1300 Hours

I'm sitting in the library during our lunch break, and I'm fairly ahead with work, as it's almost a competition in our house to see who can get the furthest ahead. Last night most of us took a break to watch a movie, The Breakfast Club, and B house came over as well. So, our couches (there are 2) are supposed to comfortably fit 3 people each. By my math, that's 6 people who should be able to sit on the couch. Well, somehow 10 people were crammed onto the couch and they stayed there for the entire movie, which was on a small laptop screen as there are no T.Vs in the houses. College students like to get cuddly, apparently.

Yesterday we went over what we need to bring on the ship and I find it hard to get over the fact that it's going to be warm enough to not need a jacket. I've never gone to a place where I don't need at least some warm clothing since we usually travel north for vacations in the Farrell family. Our captain warned us about the intensity of the sun, which I'm a bit worried about, but I guess I'll just have to use lots of sunscreen. He told us how watches work, there being 5 that we cycle through: 0700-1300, 1300-1900, 1900-2300, 2300-0300, and 0300-0700. Needless to say there won't be a normal sleep schedule. You see, I used military time there. I'm becoming a real sailor! I've changed my watch and cell phone over to military time since it's often put in those terms, but it's difficult to get used to as I have to convert it in my head every time I look at my watch, essentially unlearning what I learned in first grade, or whenever we learn to tell time. I also purchased a knife, which is required when we go on watch. The likelihood that I'll need it is low, but you never know. Laura, one of my housemates and I throughly researched knives and finally settled on a Gerber BEAR GRYLLS SCOUT KNIFE. So basically I'm halfway to becoming like Bear Grylls with this knife is what I'm understanding. I'll just have to find a cooler name...Bear's real name is Edward, though, so I guess I'm okay.

Oh, I almost forgot. If you've looked at my Facebook, you've probably seen that we went swimming in the Atlantic. Is was quite poetic, actually, as it was a full moon and the entire beach was lit up with moon light. Shore lights were twinkling (in continuing with the poetry theme...) and the moon reflected a path on the calm, dark water out to the horizon. The calm betrayed the breath robbing cold of the water, however, which I checked the temperature of at 42.6 degrees. It had been a warm day, and we ran over, then got in quickly. And got out just as quickly. Linda and Annie, it was quite the Wahooing experience.

Well, I've got to run to class, but soon I'll tell you about the Equator crossing ceremony we've been hearing about as well as the other exciting thing we'll cross on our voyage.