by 
Today was the day we set out to San Diego, California from Newport, Oregon. So many things were all happening at once, especially this morning. There were a lot of preparations done by the crew to get ready to set off, they had a fire drill and had a life vest safety talk. We all looked pretty good in life vest neon orange if you ask me. After all the safety formalities, that’s when it started getting fun. We started drifting away from the port and making our way towards the bridge. Looking back at it, we got out to sea pretty quickly and we had the crew to thank for that. The sounds of the seagulls and the crashing waves made it surprisingly peaceful.
As we got further to sea, that’s when my peers started falling off one by one to the ultimate enemy of seasickness. One may describe the swaying of the boat as going up and down a rollercoaster very slowly but you still get those butterflies in your stomach. Some got over it relatively quickly while other retreated to their staterooms. Crazy how even with medication and aids to help with seasickness, it can still get to someone and take them out the game completely. We’re all adjusting and getting our “sea legs” but I know it’ll get better as the week progresses. I’ll see my peers get back on their feet and feeling themselves again.
We had a relaxing afternoon filled with coloring and a very engaging lecture given by Raquel. She had talked about “Systems within Systems” in the world and some of the oceanography terms that I had learned last semester! Though some of it was review, I had learned a lot about her and what she does in her lecture. I’m excited to see and learn what the other mentors, Rafael and Sydney do. I’m learning a lot from my fellow STEMSEAS participants and they’re also inspiring me, with not just career paths but also their personalities and ambitions. To put in simply, they’re all amazing people and I can’t wait to spend these next few days with them.
– Dejah Hopkins
