“The world is a book. Those who do not travel, read only one page.” (St. Augustine)
Our primary residence for the four-month Semester at Sea (SAS) voyage will be the MV World Odyssey. SAS leases the ship from a Germany company for the fall and spring voyages. In the summers, the ship provides Mediterranean cruises for primarily German tourists.*
Much to the surprise of many, we’ve never traveled by sea; cruises aren’t our thing. Coming from our spacious and familiar Louisville home, Casa de Paz, our ship’s living space seemed both small and overwhelming. As anyone who visits knows, we love our home and our life in Louisville. Swick (2018) in The Joys of Travel writes about a phenomenon that Erlene especially experienced. Before setting off on this Voyage, Erlene became “the world’s happiest homebody” (p. 12). Intentionally, we did not stray from home much in December—instead, happily hosting loved ones and soaking in our Casa de Paz ambience and comforts.
And, yet, within a few hours of entering our new abode, we nested and began to feel “at home.” We set up systems to organize the already minimalist design of space. Erlene’s home office (in Casa de Paz) has a window that overlooks a neighboring pond with geese; now, she has an upgrade home office ocean-view. Larry, who likes a coffee-shop ambience office, makes frequent use of the Staculty (Staff & Faculty) Fritz’s Bar, which serves as a quiet workspace during the day and Happy Hours, after 5:30pm (or 1730 on the ship). Here, his coffee-shop office is a deck below, rather than a drive. As often happens when we travel, we are more likely to share common spaces—decks, cafeterias, “classrooms,” library. While adapting to new environs, we realize the enjoyment of “enough” and relish the luxury of literally an ocean. In an unanticipated joy of this Voyage, we are getting to know the ocean as our expansive home. (More on that in a later post.)
A few years ago, we celebrated our wedding anniversary while on a beach vacation. Erlene’s gift to Larry was a heart-shaped rock she found on that day’s beach walk. Larry puts the gift in a prominent place at Casa de Paz, where he sees it daily. This rock is one of a few small items we brought to place in our room on the ship. Erlene brought the chain with two hearts given to her by Noor & Z (via their Mom Maira!).
Travel expands our minds and more-so our hearts and, thus, our understanding of home. Indeed, home is where the heart is: Our home and village “back home”; the mementos we bring on the Voyage that mark our heart-home; the expanse of Ocean Mother; and the human connections on the Journey. All these—and much more to discover—expand and deepen our understanding of “home.”
*Here are some fun facts about the ship!
· Builder: Howaltswerke Deutsche Werft, Kiel, Germany
· Year Built: 1998
· Flag/Port of Registry: Nassau, Bahamas
· Tonnage: 22,496
· Fuel: The ship holds 1,000 tons of fuel and uses 84 tons of fuel a day
· Length: 175m
· Beam: 23m
· Service speed: 21kn
· Decks: 10
· Classrooms: 9
· Berths: 600
