I'm On A Boat!

I don't think I mentioned this in my last post, but we actually didn't leave the port yesterday. There was a problem with people getting Visas to Brazil so they are stuck in Florida still. Being an already awesome community, the boat is not leaving without them. :0) We actually set sail just after 12:00 today but only to swim around for a bit and then get back to port to pick the students up by 5:00. I think the time we will actually be off on this incredible adventure is going to be around 8:00 PM tonight. Even though the sailing at 12:00 wasn't us officially leaving, it was still very exciting. I was out on deck with a new friend and her family so I had a good view of everything. It was really fun waving to the people on the shore (even though my mom and dad were actually at the airport already. sad face.) and cheering with everyone when they blew the horn. I got some great pictures and bit of shaking video footage of the whole thing.

The rest of the day has unfortunately been filled with rather tedious meetings. The usual "don't cheat, don't abuse substances, don't attack anyone" that is really important but also pretty boring. The speakers did a great job of making it as painless as possible which is a commendable feat. Especially because many of us were feeling the first touches of seasickness during the meetings.

In addition to the movement of the boat, I'm noticing a few things are going to be a bit challenging for me. Like eating what is cooked for me and only at meal times. i usually eat really small meals (of whatever won't make me nauseous at that time) throughout the day. No can do here. I know that I will adjust though. The lack of sleep in another new thing for me. So far there have been meetings that go until 10:00 PM and then start the next day at 9:00 PM which leaves me far less than the 10-12 hours of sleep a night that I am used to. I don't see anything as something I won't get used to though. One of the good things about having a disability is that I'm very used to challenges and getting over them. It's almost like I've been in the travelers mindset for the last four years. :0)

As for the people sailing with me, everyone I met has been extremely nice and fun to talk to. I thought it would be overwhelming to meet so many new people, but I'm actually enjoying it. Each time I go to a meeting, wander onto the deck, or sit down for a meal, I meet new awesome people. As the trip goes on, we will probably all settle into groups, but now it's mostly just meeting as many people as possible.
I'm having a great time and I know it's only going to get better!

Embarkation!

I'M ON A BOAT!!!!!

I still can't really believe I made it! I feel so lucky to be here and have this opportunity!
Embarkation day started VERY early. We had to wake up at 6:00 AM (after loud drunken kids kept us awake all night) to get ready and leave for the port at 6:45 AM. We were expecting to hit lots of traffic, but the streets were not busy yet so we got to the dock about 50 minutes early. After I got over being grumpy about waking up earlier than I needed to, I was glad to be second in line for the day. My parents and I chatted with the other SASers in line as we waited for the doors to open.

 As we got closer to the 8:00 boarding, I was getting a little nervous about saying goodbye to my parents. I think they gave me enough hugs in the last ten minutes to last me for at least half of the trip! haha The doors finally opened and we gave our last hugs (and no one cried! go us!) and I stepped into the security building on my own. I didn't really have time to process because I was whisked through security and onto the boat. Once on the boat, I went through a really short registration type process and then headed to my room.
I was surprised how nice the room is! There is a huge window and a bigger bathroom than I have at home. (Yay for being disabled!) The only drawbacks are that there is less storage than other people but I'm easily making that work. I'm on the 5th deck right by one of the dining rooms and the deck is just a few steps from my door.

 My roomie showed up a few hours after me and I knew that we would get a long right away. She is really nice, easygoing, and considerate. We've been hanging out a lot and going to most meals and meetings together along with a friend she met at her hotel.


My first public display of dysautonomia was during the safety drill. (way sooner than I expected my incognito to be compromised.) Basically, the drill consisted of putting on long pants, a sweatshirt, and those sexy life-vests and then standing straight for a half an hour. In the middle of the day in the Bahamas. I'm proud that I lasted about 15 minutes before I had to sit down, and 25 minutes before I was discovered by the crew members. The people right around me were really cool about it and were laughing with me as I tried to explain to them my er...quirks. The crew kind of freaked out because I didn't adequately convey that my condition is chronic and they thought i was dehydrated or something. The con of this was that there was a little bit of commotion and I had to disrupt the drill as they figured out what to do with me, the pro was that I got to go back to my room early and take those dreadful clothes off.

The rest of the day was spent unpacking, touring the boat, meeting new people (yay catchphrase!), and going to orientation meetings. By the end of the day I was beyond tired and a little homesick, but I just read for a bit and was able to get to sleep feeling content.
P.S. I can receive e-mail right now but can't send, so the blog is probably going to get a whole bunch of posts at once when I finally figure this thing out.