what i learned in boating school is... (part 1)

Life on a ship is actually insane, and I’m absolutely in love with it. Here are some things I’ve learned in my first few weeks at sea—

• Always go to the top deck to watch the sunrise, even if the sunrise is cloudy 
• Peanut butter is a delicacy—never take it for granted
• Hawaiian pineapple is quite possibly the best thing I’ve ever tasted (especially after 8 days of pasta and potatoes at each meal)
• Talking to the crew is so special (and can get you ice in your water when ice isn't readily available!) 
• If something interests you, do it 
• Remember to take time to care for yourself—even if you feel as though you're missing out, if you don't feel well it’s not worth it. Take the seasickness medication, go to your cabin and sleep, take a break from studying and read a book that interests you
• Deck 7 is always less crowded than Lido—it makes a great place to study 
• Doing laundry in your sink really isn't that hard, but without access to any moving air it is a pain to dry 
• The best time to go to the gym is with your lovely roommate in a torrential downpour—riding the stationary bikes made us feel like we had a constant breezy mist in our faces 
• Having class outside is really cool. It’s less cool when the reason you have class outside is because everyone is seasick. 
• All of those times wishing for an extra hour of sleep as a kid are granted as you travel west circumnavigating the globe—and it’s every bit as glorious as I imagined it would be 
• Going and doing the touristy things will indeed make you feel like a tourist—go and find the hole in the wall places; you’ll enjoy them more 

And now for some things I actually have been learning in class: 

• Poverty was cut by 25% by the current administration in the past year, which means there are thousands of people who are not being cared for the way they have been cared for in the past 
• There is a giant patch of micro plastics floating in the Pacific called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It is filled mostly with nets and bottles that have been broken down by the UV rays from the sun and are so small we can’t see them. These plastics are ingested by animals, and then humans ingest the animals. Due to our negligence in keeping the planet clean, we actually in turn are hurting ourselves by ingesting the plastic we throw out (not to mention all of the animals in the ocean). 
• Overconsumption doesn't make us happier. Not too far after having our basic needs met (with a little fun thrown in) consuming more material goods does not give our lives any more satisfaction. We are constantly in this race to consume and consume and consume and to what avail? Our overconsumption leads to lack of resources for others around the world and does little to improve our lives in any way. 
• Happiness is driven 40% by the way we respond to our circumstances (which only dictate 10% of our happiness levels, the other 50% is genetic). You can choose to be happy (which is a choice that hasn't been too hard to make every day on the ship!)

Life on the ship is absolutely beautiful. Thank you all for reading these each time I post and following along with me on my journey! Check back in soon for my recap of Japan!