more backlogged blogging

so, one night when i couldn't get internet to work but knew i had some back-logged blogging to do, i sat in my cabin typing away in a word document. it was my normal method of free thought but with four subjects i wanted to address. i put the subjects down and then went back to address them. a few days later, i started uploading in the order they appeared on the page, not necessarily the order i typed about them. just a f.y.i. on why the next bit begins the way it does even though it is 3rd in line of the backlogged stuff. =)

Being back is probably the easiest place to start or at least the one that makes the most sense. I arrived mid-January to South Africa. The ship was in a phase of dry-dock for having new generators placed. Things were delayed with the repairs so rather than get straight onboard, I went instead to the unused teachers’ college campus where the bulk of the non-technical crew were staying. Each weekday, those who didn’t have specific work at the campus (ie the teachers) rode the hour and a half drive to the ship where they put in hours cleaning the ship. It is amazing how dirty this place can get without constant cleaning. I only went the first couple of days before being assigned to a job staying on campus. I can’t tell you how happy I was to see the ship that first day going up to work. It was definitely an experience of coming home. Unfortunately, I struggled with motion sickness each day of the drive so someone who wanted desperately to go the ship daily took my place and I was assigned to work in the dining room staff. It was an interesting experience. While I’ve always recognized how hard the dining room staff worked, now I was learning it by experiencing it. I found that those who knew me and that I was a nurse went out of their way to say thank you to me. Those who didn’t know me previously and only knew me as dining room staff didn’t say thank you. I didn’t need the thanks…in fact, I was often uncomfortable with it. By the end of my days there, I was thankful for those who just accepted that I was there serving in whatever way I was serving.

About two weeks after I arrived in South Africa, we all moved back on ship and continued daily cleaning in preparation of sailing. As soon as we were back on ship, I was transferred back to the hospital staff. We were able to get a jump start on the hospital, doing things we normally do after arriving into our host country…things like stripping and waxing the hospital floors which get terribly dirty over a year’s time. And the first time through of double bleaching. Then it was time to tie down and get sailing.

There is a saying that says “you can’t go home again.” Now, while that is not completely true, it is true that you can’t go someplace you’ve been before and expect it to be completely the same. After the years of travel nursing and even for the six months I was home, I knew this was true and expected it upon my return to the ship. The person who has been away has changed over the time and life has continued wherever they have been. The same is true for those “left behind”. And you have to work at those relationships or they don’t survive the return. I experienced this a bit while I was at home—not feeling quite as at home in my life group at church or not really fitting in well at work. I also experienced it/expected it as I returned to the ship. It hasn’t been bad, just different. I still enjoy being here. I still enjoy my friends here. It’s just different.