hi team... not much to update this week, but we start the crossing today and it'll probably be a long while until i have reliable access to the internet again. the party went incredibly well... the whole team pulled together and helped with everything, we laughed our asses off while we were decorating and the bar was packed. a good time had by all.

in less thrilling news, we're on red alert again, and i ended up getting sick early tuesday morning. i was in quarantine in the medical centre (a.k.a. solitary confinement) until thursday evening, and it was, quite possibly, one of the most miserable experiences of my adult life. definitely the worst three days i've spent on the ship so far... the medical staff treated me absolutely horribly. all i had with me was the pyjamas i was wearing and my key to my room, and i was left alone in the hospital ward with no water, blankets, toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, towels, tampons, and initially until i asked for it, toilet paper. i eventually got a hold of my friends (the phone only dialed out and wasn't working for several hours) and on the second day they brought me some clean underwear and my toothbrush. the nurses blamed me for starting the outbreak (i was the 26th case), and told me not to count on the fact that i would have a job when i got out of quarantine because i would likely be fired for not following medical protocol (?). when i was released i hadn't eaten in sixteen hours, because we weren't allowed to order any food or drinks outside clinic hours, which is only six hours per day. needless to say, i'm a little upset about it (as are the other 2 members of my cast who were also in quarantine), and we had a meeting today with the personnel manager and the staff captain to make sure something like this doesn't happen again to someone else...


okay, my negative rant is over. i'm healthy and happy again, and being alone with nothing to do gave me an opportunity to remember how lucky i am. i have discovered that living on water can leave you feeling unsettled... partially in a very physical way, because what you walk on is constantly moving and you are forced to adjust your balance, but also in a way that is less tangible...i am discovering that it takes more effort to feel grounded. it's a work in progress.

i've uploaded some pictures that i had a hard time with last week, the signal is better today. other than that, we're all looking forward to going to the caribbean... i'll miss the med, but i'm excited for beaches and warm weather!