Hey all, Lexi here. I’m a freshly minted undergrad graduate of Scripps who applied to the cascadia iniatitive through the apply to sail program and luckily got chosen! This is my first time on a ship of this caliber and size and therefore had no idea what to expect.  Here’s a few of my first thoughts on the whole experience:

-Sea sickness is a total luck of the draw.  I was one of the fortunate few who experienced very few symptoms, others were  out for the count for a day.  Luckily plenty of hydration cures all.

-The food is way better than i expected.  I had originally thought i would be eating sandwiches and salad all week. the cooks are amazing and friendly and make great food and theres plenty to go around. limited exercise and tons of food may have adverse effects.

-Sleeping on a boat is more soothing than you’d expect.  It’s like being rocked to sleep. Need i say more?

-The crew is really positive and friendly and it’s great to be in an environment where everyone is as excited about the science as I am.  Asking questions about different processes is welcome which is a plus.

This is just a few of my ideas. Hopefully some of my crew members will emulate my sentiments, otherwise I’m the crazy one on the ship. Hope we can keep you entertained and impart a bit of cool science information while we do it!

Cheers!