The Start of My Ship Life

My journey on the ship began in Bremerhaven, Germany. After returning home to Victoria from Argentina, I had 10 hours to re-pack, see my dog, and say goodbye to my family and friends for another 5 months. I hopped on my flight to Europe at 0630 on August 27^th, and approximately 20 hours later, I landed in Germany.

Since then, I’ve had a traditional German bretzel and freshly brewed Becks beer while touring the tall ship festival in Bremerhaven;

I’ve eaten pain au chocolate while walking the perimeter of the walled city of St. Malo, I’ve sunk my feet deep into the beaches of Normandy (such an intense feeling), I’ve climbed to the top of Mount Saint Michel cathedral, I’ve lead a PE class with 55 kids on a run down the beach and eaten shark and enjoyed a McBeer in Portugal,

I’ve gotten driven back to my ship in the middle of a downpour by a police car (just because they were really nice and it was really wet out), eaten tapas and drunken sangria, seen Gaudi’s architecture

and seen a traditional flamenco show in Barcelona

I’ve enjoyed Italian gelato and the best pizza and pasta, I’ve toured the beaches and seen flamingos on the salt mines in Sardinia, Italy

I’ve seen what a force 9 storm feels like; I’ve endured seasickness on sailing days on a sea state of 7 and beau ford scale of 8 and weathered 30 foot swells. I’ve read Ernest Hemingway’s the old man and the sea while lying on the boat deck in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. I’ve witnessed dolphins and whales as they play at the bowsprit.

I’ve sailed (and survived) the infamous North Sea, I’ve sailed past the white cliffs of Dover, and through the strait of Gibraltar.

I’ve taken part in sailing duties such as bracing, look out, fire watch, and safety drills such as Man Overboard.

As I type this I am in the Atlantic, onboard the Sorlandet, sitting under a large square sail casting a shadow over the boat deck. We're on our way to Morocco to ride camels into the Sahara....