It was strange getting into this new universe and realizing how considerate and altruistic one can actually be. It struck me as a bit odd (that will be the notion of the day, as you may have noticed) that everyone was behaving in such a civilized and friendly way, and also that everything had to follow a certain order, that it all had to be in a determined state, but it all came to make sense to me as I realized it is a matter of survival at sea and when you live in such a confined environment. However, I do have the feeling that, somehow, they are dissenters, compared to the rest of the world, who've decided to stand up to certain standards and who always respect one another and everyone's living space.

What constitutes the other main surprise was the task that awaited me as a volunteer deckhand. Apparently, it isn't enough to just walk around and talk to people all day. As soon as I arrived, my new best friends the broom, the mop and a rag were put right into my hands and I started my cleaning duties, which are to be carried through until we reach our final destination. Well... As the spoiled young woman that I am, I wasn't too familiar at first with cleaning procedures. I discovered with horror that there was even a whole manual put together for cleaning dummies like me, telling me where, how and with what to clean. But here I am, after two weeks of training and finally able to fulfil my duties in the requisite time, and beginning to get proud of my work and how shiny and neat everything is.

I guess that is what you feel when you can start calling a place home.