by Jesse Trott
October 10, 2018
At this very moment, I am sitting on an airplane on my way back home after a week at sea. I am happy to be heading home but sad that STEMSEAS ended so quickly. I was just getting used to life on a ship and feeling like I was not on another planet. There is a few things I learned this week about life at sea, scientific research, and myself that I would like to share. All of which, I will take away from this experience and carry with me moving forward.
Life at sea is a hard life. It can be lonely and isolated, yet at the same time you are never truly alone. It is not for those with weak stomachs or who like to be in charge unless you’re the Captain. You do not get to choose what you eat for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. You do not get to choose who you work with. You do not get to choose where you go in the world. But even after all of that, people still choose to be sailors. They choose to spend day after day looking out at the open ocean, hoping for maybe a whale spout or another ship for some variation in the scenery. They choose to be away from home for months at a time, away from their families. They choose to live on a ship. And they choose to have the slowest internet known to man. Yet, not one member of the crew that I talked to wanted it any other way. Everyone liked life at sea; everyone liked being a sailor. And as an added bonus, for the crew on the R/V Sikuliaq they feel like they are making a difference through helping scientist complete their research on each cruise.
Science is a term I heard used a lot this week. I learned that scientific research has the potential to be hard work; to run around the clock. That it can mean being away from home for months at a time with little to no contact with family. And even after all of that going home, with a lot of dead ends, and results nothing close to what was predicted. Being a part of science, can mean being a part of a team that is all working towards a common goal that is impossible without everyone doing their job. Science takes a lot of passion. It means that while your original questions get answered, you are left with so many more at the end.
Now about myself I learned infinitely more than I could ever right down in a blog post, but I am going to do my best. Life at sea is not for me. I get really sick. I like being on a ship and will be back. Not being able to speak with my family for extended periods of time is not my favorite. I thrive on my alone time. I like having a big bed. I do not like watching movies with a lot of other people. I could spend all day everyday sitting and watching the ocean. I love whales. I love birds. I love ALL marine creatures. I like having the freedom to go for long walks or runs whenever I want. I hate chain of commands that are very specific. I do not like wearing boots all day long. I still do not want to be the one doing the actual research. My fascination with boats intensified deeply. I am able to thrive outside my comfort zone if I put the fear aside. I like getting to decide what I want to eat. The ocean has my entire heart. I am one very small piece of a very large universe and to step back sometimes. I have a lot of questions and tend to ask them.
After saying all of that, I just want to say that I am incredibly grateful to have been able to be a part of this experience. The memories made abroad the ship are ones that I will hold very close and cherish. I know this sounds cliché but in this moment I do not know how else to say it. I would also like to say:
THANK YOU TO THE CREW ON THE R/V SIKULIAQ for opening up your ship and yourselves to us. I learned more about the world from conversations with you all that I ever thought I would in a week.
THANK YOU TO DAN, CAT, NICOLE, JOHN, ANNE-LISE, AND RACHEL for taking time to teach us and become our new mentors.
LASTLY, THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE OTHER STEMSEAS STUDENTS! I am so excited for all of my new friends all around the United States. It was long talks and laughs with all of you that truly made this week for me.
