So I realize it’s been a while and I decided I would tell you some about my first week aboard the MV Explorer! Being a workstudy, I got to board a day early than everyone else. When I first boarded the ship, I was greeted by an older woman who took my picture and told me that we would meet again sometime later, but that there wasn’t time at that point (I eventually met her and she is nice but it was a bit weird). The ship is huge and there are many parts specifically reserved for the crew. Of course, being on the second deck means that most stairwells lead to off-limit territory and I accidentally began to go down one when I was promptly corrected. I was glad I got to find my mom and brother at the parent reception, which honestly felt more like a promotional kind of event than a “you-child-is-about-to-leave” event. The next day I got to help the rest of the students board the ship by filing their passports once they handed them over to the purser’s crew. It was pretty fun because the crew have a great sense of humor and were telling us about the secret defenses the ship has were pirates to board (supposedly underwater flamethrowers – haha sure). It was a really long day but it was very cool to see more of Montreal once we embarked, I could see the biodome farther down the river!
The next day was an unnecessarily and painfully long orientation with classes the day after. I thought I was doing pretty well so far, having been on the ship for a day at sea, but that was because we were in calm waters. The first day of class, I just barely made it through the first class before I was sick. Since I couldn’t go to work after, I laid down for a bit, got sick again, finally felt better, went to work and got sick right after again. I was kind of worried how I would ever be able to manage and make it through my next and last class but I did. It was a pretty rough day though. Throughout the rest of the week, I slowly stopped weaving through the halls until I barely felt the ship moving. It’s pretty funny actually, I think this is basically a simulation of what it would feel like to be drunk. The best part is watching several people walking and all drift over in zigzags like balls bouncing off the walls. We also lost an hour every other day, so that plus hw, plus work, plus something amazing happening every night in 23 hr days was stressful. Work is fun and right up my alley, I really enjoy administrative work. I am copying, replacing the Dean’s memo (our way of telling you what’s happening each day) on the bulletin boards, etc. I had been worried but God is good and I couldn’t have asked for a better first job.
My roommate is very nice, she actually reminds me so much of my other roommate, Ashleigh, from the French house that I called her that the morning we landed in Casablanca accidentally. Whoops. But she is a very funny and kind person so I am also very blessed that we are compatible thus far.
That’s all I remember from the first week, it went so fast it is kind of a blur! I will try to put some photos for Morocco but don’t hold your breath!
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