I've had 3 days where I just felt like puking. We've been sailing some rough seas and we went over the equator with a loud bump. Well we were really being thrown around for a while. I am extremely stubborn and when I finally admit I'm sea sick I refuse to take any medication. I bought the pressure point wristbands that they had at the school store and convinced myself that they would work… mind over matter. Well I have to say my nausea improved only it was at the expense of feeling like I was being crucified. Its like a wristband with a hard ball in it that you place right between your two major tendons on the inside of your wrist. They are tight and they hurt quite a bit but its better than being seasick for days on end.

And of course when the seas get rocky that's when we decide to sleep out on the deck! My resident director, Shari, the video girl, Sony (my two favorite people on this boat, I mean ship, in case Dean John is reading), the photographer Cris, and Rico our tech guy all claimed a reclining lawn chair out on the pool deck as our beds for the night. It was so windy I had to roll up like a tamale to keep my blanket on, stuff my pillow between the bars of the chair, and put my teddy bear inside my shirt to keep from loosing them. It got pretty chilly, the chairs were uncomfortable, and the lights stay on, but we could still see stars and look up and say "oh my God, we're in the middle of the ocean" and that was worth not sleeping before an 8am class.

At one point while I was half dozed off we hit a big wave and the water rose up to the 7th deck and splashed me on the face. I broke out laughing and woke up Shari. And I think that was the best part of the whole night.

Sometimes this experience is a little stressful only because there is so much to do and so little time. We've only been on this voyage for like 15 days or so and already I've spent four days in Venezuela, learned everything there is to know about the country, written two papers, taken a major test and now I have to pack because I'm going to be in the Amazon tomorrow afternoon. I've wanted to go to the Amazon since I was a child. I mean, I really, really, really wanted to go; number one on my list. And I don't care how sick I get, I'm going to eat exotic fruits, and bugs, and piranhas. Well, bugs only if they don't tell me it's a bug until after I eat it. I'm ready to be sick. The doctor gave us diarrhea medicine to help keep us from getting it and I've never been so happy to buy pills before. I've also got my malaria pills once a day and a few bottles of insect repellent. We're going to be living on river boats and sleeping on hammocks for four days and I think we are going to meet some Amazon people. National Geographic eat your heart out! I hope all my pictures turn out or I'm going to have a heart attack. When I get back I'll have three papers due. It's really hard not having weekends to catch up and rest, but I can't complain. I'd do this every semester if I could.