Stupid Cool: Sea Fears - Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky

Yesterday, as I lay sleeping in my bed, a complete stranger knocked on my door, entered my room with keys, climbed over me in bed, closed my window, crawled back over me, left and locked my door. All without discussion.

This, by the way, is a completely accepted practice where I live.

Most people, truth be known, have at least one irrational fear. Spiders, dark allies, flying, germs, public speaking, something. (Strangers in my bedroom while I am sleeping, clearly not a fear.)

This morning, my shipmates and I received an email warning of “very rough seas” forecast for this evening. Few things in life bring me more anxiety than an email from the captain advising of rough seas ahead. This is after the rough seas encountered yesterday resulted in the stranger climbing over me in bed and closing my porthole.

I fear seasickness. Oh my god, do I fear seasickness.

The writing perch today.

And yes, I get seasick, very very seasick.

People laugh at me and say, “How can you get seasick? You work on a cruise ship?”

I kind of want to retort, “Do you think cruise ships would still be in business if everyone was always sick onboard?” Cruise ship companies, for the most part, plan their itineraries well aware of sea weather and seasons. We are very rarely in locations at times that coincide with bad weather. In general, I would say I average one seasick episode for every four months I am onboard. And I am among the most sensitive people to seasickness.

Everyone will get seasick at some point, no matter how sea hardy. It is a spectrum. I am at the wimpy end of that spectrum, the very wimpy end. The teacups at Disneyland end of the spectrum.

I get seasick. I also fear getting seasick. I therefore, by (logical) transit, fear rough seas. Like all fears, the fear of rough seas is different for all people. There are many people who fear rough seas because rough seas make them fear for their lives. When the ship lists a bit and gets jarred around, they actually fear the ship will sink. Strangely, I see this fear far more in men than women and far more in bigger men than smaller men. I think there is an aspect of control these men are accustom to that rough seas takes from them. Anyway, I digress.

I fear feeling seasick, the actual sensation of nausea, headache and dizziness. And I would like to argue, that this is not an irrational fear (though the degree might be irrational).

As I sit here, anchored, listening to the howling winds, our ship is being buffeted. You can actually see the wind rippling the water.