Thankfully, last night I got the best nights sleep I’ve had in over a week. The rocking for the most part has stopped and it was my day to sleep in. I got to lay out on the top deck for a bit and had a Daily Vitalizer smoothie. I Signed up for another trip visiting an orphanage in Vietnam for the deaf and taking them to the zoo, hopefully I’ll get it!! Planned a trip with my friends to Pearl Harbor the second day in Honolulu and there is a bus that goes directly to Wal*Mart because everyone is desperate for supplies. Meals here consist of fish, pasta, potatoes and vegetables. And the further out into the ocean we get, the less there is. There was mac and cheese for lunch today, but it was nothing compared to grandma and ma’s mac and cheese. So I’ll be stocking up on snacks while I get the chance. There is however a smoothie bar which I have been visiting quite often…it’s where the bar is at night…they know my name by now hahaha. Wrote a poem for my creative writing class just an hour ago. Everything here is electronic so you post things in a folder on the computer lab computers, no printing!! The assignment was to write a poem about our childhood or family history but following Richard Hugo’s example to write off the subject. I wrote about falling off Leanne’s tire swing when I was younger….here goes!!

Bark
By: Rebekah Lindquist


Rubber tire, rope, tree.
One foot in, push off.
Bark flakes down towards the malnourished ground.

Wind in my hair-I’m flying
Mustang gelding off Misty Island
Hooves pounding with my own beat.

Dandelions die with the wind
Archaic automobile corroding in the driveway.
Thrust my hips towards the puffy dragon feasting in the sky.

Sudden stumble.
Tanned knee chipped away to red.
Lemon flavored Dum-Dum.

Tonight there was a pre-port lecture on Hawaii which takes place in the Union but because of our numbers is also screened in our rooms, so I had a few friends over to watch. It is also ‘Coffee House night’ and the performances can be heard from my room. There are some really talented people on the ship, including my neighbor Danny. Nothing else exciting today. Put a smile on my face to see Grandma texting, and it is so good to hear from everyone. Emails please!! I love you all bigger than the sky…b