At Sea

It's 5:45 a.m., and I am awake.  The ship is rolling around in the seas.  We rock in our beds -- head to toe, head to toe.  It's fluid motion, almost like being in a giant rocking chair.  Sometimes it feels like we're on a plane coming in for a landing.  You feel the heavviness, then almost weightlessness.  If feels like the  ocean is a living, breathing being... a giant blue dragon whose back we're riding.  It's thrilling and beautiful and a bit scary all at once.

We are meeting tons of people.  Students, lifelong learners, professors.  All wonderful, interesting, intentional people.  You don't do this trip by accident.

The food is great.  Lots of fruit and veggies so far, with Indian entrees, soups, fish, even French pastries for dessert yesterday.

Working out on board is fascinating.  Running on an elliptical feels like running and riding a horse at the same time.  You let go of the handholds at your own risk!  When you do the plank exercise, it's an exercise in gravity too.  As the ship goes "down" off a swell, you feel tremenous pressure on your body.  I felt like I weighed 300 pounds.  But then, you go "up," and for a moment you're weightless!  It makes planking much more interesting!

The kids have already made friends.  Charlie played basketball yesterday till he fell into bed.  Austin is beating the professors at ping pong.  When I told Sydney I had to go to the computer lab, she said, "Oh, we have friends there!"  The kids already run the ship. I come back to their room and find them sitting around eating goldfish and listening to Taylor Swift with their friends.  It's like Happy Hour in there.

Sunrise yesterday was truly a religious experience.  I was on the elliptical machine looking out at the sea, and at 7:00 I ran outside just as the sun was peeking over the horizon, lighting the clouds in every direction.  The ocean was like glass.  You could have water skiied on it.  The sun, water, open expanse, all of it was breathtaking.  I almost wept.  I just talked to God right there at the ship's rail and worshipped.  Truly gave him my heart as I stood in awe of his majesty, beauty, and power.  I am so small.

Today began the first day of school.  We gathered in the dinig room with about 15 other families schooling our kids while the mighty Pacific rolls outside the window.  We roll too as we do math, science, history.  Not a bad schoolroom if you ask me.

So far Semester at Sea has far exceeded my expectations... and they were already pretty high!

Note: We do not get regular internet access at sea.  We have a few hours total for the whole voyage, and it's extremely slow.  If you need to contact us, this email usually works: michelle.knott.sp15@semesteratsea.org