Christmas Shock

Current Coordinates: 14 43.97 N 104 43.14 W

This: the last day of November marks the imminent end of the academic semester.  Tomorrow: as we welcome the month of December aboard the MV Explorer – it seems that everything will shift into overdrive for the remainder of the voyage.

Well at least from the students’ points of view.

Papers will need to be written, projects completed, and final exams taken: all while hours fall off the clock as we sail east.

Just like our colleagues on our land campuses: we will soon be offering a fond farewell to the fall semester as we dutifully prepare for the spring semester beginning months from now.

The reality sinks in for me as I write my transition report: trying to cram a seemingly vast ocean of knowledge into a trim ten pages.

But with the coast of the Mexican mainland slowly creeping into view on our map – we are all glad to be sailing into warmer waters.  The arch of our course on the ship’s map reporting the length of our journey from our last port of Hilo.

The fine curve representing our traversing of the Earth’s surface.

And while the sun doesn’t hang in the sky for as long or as brightly as it had when we were at the equator – it still serves as a solemn reminder of the rapidly diminishing sunshine and temperature back home.

For the first time in this voyage I heard Christmas music echoing down the hall from one of the many iHomes that litter the ship.  Which reminds of me of a time of year spent Christmas shopping: usually in wake of the post Black Friday rush.  Most likely in a crowded parking lot – at one of dozens of New Jersey malls.

What a culture shock it will be to trade the tropics in a few weeks time for the cold and chilly climate of the northeast.

Coming home from a completely alien location to the calming familiarity of the holiday season.

What a culture shock it will be when this voyage ends: when in a few weeks we will wave goodbye to our friends and colleagues… and then eventually the year 2011.

TL;DR the last day of November; semester draws to a close; writing transition report sinks in for me; off Mexican mainland now; curve of our course indicates traversing the earth’s surface; heard Christmas music for the first time today; culture shock trading this for back home; sad that will soon be waving goodbye to new friends; then goodbye to 2011