Hello, All!
It has been a long few weeks, and due to a few technicial errors, it has been longer than I expected since my last post. Boy, can things change overnight!
I will start at the end of my first cruise, and continue with my New Orleans trip to summarize week two:
The ending of my first cruise, in comparision to the beginning, ended very smoothly with only small technical issues caused by wifi- which seems to be a commonly occuring issue in all marine realms. In all honesty, despite how good the wifi network, there is also issues with connection and perhaps one or two overzealous wifi users downloading copicious amounts of data. But, can you blame them? With the crew particiularly in mind, it is natural to want to stay in contact with your loved ones back home. I ended my first cruise on Easter Sunday, where I truly began feeling the effects of what it is like to be a marine technician- that is, a worker bee. We did not arrive back on dock until very late Easter Sunday, as the scientists chose to prolong the cruise because we were ahead of schedule (scientists are too busy to celebrate holidays). It is sad to miss events such as family holidays, or graduation, and a small part of me feels as if I am being robbed of priceless moments, but the experience of being out to sea- with the accompaniment of beautiful sights, smells and sensations- is equally as gratifying and priceless. Last night, a fleet of sea birds and pelicans swarmed the boat during sunset because we were churning up fish. The sight of sea birds, dolphins, sunrises and moonsets, are making this experience well worth the energy I am putting in. Not to mention, the beautiful dinner our chef made to make us all feel at home. The crew truly is a family, and I am honored to have been welcomed into it so gracefully.
