may your learning curves be vertical
today was another very full day. Not only have I not set foot on Bahamanian soil, but I was barely outside today at all. I'm hoping tomorrow. There was lots of library activity this morning & again more helpful volunteers. Everyone, it seems, wants to volunteer in the library. And then faculty/staff started boarding & the library got VERY busy with questions. 2 days ago, I knew nothing. Today, I know more than everybody else here! Which is still not very much, but definitely more than everybody else knows. I was giving directions around the ship (though, at least once, they turned out to be the wrong directions!) and sharing all my wealth of library & shipboard knowledge ...
then we had a big faculty/staff meeting where everyone was introduced. It was lovely to finally put faces with all the names of people I have emailed over the last three months. Everybody is incredibly friendly & meets with a hug more often than a handshake. Found that odd at first, but I'm getting used to it. I don't know any of these people, but I do. It's definitely weird. Leigh Grossman spoke at the introductory meeting from UVA. She was amazing -- I'm really liking her. Leigh is the Vice Provost for International Affairs & a doctor of pediatric infectious diseases (she had weighed in on my Yellow Fever vaccination debate last month as well). She said when her children are struggling with something, she tells them that their learning curve is vertical. Hang in, be ok, it's just that right now your learning curve is vertical. Leigh is sailing with us to Puerto Rico and then I’ll be the only UVA representation aboard. Most everyone else left today.
Then we had a reception & dinner & then a faculty meeting. And now I’m blogging. And then there’s a “social hour” in the faculty/staff lounge. And then sleep, maybe?
Tomorrow, the morning is packed with orientation programming but Sherri & I are hoping to see some of the Bahamas later in the day. Friday & Saturday, we are anchored during the day, so if we get off the ship we can’t get back on until the ship comes back into dock. Since faculty are trying to get organized and the library is hopping, that’s not going to work for us.
Scary & exciting & overwhelming & exhausting & exhilarating all at once … trying to take it all in … Leigh ended today with: “… Godspeed … and … may your learning curves be vertical ...” Yesterday, I was feeling pretty darn vertical, but today the library is much better prepared & watching the faculty and staff board, I’m feeling now much less so. Wondrous & amazing how that works.
Some pictures coming this morning into the Bahamas:
the Bahamanian ensign (though not our ship):
