I went home on Sunday/Monday. It’s been a really interesting experience rediscovering my new normal day. The things that were normal that now are not, and the things that I’ve since forgotten that I’m rediscovering. I ate food that I wanted, when I wanted, I reunited with my cat Tobi, I snuggled a LOT with Tobi, and I started looking for jobs.  

I leave the ship tomorrow. It’s so surreal that time has passed so quickly, yet it feels like I’ve been on the ship for a long time. We got temp-stranded on an island, I got to experience my first hospital emergency, ate some tasty treats, learned about obstructed labor, re-discovered Chick-fil-A sauce, died in a fire, started a ship-wide controversy, ate more tasty treats, worked my last shift, saw what 2 million GNF looks like in cash, and brought down the house during ship-wide karaoke.  

Wow… four months have gone by since I came onboard! Sixteen weeks. This week started off a bit bleak with a bit of a depressive episode after my sickness last week, but the support of the community on board has helped me make a strong recovery. A short documentary about the Kiwi crew came out, Kailee left early to surprise family and friends, I went out to so many dinners, did some art, and saw some PORCUPINES!  

Million images alert! This week we had an African fashion show, so there’s a lot of photos to go through. Also, Trancy left, I went to the cinema to see Captain Marvel, and then spent the rest of the week sick in bed. So this update is really the update from the weekend because really most of the rest of the week was spent curled up on my bed in the dark. :( 

Another week has gone by, another week of goodbyes and hellos, another week of transition to a new scene and eventually, a new act. I’m a bit unsure where to take this update (it’s probably going to be all over the place), but hopefully it still is a coherent look into the week.  

Wow, where did February go? Only a month left on the ship before I leave Guinea and go home. It’s been admittedly a tough week, with having to cover more responsibilities at work, saying more heartfelt goodbyes, and feeling bit lonely with so many close friends gone. Here’s to a week of making and deepening a few newer friendships, ending AFM chapters with some others, more blood bank frenzy, and developing new skills.  

THE ONLY THING YOU NEED TO KNOW IS THAT I GOT TO MEET SO MANY CATS THIS WEEK