<h2>Got my first email from Is2Day today...thought some of you might enjoy. PM me if you want the address:</h2>
<p>hey there,
so I'm on my way to Guam right now, it's still a few days off, so I am quite literally 2000 miles from nowhere. work led me outside today, which I have to say was quite beautiful, the sun made the entire ocean glow the most beautiful sapphire blue I have ever seen. it's amazing just how quiet it is out there. no birds squawking, no nothing. just you, the sky, and the sea. </p>
<p>today has been rather interesting for me. today is Friday and yesterday was Wednesday. we managed to skip an entire day because we just crossed the International Date Line. I'm still trying to figure that one out, but either way it's kind of cool. last night was spectacular though, me and my sea partner went out on deck at about 9 PM Samoan time to look at the stars. at first you could only see the big ones that can be seen from pretty much any home in America. our eyes hadn't adjusted yet...</p>
<p>after about 3 minutes the sky exploded with stars. I have never in my life seen so many stars so clearly. millions upon millions of them. it was beautiful.
work is starting to pick up now that I am getting a handle on how things work, it's very hot down there. in some spaces I'd venture it's upwards of 120 degrees. that's why we have water and Gatorade. :) that's all I have time for tonight, love you all, if you know anyone that would like to see what's going on with me, forward this to them along with my ship e-mail address so I can talk with them.
love,
xxxxxxxx</p>
<p>Promise to share more of his emails! The stars also amazed my kid. I wish him all the very best on his travels. I hate to ask but I gotta... Ask him if his ship limits him on the number of emails he can get. I wanted his email & then I wanted to give it to the Jamz and I sure don't want to get him in trouble if they only allow say two to four people to email him. Some have # per day limits I know & I'd hate it if I emailed him, then Jamz did & then the one you might send would get blocked or something. Let me know if he says its ok. Ok? Ok. :D</p>
<p>Hee Hee Hee. Filter proof indeed.:D I think the Jamz will miss his work-out buddy while he's out to sea. Poor Jamz. With Is2day gone, he'll have no one to gripe with about push-ups & runs. He's back up there safe & sound in Ragin's hands as we speak. Bet I don't hear from him for two weeks. LOL</p>
<p>Just dropped my DD off at the NYC Container Terminal yesterday to begin her 4-month sea adventure! We were lucky enough to be allowed to drive onto the yard and almost right up to the ship! Later we heard that we never should have been allowed to enter the facility at all but the guard must have been a newbie or saw the shadow of tears in this Mom's eyes. DD was very nervous that morning, but once she connected with her sea partner she was ready to go. Thankfully we got a call last night and again this morning that she was settled in and actually didn't have anything to do right then. The ship pulls out this afternoon and she's hoping to be busier once they are underway. </p>
<p>I'm so darn proud of her for having the gumption to do something so few of her peers are willing/able to do. And I feel like KP has done a great job of preparing her for this journey. </p>
<p>And thanks to all of you for helping me get ready for this. So few people understand what KP and their education entails. I appreciate all the help.</p>
<p>My DD left a week ago last Monday, 10/29 (actually delayed and didn't sail til Tuesday). She was able to call while land was still in sight and her phone worked. They had some trouble getting the email on the ship to work (they have the one computer for the ship and the cadets email has to go thru that one). So now heard from her actually 3 times just short notes but sounded good. Said she saw whales and dolphins as they got close to Europe. Lucky kid! </p>
<p>Her ship was due in Rotterdam today but I see on the news there is a bad storm and MSNBC said Rotterdam port was closed for a while today! What an adventure, I can't wait to hear all about it.</p>
<p>KT2010mom, Juliemrm, etc... The adventures, opportunities, experiences that these kids are having is just astounding. </p>
<p>Here's to you all posting your thoughts LOTS, and pics as well... After all, our kids in 2011 will be doing this in a year. I look back at how 'Stress'-full Indoc was (thanks MMAmom2011 for starting such a popular thread :) ). I look at what's going on now, and just laugh at myself in the mirror :rolleyes: ... I thought THAT was stressful ?!? HA! :eek: (Mantra: Pace yourself. Pace yourself. arummmmmmm)</p>
<p>Now, JRH, you're not being left out. Kudos to Is2day4him for actually POSTING PICS in facebook ! yay! :) What a HOOT. :D WHat amazing memories these guys are building.</p>
<p>So, parents (and posting mids), thank you all and SHARE what you want. Remember... these kids are out to sea! Nothing they can do to stop you for SEVERAL months! ;)</p>
<p>And of course, Jamzmom, no self-respecting email filter would DARE to even TRY to filter you out! Ain't happening! ("Da Noieve!"-C.Lion, Wizard of Oz)</p>
<p>I'm with you Z, arummmmmmm, arummmmmmm. I'm sitting on pins & needles for sea year project grades. It never ends. He told me the other day that if he flunks, he's gonna go live under the highway underpass in a card board box. I'll miss him. He won't have wi-fi under there. :D</p>
<p>zonker - amazing opportunity is correct. I remember when I was 19. Of course, ships were made of wood and there you had to make your own wind to sail :)</p>
<p>As my 4th grade teacher said to my mom - "He has the potential, he just doesn't assert himself with it"....I wish I had :)</p>
<h2>Another email - gives a little more detail </h2>
<p>hey everyone!</p>
<p>we're about 16 hours off the coast of mainland China right now and the weather is the worst I've seen yet. all the pictures are spinning on the walls, the curtains are flying, you have to lean just right every step just so you don't fall over. it's pretty cool. not a full out typhoon, but good enough for now. today I helped the chief discharge the oily water separator over the side, which is quite a big deal. that is the chief's responsibility and if it is done incorrectly he gets fined $10,000 or faces jail time. so yeah, it was good to learn how that works.</p>
<p>the temperature has been dropping for the last day or so as we head north from Guam. it's still pretty warm in the engine room, but rumor has it that it'll be freezing on the way back from china, and I'm ok with that. lately things have seemed fairly slow down there, but I know that won't last for long, so we'll see what happens. my sea projects are coming along nicely now. I have many of my drawings for my Marine Propulsion I project done, and one or two for my Shipboard Systems project done. so I'd say total, I'm about 15% done. we'll see what happens though. I think I'm making good progress. </p>
<p>the ship is really shuddering pretty hard right now. or at least compared to what we've seen thus far. the ship is sitting very high in the water because we have significantly less cargo now than we did going into Guam. that has caused the ship to roll a lot harder, we're still only hitting 8-9 degree rolls, but those can make you lose your footing. I heard that the last trip this chip made they went right through a typhoon and had up to 35 degree rolls. that's pretty remarkable. </p>
<p>I should get going, big day tomorrow. we anchor off the coast and wait for the Chinese to tell us we're clear to come in, should be a good time. I'll take pictures. love you all!</p>
<p>Anybody know if there is a website where we can track the progress of merchant ships in the ocean? I'm especially interested in the North Atlantic.</p>
<p>fred56, that particular sailwx is a little busy. If you are interested in tracking just one ship on sailwx, you can sometimes just google the ship name and get it. But you can also click on your sailwx page and zoom in on the North Atlantic, if that's what you want.</p>
<h2>Another one from Is2day - he's on the way back to Long Beach from Shanghai.</h2>
<p>well all,</p>
<p>We're headed east now, but have changed our route. The weather up north is too rough to make it worth attempting, so we are going south, around the southern tip of Japan and then back to LA. The ship is very very heavily loaded now, coming back from china. I gotta tell you, China is crazy. the largest port I have seen yet had maybe 12-15 container cranes, Shanghai easily has 75. There are 45 foot containers stacked 6 high as far as the eye can see. It's rather impressive. </p>
<p>Walking around the city was a lot of fun, we went to this big market where everything is super cheap. I'll have to go back with more money next time and purchase Christmas presents, which unfortunately, will be late... sorry. </p>
<p>For just $10 you can get a full day's cab, complete with escort (no not the gross kind) that will help you carry your stuff, translate, etc... not bad huh? also, DVDs are only $1. You have to be careful who you go to though, some are crappy bootlegs, others are really good. People here also barter like nobody's business. I saw this really cool chess set. The guy wanted $55 for it. The last offer he made before I got out of earshot (didn't buy it) was $15. I'm sure had I come back, I could have gotten it for $10 or maybe even $5. But whatever. what would I do with a chess set anyways? I suck at chess. </p>
<p>As I hear it, no one knows what my day is like, so I'll give you the break down -
0700 wake up get ready for work and go to breakfast
0800 start working on whatever project they have me doing in the Engine Room.
1000 short coffee/ Gatorade break
1145 lunch time
1300 go back to work on whatever project they have me working on
1500 short coffee/ Gatorade break
1645 quitting time and dinner
2030 go to bed</p>
<p>it's really a nice schedule to have. </p>
<p>I should get going now, we're advancing clocks now so it makes the whole day screwy. love you all!</p>
<p>Yay! Always great to hear what they are up to. Although, JRH, Is2day4him COULD do with a little more exposition about the TYPES of things he's doing in the Engine room...
And how hot is it really? :mad:
Does he go soak in the Jacuzzi after supper, while the Deckies are standing watch?</p>
<p>Ummmm, did you notice no mention of working on sea project? Is that AFTER supper? (he he ) </p>
<p>Anyway, he's a real champ for posting, and you are as well for sharing.
Keep up the good work.</p>
<p>And tell him not to worry... I understand his Christmas present to me will be a little delayed. I can't WAIT to see what he selected for me! :D</p>