This blog post is a part of the Stories She Told series, posted on Thursday May 21, 2020. It has been modified from its original version. View the original version on Instagram.
A year ago today I was boarding a cargo ship and fulfilling a massive dream. Tomorrow I should have been walking across the stage at my college graduation. But if my cargo ship trip taught me anything, it is that a plan is never set in stone and sometimes you just have to be okay with not knowing how something will turn out. And even though I don’t know if I’ll ever get to walk across that Goucher College Graduation Stage, I am so grateful for the (4? 5? idk I lost track) years of my life that I had at Goucher and the epic adventures I excavated for myself as a student.
For today’s story, I wanted to share a quick journal entry from my first night on board the M/V Independent Vision, the 220-meter long cargo vessel that I crossed an ocean on…
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20:30 | Cabin 603 | Tuesday, 21. May 2019
I’ve just spent the last hour scrubbing, plucking, washing, peeling, cleaning. I feel so smooth and fresh and clean. Now I am lying in a bed with a panel on the side to keep me from rolling out. The last hour, I kept almost feeling like I needed to rush, but then I would remember that I have nowhere to be. I have nothing that I should be doing. I am just in this cabin. At port. Waiting for tomorrow’s excitement.
I’ve laid my orange guinea fowl tapestry on the table as a tablecloth. It looks cute and makes this space feel a bit more like it belongs to me, even if it’s just for two weeks. A previous occupant of this cabin stuck googly eyes onto the immersion suit diagram. I found some spares in a desk drawer.
The room smells faintly of stale cigarette. Perhaps a remnant of a past officer who slept here. I’ve noticed some designated smoking spaces on board, but I didn’t know they could just smoke in their rooms.
This is amazing. I feel amazing. And I can’t wait to explore more and see more and experience more of this exciting life!!
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PS… I’m writing a book about my Atlantic Crossing! If you are interested in being added to the mailing list for book updates, send me a message and let me know!
