June 26, 2010
By Leslie Peate
We said goodbye to land fifteen days ago. Bermuda seems like a distant memory now, as all we have seen on the horizon is endless blue water. The sea herself has kept us on our toes with large swells and most days with strong, favorable winds. Our bodies are sore from sail-handling and the constant stress to walk without falling over. The heel and rocking of the boat has also made sleep in our bunks rather entertaining. We wedge our bodies against the sides of our bunks in weird positions so the tilt and roll of the ship doesn't throw us out. But make no mistake; we love every minute of it. These conditions are par for the course.
Two weeks in and our ship has a rhythm. We are a little floating city. Science, sail-handling, watch-standing, wake-ups, meals, cleanup duties, and classes run like clockwork. We are totally immersed in the science mission we came here to do and the cohesion of the group is something you rarely see on land. It's nice to be a part of something so unique, exciting and memorable. We all feel a sense of privilege to be here and none of us are taking it for granted.
With that said, there is still a lot of talk about back home. What we left behind, who we miss, and what we can't wait to do when we return to land. We wonder what our friends and family are up to and what we are missing in our personal lives. The community here makes that part of ship life bearable. We are all in the same position and have made fast friends onboard to get us through the rough days and nostalgia of home. We are making memories, working hard, and will once again be able to look back at our stint with SEA with pride and a smile.
Every day except Sunday we meet on the quarterdeck at 1415 hours for updates on navigation, weather, engineering and science. After the updates there is a class on some topic. Yesterday, it was my treat to teach a short class on the Chesapeake Bay. It was really fun to create my short lesson plan, get the posters ready, and then teach on the quarterdeck of a beautiful ship, under sail, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean – an oceanography teacher's dream!
My students this time around weren't 11th and 12th graders sitting at desks with their notebooks out. Yesterday my students were adults smothered in sunscreen, wearing hats and sunglasses, baking in the sun. They did, however, try to play the role of high school students for my benefit; calling out, whispering to their neighbors, saying "Ms. Peate" about a hundred times, and everyone seemed to have to go to the head at the same moment. They were worse than my actual students! It was quite silly and brought back some great memories of my students this past school year.
I do want to say "Congratulations" to all of my seniors who graduated last week. You guys know I'm proud of all of you and wish I could've been there to see you in your caps and gowns, walking across the stage.
