C4- The Grind

Today, The skies were the cloudiest they've been this whole trip. The sea was dark and dreadful, reflecting the dreary atmosphere above, like something out of a Pirates movie whenever The Flying Dutchman sails onto the screen. In terms of workload and class time, we're actually in the eye of the storm, the halfway point of an academic barrage over a week long.

Every day is a consistent tear on our brains. Each of the three classes is an hour and fifteen minutes long, a typical length for a lecture that meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays back on campus. But we have lecture every single day we're on the boat, therefore in the past four days we've covered about two weeks of material.

What makes this an additional challenge is they're messing with our sleep schedules at the same time. When I woke up this morning, we were already three hours ahead of Baltimore. And then tonight we're losing an additional hour. I haven't adjusted very well, to be honest; the hours spent between my second and third classes consist primarily of nap time, although I do accomplish a lot of work and studying between the two. Considering I'm from the east coast, my adjustments are nothing. The Californians and the like are now hit with up to eight hours of time change. For those of them who flew in only the day before embarkation, people have a word- zombies.

Fortunately, by staying on the ball with readings, I have time for some fun activity. I spent the afternoon playing ukulele, singing along with a girl from UVA. It was a little rougher than past jam sessions since we were without internet. I had to figure out chords as I went, and she couldn't remember lyrics to some songs. But for all the places I've seen and things I've done, often it is moments like those I cherish the most- the most simplistic yet most uplifting. No better way to spend time than sharing a song. I found it reminiscent of late nights in the Bel Air Hall lounge with friends. I miss everyone. (But best believe I'm not homesick.)

Tonight made really clear the reality of how much we wanted to end the pain. We had a (not-so) little competition for the students; a Scavenger hunt, essentially. Teams of eight students had to run around the ship to get pieces of paper signed at checkpoints throughout the ship. The winner gets to jump off the ship first when we get to Barcelona- you can imagine the amount of interest that this garnered among everyone. Ship residents of all ages partook in the mayhem, and masses of people were flocking from one end of the ship to another. Alas, my group didn't win. But we tried and that's what counts. (Besides, my first field trip doesn't start until maybe noon I think, I'm in no hurry.)

Four more days until Barcelona, four more days until Barcelona, if only I could tap a pair of red shoes together and just be there...

Contact: afrancisco@semesteratsea.net