Awfuls.

We're on day 6 of this two-or-so-week sail, less than halfway...

I'm loathe to admit it, but while I have never LOVED sailing in a way some crewmembers do, I am starting to not even LIKE it so much.  I'm nauseous most of the time, can't even sit it my office as it is literally bouncing around almost constantly, and when I start to think about the fact that no matter how bad it gets there is absolutely nothing I can do about it... well, that's about when I need to focus on something else or I'll really lose it.

The seas looked downright angry the last few days, today it's calmed a bit and started to look blue again as opposed to the steely gray we've been seeing.

 BUT, in trying to remain positive, I'm much less sick than I was a few days ago, I slept very well through last night, and every minute we're out here is one minute closer to Congo.  So thankful for all of those things!

And I still love the quote I put up a few posts ago - there's nothing swell about swells. they should be called awfuls. :)

The last several days have been very hazy with not much light.  Come to find out we're actually sailing through the Harmattan winds, those breezes that kick up Saharan dust, and in Benin/Togo/West Africa, make January cool - well, this time of year, the winds are blowing out over the ocean.  This photo is of the deck - that isn't rust, it's little piles of fine Saharan dust that have collected everywhere.

This week has been filled with hospital management planning meetings - they seem to be going well, but then again I have no frame of reference and am one of the three new members of this team that is just trying to feel my way around at this point.  I'm learning a lot and this team is incredible, so I'm thankful for both of those things as well. 

A few more random things - early morning exercise class (I call it push-up class for the abundance of those!) brings on an entirely new level of difficulty on the high seas. Imagine with me, doing a pushup on a moving surface.  Some are easy and some are difficult depending on the angle of the ship at the moment... and faceplants are a regular occurrence

Also, I found this adorable - sometimes the ship shakes, like turbulence on an airplane, when it hits a swell at just the right angle.  Emma, a darling three year old, decided it's because we hit dolphins or whales.  Poor things need to look both ways before crossing the ocean.

I've had some lovely conversations with dear friends, reconnecting, thinking about goals and purpose and the reasons we're out here doing this big crazy thing... on a personal and community level, beyond work.  I'm also spending a lot of time trying to learn all I can about my new job and the hospital and the projects I'll be working on; while I expected to be overwhelmed with it all, I'm finding myself more and more excited about it and overwhelmed in a good way, in a I-have-to-rely-on-God-and-others way and not my own strength, but excited as this position just keeps seeming more and more perfect for me. So grateful for that, too :)

From somewhere off the coast of West Africa.... Krissy