usually costs $26 for an adult.) It was so awesome, we saw Stellar Sea Lions, (yes, that's not just an adjective, that's what they're actually called...took me a minute to figure that out myself), beluga whales, and penguins! GAH! EVERY ANIMAL WAS SO CUTE! I wanted to hug the sea lions' blubbery fat, and just take one home and raise it as my baby, but well, my logical side intervened and made me realize the harrowing aspects of sea lionnapping.

Jessica and I might run there sometime and walk around it, and run back. It seems like the perfect exercise. We've also been running everyday outside this week, which has been fantastic. We're so good for each other...she provides the speed. I provide the endurance. We're good running buddies. My legs are killing me though. And I hope we can figure out some better running places soon since we keep getting stopped due to traffic when crossing streets.

What else did I do this week? So much. Ummm. Another lab in the marshes! That was excellent. I might base my semester-long oceanography project on it. We also went to Connecticut College where we got our IDs so we can use the gym and have access to social events there. Oh, but we Williams-Mystic people are silly. We made faces for our ID cards. Here's mine:

Yeah, the card is reversed, since I used my mac cam to show this to you, but eh. You get the idea.

We also went to a drag ball last night at the college. It twas fun indeedy. How can you not have fun whilst dancing and dressed in a tie and a snazzy vest?

Anyway, I must fly! Another house is hosting a potluck dinner. We're all bringing dishes from our respective houses. Oh, and I hosted the first ASL cookies/tea/coffee/hot chocolate event at Carr House! It was excellent. We sat in our living room, joking around, enjoying the food and drinks, playing some ASL games.

I'm having a great time.

The Work Begins...

I should be reading the six cases for Policy class on Friday. I should be starting the novel, "Searoad", for Lit class. Or perhaps I should be reading some of my Oceanography text book. Instead, I am sitting at my computer, blogging, and drinking a peppermint hot chocolate. I'm terrible!

Mary, Jessica, and I tried going out for some folk music on Monday night. We quickly discovered that Mystic doesn't really have very many young people, other than us and most of the Williams-Mystic staff. Rather, it has many men over the age of 40. Eep. I walked into the bar, inquiring about the music, (which they said was actually a lot later), and realized there were at least 10 pairs of eyes on me. We got out quickly and went back home, only to have another guy honk his horn at us. Oy. It's a nightmare being so attractive sometimes. Kidding! Kidding!

Anyhoo, we had a lab yesterday, and when I initially saw it listed on our weekly schedule, I groaned, envisioning us standing around a lab, with test tubes, crunching out and calculating a ton of dull, dry numbers. However, I was pleasantly surprised, of course. (I keep forgetting how this is not an ordinary academic institution.) Instead, our lab was this: We were taken to Weekapaug Point, RI where we observed the rocky intertidal zone. It was cold, but beautiful. The water was calm and brushing up against the headlands. Rocks were scattered everywhere, along with a plentiful amount of seaweed. Jim pointed out three different types of snails. First, there's Common Periwinkle, which is the largest of the Littorinas. On our worksheet, it was listed as an omnivore, but Jim said it was an herbivore. When I inquired about the possible mix-up, he said it WAS an herbivore, but sometimes accidentally eats barnacles. Isn't that funny? It's kind of like accidentally eating a fly in your soup. "Waiter, waiter! There's a barnacle in my algae!"

Then there's Rock Winkle and Kelp Winkle. Both are herbivores as well. We also found Asian crabs, which are not native and is the most populous crab in New England. They are found from Maine to North Carolina, but are very rare in the Chesapeake Bay. (I asked.) But I do think I saw a few over the summer.

We also saw worms, (who contain all the organs you could need in a space the size of the head of a pin), and sea squirts, (who are our highly-evolved cousins, even though they look like dots and colonize together in orange or clear clumps, believe it or not). They both live on bottoms of rock in water so they will not dry out.

I'm shocked I can remember so much, but this is truly a hands-on environment. Instead of discussing theory alone, we go out and actually touch what we learn about. This is the way learning ought to be. I love this...wading through water on a chilly winter day, rummaging through seaweed and sea life!

Part IV

Hopefully, this will truly be my last installment. I have a good hour to write down the last section of my trip. (A few of us are going out at 8 for some sort of folk jam in downtown Mystic...should be interesting!)

Anyhoo, here goes...again!

Feb 9, 2010

2319: I am absolutely spent. I have just finished what might have been my last night watch, and it was an exciting one! We were caught in another storm. Storms at sea are like poisonous snakes, hissing and striking out of the air, forcing you into submission. I was on the bow, helping with furling the jib in absolute dark, when rain and wind came upon us suddenly. I had no hood, no hat, and could feel my head becoming soaked. I prayed for my CI and hearing aid...I was more worried about them than about myself. They get ruined...I get killed by my mother. So, really...it goes either way. As soon as I was able, I laid off and ran for dear life to the dog house in order to grab my rain gear from below deck. All went well after that episode. And all hearing apparatuses are in one piece! Whew.

I'm tired and have much to say, but I've only had 3 hours of sleep in the past 24 hours. One last thing: I keep wondering to myself--"I'm in...college right now??" This whole adventure, including classes, feels like a sort of working vacation. A lot of work, actually, but a lot of fun. Plus, I'm getting so tan! It's incredible. I keep thinking how this was definitely the right choice. I can go to England any time, but I will never be able to replicate this experience once college is over.

Feb 11 2010

*1723: We are now on the plane, headed to Miami where we will make a transfer for Hartford. I am in shock that this trip is over. I said my goodbyes to the whole Cramer crew, and as I stepped onto the dock, my heart grew heavy. I felt such a loss already--it was sure quite something. But perhaps before I lament too much, I'll update on the last couple of days. (I was incredibly busy and couldn't journal.)

Fort Jefferson saga continues! Shortly after our lecture given by both Rich and Diane, (yes, that's right...class on a beach...outrageous!), we stripped down to our bathing suits and put on fins and snorkeling goggles. Snorkeling was fantastic, even though we didn't see too much. I swam mostly with Jessica and we saw lots of plants, coral, and schools of fish, swimming past our legs. I held my breath and tried diving down closer to the ocean floor to get a closer look at the coral. I'm pretty sure I saw some barnacles and seashell clad creatures. I could have spent the whole time exploring the sea floor, but I grew somewhat cold after awhile. Jessica and I were the last ones to finish though. Snorkeling is sure addictive! I'd love to do it again, perhaps in warmer climes, or with warmer swimming gear.

Lovely palm trees

Jessica and I grabbed our lunches and walked around the fort again, marveling at its beauty. Within the fort, were gardens and palm trees. To me, it looked like an antiquated Garden of Eden.

"Garden of Eden"

The fort was 3 stories high. On each level, there were windows by which hundreds of cannons used to sit and wait for attack as defense. (Some are still sitting by the windows today, along with piles of cannon balls). Jessica and I borrowed a pair of binoculars from the gift shop and climbed up winding stairs through the lighthouse, which is still in use today. (Our ship used it as one of our points to keep an eye on during night watch to make sure we weren't dragging while anchored.) What a sight! We were on top of the structure, on the roof, where grass was growing. More cannons were up there at odd angles, along with piles of old bricks/rocks.

View of cannons at the top

From our vantage point, we could see the entirety of the fort's insides--reminded me of an ancient Greek coliseum. We could also see the moat and the beach, (with our lovely Williams-Mystic peers scattered everywhere), the ferry, (which transports tourists to and from Key West), and Bird Island, (formerly "Bush Key," I think). I adjusted the binoculars into focus and was able to make out at least 30 blue herons roosting together on one side. I had never seen so many all at once.

Bird Island

Oh, and at one point, when Jessica and I were walking and lunching, we came upon a blue heron, who was simply strutting around, sticking his head out like nobody's business. We managed to get within a few feet away from him before he flew off. He didn't seem to mind us too much!

1844: Okay, we are now waiting for our transfer. After the experience at Fort Jefferson, I had my first all-nighter...ever...and it happened on a ship. We put together our findings on dinoflagellates/diatoms and phytoplankton through a write-up, a poster, and a summary. Then...presentations at 0945. I couldn't concentrate on anyone's presentations one iota. I watched, cotton-mouthed, as millions of words came pouring over my head like dry sand. My brain registered zilch. It was pretty bad. I don't know if I've ever felt THAT tired. I actually felt sick from my exhaustion.

The day of Feb 10th, we docked at Key West, clocking in at almost 600 nautical miles total. It was field day. We had to literally clean the ship from top to bottom. Even the ceilings were washed. I was content though since I got to clean the bookshelves, which allowed me to pore over the many book titles. I love just holding books, feeling the weight of them, their scent. Good lord, I'm such a nerd. Anyway, we finished...finally, and everything looked sparkling clean! We had a great dinner and a tribute to the crew, thanking them for everything. Wearing a sailor's middie my cousin Linda gave me, I performed an adaptation I wrote for "Sea Fever."

The original:

I must down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

My version, (now called "Bunk Fever"):

I must down to the bunk again so I won't puke and moan,

And all I ask is the Cramer and a star to steer her home,

And Lil's food and learning my lines and the white sail's shaking,

And lots of phytoplankton and perhaps less waking.

I must down to the bunk again, for the call of more deep sleep

Is a wild call and a clear call, it is one I must keep,

And all I ask is a calmer day with the bright sun way overhead,

And the flung spray and the wild crash, and a nice, clean bed.

I must down to the bunk again to the lone dishwasher life,

To the soapy way and the bleach's way where the heat's like a whetted knife,

And all I ask is a merry yarn from Becca laughing all over,

And a long nap and a cell phone when the ten days' over.

Mary and I also led a lesson on Israeli folk dancing. Much fun was had by all. (And the other skits were great too!)

Today was Key West, but I don't need to go into much detail about that.

Well, I've basically caught you up on all the events thus far, (whomever you are), and so now I'll talk about my feelings on ship life: I'd be happy to go on another voyage again. I loved having a different life for a little while. Days become meaningless. One lives from one watch to the next. It's simply a different way to live...throws your whole system out of a loop and changes the seemingly static pattern of life for a bit. I don't think I could be at sea for very long stretches of time thogh. I miss running and walking, hiking and traversing land. My legs currently feel like gelatin. I ache to run free. Soon enough, I'll be off this plane and back on solid ground for a long while. We landlubbers certainly take the land for granted. I do love how I'm always outside on a ship. Fresh air fills my lungs with every breath. I can see the sun rise and fall. I can see the night sky form and also set. On a ship, you feel tied to the inner workings of the movement of the Earth, the planets, the stars, the galaxy, the universe as a whole. It's incredible feeling that connection--we are hands on the clock of life. We can't help but go with it, always ticking away, faithful servants to nature, the weather, the sky.

Anyway, I'd certainly go to sea again, but only for short, sporadic bursts. I enjoy feeling like I'm a part of something, a cog in ship's machinery. All deckhands help the ship move, and in the right direction.

The whole trip gave me such positive energy, I felt happy to be alive, grateful for my past and all that I have learned, excited for my future and looking forward to what it may bring. Sun and fresh air is good for my soul. My entire state of being is altered. My life's schedule changing so dramatically may have helped too. I was no longer feeling bogged down by constancy, by weary stability and knowing the flow of the days, feeling like I can forsee the future. So, I've only had positive thoughts about my life, daydreaming about jobs and places and people I will meet. In short, this 10 day trip has turned me around completely.

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DONE! I'm off for some folk music! Have a great night, everyone! xoxo

Corwith Cramer: Part III (Oh goodness, will this EVER end?)

I just finished my first essay of the semester! Whoo hoo! It's been quite awhile since I've written one about literature, but I'm done now, and I don't quite feel ready for bed, so I'll update you on my trip some more! Where were we? Feb 6th...

I wrote a poem that day in my journal, titled "Sea Yearnings":

Shall I away to sea again?

The sickness now gone

[misery of miseries!]

replaced by sunshine

bursting from within.

I shall most likely

away to sea again,

for my heart will yearn

white-capped waves

bristling with foam

rolling on endlessly,

hard labor and little

time to daydream

with long stretches

of dreamtime and

mindful meanderings.

Cut off from the

land--no more news,

no more gossip.

Just the ship, which

becomes an entire world

floating, rocking to and fro

on blue, grey-green water.

All the time in the world,

and more, for reflection.

The outside world fades away

into cloudy and calm skies.

Indeed, for all these things

my heart will yearn

and I shall away to sea again.

Feb 8, 2010

*0015: Yesterday was quite something. I woke up at 0430, along with Ben, and groggily got up on deck, urging myself to keep my eyes open because, "Seeing a rocket go off into space is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!" (One was scheduled to leave Earth at that time.) However, no rocket was sighted. Darn. I went back to bed and tossed and turned, (or rather...was tossed and turned) and couldn't fall asleep again. During the six hours of my watch that day, I witnessed something pretty amazing...the sight of land! The Dry Tortugas!

First sight of dry land!

It is amazing what a change of mood overtakes a ship once dry land is sighted. Our watch became a lot more lax and everyone was happy and smiling, snapping many photos. I have to say, this part of FL is absolutely stunning...pristine white islands with crystal blue water and palm trees. We are currently anchored near Fort Jefferson, which is an amazing brown, crumbly structure that takes up an entire islands. The birds here are loud and full of life. James Audubon actually came here often and studied the birds here. I didn't realize that. I worked for the Audubon Society last summer, so it's nice to get a bit more background info about "the man behind it all."

Little old me smiling as we spot land

Also...today, I climbed the rigging along with my watch members. My gosh, it was so high up. Absolutely terrifying. I have an intense fear of heights, which isn't good because I love climbing UP things...rocks, trees, what-have-you. I just sometimes am paralyzed when facing the fact I have to...go...back...DOWN. Blargh. I pleasantly surprised myself today though! I went up much higher than planned and returned without a panic attack.

View from the top of the mast

View of the bowsprit. And of my hand.

Ben, giving me the "thumbs-up" as we stand at a dizzying height

Sometimes I think I actually live for the thrill of getting over my physical fears. I am silly indeed. I walked away after getting down, with a stupid grin on my face. Rich had to point it out before I even noticed, ha.

Project update: Note to self: Never put two humanities students together in a lab. My partner Anna and I were terrible with our microscope slides. I broke a slide cover and then chipped another. When we finally put a new slide under the microscope, we couldn't see anything, and then we realized that we accidentally had put on THREE slide covers which were stuck together instead of just one on top of the sample! Oy. We just had to laugh at ourselves. It was the perfect comedy sketch...two humanities students together in a lab together automatically spells D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R.

Also, funny incident at dinner. I looked over at Rich, and he was poking at his potato salad rather disgustedly. A few of us realized he had found a piece of gum in it. Yeep.

Feb 9, 2010

1714: Around 0800 or 0900 yesterday morn, we took turns getting onto a small motorboat and set sail for Fort Jefferson. The ride itself was quite fun--we roared through the waves, spraying water everywhere. I had no idea what was in store though. I literally gasped as we docked onto the island. It was truly breath-taking. The hexagonal structure was crumbly and old.

The beach was gorgeous. The water so clear, I could see the details of fish and plant life as I peered over the side of the brick moat. The beach itself was littered with all sorts of dried up sea life--sea sponges, coral, sea shells, seaweed, bahamian sea fans (light and dark purple)...I wanted to take one home so badly, but Leave No Trace!

What I wanted to take home: Bahamian Sea Fan

Man-of-War Jellyfish I found on the beach

I must go off to dinner now! I'll continue later.

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And I will post Part IV tomorrow. Hopefully, that'll be the last installment about this trip. Phew. My bed is gently calling my name.

Corwith Cramer: Part II

I was at Smith for the weekend, celebrating the 21st birthdays of two dear friends. And now I am back and am supposed to be writing an essay, but I'm procrastinating and am writing this instead:

"Exultation is the going

Of an inland soul to sea.

Past the houses--past the headlands,

Into deep eternity--

Bred as we, among the mountains,

Can the sailor understand

The divine intoxication

Of the first league out from land?"

--Emily Dickinson

Feb 4, 2010

*1613: I am so tired...last night was bad for me seasick-wise. It just came out of nowhere. I was feeling chipper and was enjoying my time in the lab. I spent some time looking through a microscope, trying to separate many tiny sea creatures apart to see which ones can be found per 100 in that respective location of the sea...or something like that. I found snails and some kind of shrimp. I had so much fun learning about the different creatures I might find under the microscope. The diversity of life in the oceans is staggering. There are so many we have yet to discover. Anyway, I think it's the darkness that gives me my seasickness. During the day I feel pretty good, usually, but the nights are rather hellish. I think it has something to do with disorientation and maybe I have poor night vision or something. Being seasick is so feverish...you pray, beg whomever to feel better. You feel drugged, sleepy, dizzy, nauseous. And sleep is filled with sweat and wild dreams punctuated with a few reminders that all is not well within the body. I think it is unlike any kind of illness I've had before, and if you've never left land, you'll never understand a sailor's plight during the first few days at sea.

New topic: one certainly has plenty of time to think out here. The sea is endless and seems to roll out into infinity. And the colours. Every day, the ocean changes. Today, it is a navy blue. And the day before that, bright green-blue. The ocean is perfect symbolism of our lives. It is beautiful, scary, awe-inspiring, gives life, takes life away, and is never constant, always changing from day to day.

In other news, I'm becoming pretty good at steering a ship. Dusty says I steer like a professional, heh. I love the different way of life...the language. I certainly did go ABROAD this semester. In a way, being on a boat is like being in another world. "Bathrooms" are "heads," "pail" is "bucket," and "dining room" is "main saloon," etc etc.

The weird part about ship life is how the days and hours melt into each other. I've already forgotten how long I've been here. The waking/sleeping hours are different everyday. There is no such thing as "early" anymore. Only, "on time."

2229: So silly. I am awake...wide awake before anyone has informed me of my watch coming up at 2300. I do sleep really well here. I'm usually able to fall asleep quickly, which is quite unusual for this insomniac. Some people might find the bunks claustrophobic, but I don't. It's one of the only places here, besides the head, where one can have privacy. I have a curtain and a light to read and write by. I also like the size...very cozy. It makes me feel like I'm back in the womb, especially with the constant motion. And there's so much room for my few essential items. I really don't need much...I love having a simpler, less material-laden life.

Feb 5, 2010

*2000: Last night's lab was awesome. I got to do a neuston tow, (which means capturing sea life in a sort of seining net), and I had to sort out the biomass and count out how many there were of each organism. I found 4 or 5 clear spiny lobster larvae, which are about 2 inches long and are completely flat, like they've been steamrolled. I felt sick during the lab though, thanks to the aromatic scent of rotting sea flesh. Yum.

Having fun in the lab with our science leader, Juliet, and Haley

I woke up this morn after some weird/pleasant dreams, and discovered my day would be interesting indeed. My watch was having a meeting on deck, and suddenly! A huge burst of rain fell upon us. It was as if someone in the sky had randomly decided to throw a bucket of water on us. The sea grew rough and we all ran below deck. The boat rocked so hard--water was coming over port and starboard. My watch waited for the lightning to stop before going on deck. The whole day, the sea has been lurching like crazy. I had a blast. I felt like I was on an amusement park ride. And being below deck was like a fun-house. Eating meals was interesting. We had to be careful to lift our legs up on a certain side so dishes wouldn't come crashing down. (I nearly caused that to happen anyway, of course).

Feb 6, 2010

*1417: Yesterday, I watched most of the crew enjoying their ginger ales. I was offered a can, but I politely declined. When they finished, I noticed they tossed their cans out to sea. This truly shocked me. How can sailors pollute something so sacred to them? Later on, Rich led a mini-lecture for several of us, explaining ocean boundaries for countries. (Eg, the US has control of 12 nm of ocean from shore; states have about 2 nm of control.) Only 40% of the ocean is under law...if you are more than 12 nm away from coast, you can dump trash, explosives, whatever. This is just terrible. One student brought up a good point that is is either the sea or a landfill. Both land and sea are destroyed. While I understand where she's coming from, I disagree. If I had the choice between landfill/ocean for my garbage, I'd pick a landfill. Our Earth is 70% water and the most diverse forms of life are hidden in the seas, many of which we have not yet discovered. Water is VITAL to the well-being of our planet. The water from the ocean becomes rain on land. Do we want acids and harmful bacteria to permeate our soil? Water connects to all beings. It is what sustains us and keeps us alive. Even if an animal/organism doesn't need water, certainly, it eats or feeds off of an organism that does. Without water, we'd all be dead. With landfills, we need to exercise extreme caution in order to avoid soil erosion/runoff.

Also, soda cans are recyclable! We can reuse aluminum and turn those soda cans into something else. I don't see why ships can't at least hold onto those and recycle them once they are on land again. And same goes for trash...it's not taking up any more space there was previously. Output/input stays the same if the ship receives no cargo. ERGH! This issue really frustrates me. I feel terrible guilt knowing I am contributing to the dumping of trash as a secondary party.

New topic before I blow a fuse: Ship language! Did you know that a lot of ship jargon has slipped into our everyday landlubber language? Ex: "Clean slate" and "All the way to the bitter end," (the end of a line).

Oh, last night...I had lab duty from 0300-0700. My group researched sargassum, ( a really amazing seaweed: a floating biogeographical island in one clump!) I also learned more about my upcoming project. I'm researching the effect of nutrients on phytoplankton and what the distribution of phytoplankton is like with this variable. I get to look through a microscope and I get to try breaking apart the phytoplankton into separate groups: dinoflagellates and diatoms. 50 counts for 3 separate labs. Hoo boy...lot of work, but I'm actually excited! NERD.

*2316: Being outside during the entire duration of night watch is amazing. I've never seen (nor noticed) how the night sky changes, growing darker around the edges, giving birth to, at first, muted starts, which grow to full luminescence. I've never seen the milky way, though I've discussed it often in cosmology class relative to our location in it and its location in the universe. I've never seen a shooting star streak the sky. And now, I've seen all of these incredible sights.*

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I really ought to start writing my essay. It's getting late, eep. If I finish early, I'll write another blog entry tonight. Until then, good evening! And Happy Valentine's Day to my family and friends!

The Corwith Cramer-Part I

I just woke up about 20 minutes ago, (1145). My room looked like it was rocking back and forth, and I still feel quite off-balance indeed.

So, here is the post you have all been waiting for...a GIANT update about my life for ten days as part of a crew on a tall ship. I fear my writing will not do my adventure any justice, but I will certainly try. I filled up 70 pages of my journal over the course of the trip, so I will use it as a reference, and perhaps I will just include a ton of edited entries. When I use something from my journal, I'll use an * to mark the end and the beginning. Here goes nothing:

Part I:

Sunday, Jan 31st, 2010
*0930: Woke up. Enjoyed a refreshing cup of coffee whilst writing my online blog.

1100-1900: Went to the parking lot, played Frisbee, went to town, bought "Old Man and the Sea" with Jessica. Had more coffee. Freaked out momentarily as I realized I had so much to do. Moment of panic over. Home--read some literature readings, packed, picked up a mediocre pizza while trying to find mailboxes so Kate could mail letters separately to her boyfriend, (how cute!).

1900: Popped a sleeping pill and promptly passed out. Body was stupid. Body thought she was merely taking a nap.

Saturday, Feb 1st, 2010

2230: Woke up, feeling refreshed and ready to go. Looked and clock and realized it was only 10:30 pm. NOT GOOD.

0030: FINALLY fell asleep again.

0230: Alarm buzzed. Hit it. Fell asleep again.

0250: Realized I overslept.

MAD DASH!!!

0315: Managed to meet vans on time and drove off to Hartford airport.*

We arrived in Miami and made a transfer onto a smaller plane headed toward Key West. My interpreter, Ben, sat next to me during the hour and a half flight and we made up name signs for certain parts of the ship, such as the names of sails and lines. (This turned out to be quite a good idea--there are thousands of lines to haul and ease out!) When we arrived at Key West, we were taken to a Coast Guard section of the beach where our ship, the Corwith Cramer and its crew stood, ready and waiting for usBoarding the Corwith Cramer for the first time

I had a hard time believing we were there already and in such warmer climes. We were given a tour of the ship and had several lectures. We then allowed the only 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep during the trip.

We were divided into watch groups which would meet at different times for watch for the deck, (which included roles such as boat check, engine room check, bow watch, steering, hauling lines, logging about the weather and course into "hourlies"), for the lab, (which included performing experiments in the water, such as through neuston tows, which gathers up sea life from the surface through a tiny-holed, long net, or looking through a microscope and doing 100-counts of different organisms), and for the galley (kitchen), (which included roles such as helping to chop up food and wash the dishes).

I was on "B" watch, and my watch schedule was the following:

Feb 2: 1300-1900, Lab

Feb 3: 0300-0700, Deck
1900-2300, Lab

Feb 4: 0700-1300, Deck
1900-2300, Lab

Feb 5: 1300-1900, Deck

Feb 6: 0300-0700, Lab
1900-2300, Deck

Feb 7: 0700-1300, Lab
2300-0300, Deck

Feb 8: 1300-1900, Galley

Feb 9: 0300-0700, Lab
1900-2300, Deck

Feb 10: 0700-1300, Galley
2300-0300, Lab

Feb 11: 1300-1900, Deck

We also had classes everyday at 1430, which sometimes overlapped watches. They were on different subjects every day: literature, marine science, or about ship life. They were about an hour at the most. Also, we took showers every 3 days after our dawn watch (0300-0700). Those mornings were so long...awake from 3am-7am, working on the deck, the lab, or in the galley, and then we'd have breakfast, and then we had to clean below decks, sweeping and scrubbing the floors, and THEN we could sleep or shower. Additionally, night watches were in 4 hour shifts, while daytime watches were in 6 hour shifts.

February 2nd, 2010

0916: *Is it really February 2nd? Feels more like a breezy day in July, which is lovely. After an extraordinary night's sleep, we are officially at sea! I see a sailboat and can still see coastline. Soon, we will be unable to see any land at all. I wonder how that will feel. Liberating or oppressive? Or perhaps both? I don't know what else to say...I'm speechless about it all, the newness of it all. It's like nothing I've experienced before.

1520: (class notes) "There is not so helpless and pitiable an object in the world as a landsman beginning a sailor's life." (Two Years Before the Mast, by Richard Dana Jr) I've been feeling kind of dizzy and am constantly tired. The lull of the blue water is like a lullaby putting me to sleep. And my dizziness is turning me into more of a klutz than ever. (Which is pretty bad.) I'm a bit surprised I haven't fallen overboard yet, ha. But I feel like I can relate to the previous quote* from class.

Feb 3rd, 2010

*1400: One tends to grow poetical when at sea. And how could one not? The drug-induced feelings provoked by sleepiness, dizziness, and nausea causes WEIRD things to run through your mind. And most great writers are crazy--the ocean only helps. (Not that I'm a great writer or anything.) This morning, I woke up for my watch, which went from 0300-0700. The seas were especially rough. I felt exceptionally dizzy and got up on deck. I was greeted by the sight of stars and a cloudy sky. It's strange to feel like you are drunk, but sober simultaneously. I had no control of where I was walking, (the dark certainly didn't help). I stumbled everywhere. First, I checked the boat, making sure everything was secure--checked the fridge, toilets, engine room. All was fine. I went back up on deck and was asked to go on bow watch, (which means sitting out on the bow and watching for lights from other ships.) I got up and strapped myself to the pole. The ship was going UP and DOWN, exactly like the pirate ship ride at Bethany Beach. The water crashed over the bowsprit and I clung for dear life on the metal roping. I looked and watched--grew accustomed to it. As I looked over the water and at the starry sky, I couldn't help but smile. I choked up with tears, overwhelmed by the beauty of it all. I was in a dream state though...my waking life and my dream life had intermingled and become one. I felt lucid and asleep. I didn't realize how tightly I was clinging onto the bow until I moved my hand away and found it numb.

The bow, in case you were wondering what it looked like

I have class again, will try writing more about last night later.

*1639: Okay, finally! I have a decent amount of downtime. There's SO much to do onboard. And usually, if I'm not doing anything scheduled, I'm sleeping. For the past 48 hours, all I've wanted to do is sleep--pitiful landlubber am I! I've finally reached a point where I'm awake enough to want to be awake...I can think AND function!

Anyway, as I prayed for my life and gawped at the black sea's beauty, (which was darker than the night sky above), I could see phantom-like lights dart around beneath the bow. Some of the streaks were as big as dolphins. Others, tiny pinpricks of glitter. They were phytoplankton. I wonder what former sailors thought of the unexplained lights before the discovery. Did they think they were ghosts, harbingers of doom? Perhaps they thought they were angels of G-d, sent to them by sea for good fortune.

Whilst greeted by the night's splendor, all alone, out on the bowsprit, lines of poetry ran through my mind repeatedly: "She walks in beauty like the night/ Of cloudless climes and starry skies/And all that is best of dark and bright/ Is in her aspect and her eyes." You must remember, I wasn't quite awake. I was a dreaming sailor, dreaming of a sea life...only in my dreams, truly asleep, I am back home with my family, landlocked and feeling safe.

Also, as I gazed up at the jib topsail, I noticed the quivering as the wind rolled against it. I thought again and again, "The white sail's shaking," (from "Sea Fever"). For me, it described the motion perfectly, and rang in my cloudy mind like a clanging bell.

I was relieved from bow watch, (after spotting lights of other ships ahead), and drunkenly made my way over the the helm. I said to Ben, who was steering, "You are relieved. What's your course?" He replied, "Three-one-zero." I repeated back the numbers to him and took the wheel. I was actually steering! Using a compass in front of the helm, which was lit up in red, I steered port/starboard, trying to keep the course on 310 degrees NW. It was difficult getting a feel for how many turns of the wheel to make. A ship is quite different from a car or a motorboat...it is a big craft and takes a long time to move the stern.

The Helm

As I steered, the ship continued to rock roughly. Most of my watch started getting sick. People were throwing up overboard and became incapacitated...unable to work any longer. I tried looking away, but I could see people getting up and holding heads over the railing. I felt dizzier and dizzier. The wheel became my lifeline, and when i was relieved from that duty, I was also relieved from my lifeline. I was asked to go up on bow watch again for the remaining half hour of our watch. A wave of nausea overcame me without much warning. "I...really...can't," I managed to blurt out. I grabbed my water bottle and drank...drank...trying to hold off the sickness, keep the possible upsurgence at bay. I got a weird, gnawing sensation in my jaws. I breathed...1...2 more times, and by some miracle, I was okay. I sat still, clutching my water bottle for what felt like ages, shaking violently from cold and nausea, afraid to move.

Sea sickness is such a strange malady. It affects everyone differently. My stomach felt perfectly fine. I was hungry, as a matter of fact, and yet, my head wanted to vomit, not my stomach. It was all in my head. The boat rocks your senses and puts everything out of balance.

I drank some ginger ale, had a light breakfast, helped clean below decks for a bit, and passed out. I came to around 1230 and felt much better, albeit still dizzy. I finally felt a part of the waking world though. I showered, which is hard to do on a moving vessel...requires much finnesse indeed), had class, learned more about the sails, and now my dizziness is finally gone. I'll keep taking meds and wearing my pressure-point bracelet though.

Memorable quote: "Haul like crazy mammals!" -Captain Beth (She's so tough, but really nice, and also has a habit of walking arond the ship barefoot, like it's a living room.)

Memorable fact: Dusty, our engineer, used to be a police officer in Colorado. He wore the whole nine yards...cowboy boots, hat, uniform. Pretty hard to believe. He looks like an old hippie sea salt...has bright white hair, a scraggly beard, and a piercing with a long feather dangling from it.*

Dusty is on the left in this photo

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Okay, I'm going to stop here. Jessica and I need to run to CVS so we can grab supplies since we both lost our luggage. I really need to brush my teeth! :-P I will update as soon as I can!

Anchored at last!

LAND AHOY! I am finally back in the land of mystical Connecticut! It is lovely being amongst landlubbers once again; I feel like I'm still on a ship though... I can't seem to walk in a straight line.

Also, I had quite a greeting at 0200...as I tried entering our house for the first time since I've been back, I fell on a patch of ice and scraped and bruised up my arm. Whoops. But other than that, I'm safe and sound! My luggage is missing too, but at least I'M here, tan, happy, and all smiles, and that's what truly matters!

I will write some more later, after I catch up on sleep.

xoxo!

Up, Up, and Away!

It is 3 in the morning. I am quite a sleepy girl. We are about to head off to the airport in Hartford, where we'll fly off to Miami, and then from Miami to Key West. We should be there around 11am and then we'll be on a tall-ship, sailing the wide, open seas as sailors!

I will not have one iota of internet access or cell phone access during this trip. So, if you want to reach me...I'm afraid you'll just have to wait! You can keep track of my ship's location by clicking on here: http://www.williams.edu/williamsmystic/expeditions/offshore.html

Have a great 10 days, everyone! LOVE!