Feb 7 - Crossing the Equator (North to South)

SANDY SHORE : There is no line in the ocean when you cross the Equator… I looked for it… not there. There are no flags or ribbons, but there was a marvelous little revelation waiting for me at Latitude Zero.

Life is filled with distractions of our own making… busy work. Not that it’s not important busy work… stuff that makes our lives or other lives better or makes our families safer and more comfortable… but it’s still distraction. It’s distracting us from looking up and all around (including behind and ahead) because that can be overwhelming to our human brains.

You know what they say? “Take it one step at a time…” Why? So that you don’t freak yourself out by the view in front of you or the past behind you. One step at a time… One day at time… One distraction at a time… that’s the prescription for keeping it in the zone and not shocking your system with reflection and consideration of all that has brought us to here, to this very moment and all of the things that we have let in along the way.

I looked out at this vast ocean today and as far as I could see there was water… no land, no birds, no other ships… and it scared me to death this thought of being here, this far from home, without the usual interruption of phone calls, mail delivery, dog walks, TV shows, grocery shopping, email… the important busy work that I do every day of keeping all of the plates spinning in my life.

This is precisely the reason I signed up for this trip and all the while knowing full well that I’d hit a breaking point sooner than later until I was forced to feel. Where here I am. Let's see what happens next.

I find now, that it makes perfect sense as to why I have been so sick this first week at sea and why memories of the slow loss of my parents over the past 10 years are flooding my senses. I’ve read that we manifest grief in our lungs… Knowing so little about this subject of grief, I can only tell you this, grieving isn’t something that you complete on a task list with a DONE stamp. Loss is just as much a part of life as is gain… but gracefully weaving it into your own life’s tapestry isn’t always easy. ~ss

DONNA KAY PHILLIPS : The ship's staff tossed the Staff Captain in the main pool today to mark the milestone of Crossing the Equator from North to South. Onlookers were surprised to discover that his Italian sense of style including his "officer's whites" does not include wearing underwear - oh my.

We received our Official Certificates in our cabins, apparently as the story goes, we are now members of the Royal and Ancient Order of Shellbacks (as opposed to Polywogs) - it's all so "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Davey Jones Locker" isn't it?

Sandy and I chose to stay out of the frey opting for our balcony to take in the moment of our first Equator Crossing, our second crossing will occur on Leg #3 as we sail past Ecuador in the Pacific - pretty cool to get a twofer on one trip.

The only thing that would have been more exciting than crossing the equator for the very first time by ocean liner would be to do it paddle in hand with my crew in an old spirited outrigger canoe :-) All of you wild women are here with me in spirit. - dkp