"Sea Sick"

When I accepted this job many people asked me how I would fare on a ship, whether or not I would get sea sick. Some even followed this up with recommendations of how to handle sea sickness if I were to get sick. Though I lived in the Ocean State almost all of my life, my access to traveling by ship was minimal, reserved to traveling to Block Island on the Block Island Ferry, and an occasional Boat Ride, like on the Spirit of Boston or Spirit of Baltimore. However because I did not know how I would react to the motion of the ship, I prepared myself. I bought several motion sickness remedies (pills and bands). What I did not anticipate was that prior to embarking on my voyage I would actually come down with something. So as a tickle in my throat grew to a full out cough by Tuesday morning complete with chills and a slight fever, I found myself in bed for the better part of the day on my first day at sea. By the time I felt well enough to join my new colleagues for dinner, I had missed most of day one of training. I discovered that I was not the only one that was not feeling well. Several of my colleagues were sea sick and much like myself spent some or all of their day indisposed, though in a slightly different manner. While it seems that my body has adjusted to the motion of the ship, I still remain with this cold and a nagging cough which I was told by the ship’s doctor will probably get worse before it gets better. He recommended I rest and drink plenty of fluids. Which I have been trying to do.

Tomorrow we port in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where we will welcome 600+ students aboard and begin our journey around the world, I am so excited yet wonder what type of sickness they may get or bring aboard with them.

Hoping for better health and calm seas

AB