Term 3, Seasick
“That's strange, why was the ladder so cold to touch?"
I unclipped a large carabiner from the guide rope beneath me and hocked it onto another rope hanging above my head.
"And I am sure this ladder is leaning backwards slightly, or maybe I am just imagining things".
I unclip my second carabiner and hook it onto the same rope above me with a satisfying “Click”. And I began climbing up the steel ladder.
“I know. The steel must be a faster thermal conductor than rope, That is why it feels so much colder to touc… Wait, what am I doing?”
I quickly stopped climbing, looked down, And yelled “What am I doing again?”
I was climbing up the rigging of a sailing boat 25 meters above deck, with nothing but the sea and fog in the distance.
A fresh breeze was wiping through the sails and I could feel the boat gently swaying from left to right. I was just below the royal sail, trying to locate the downhaul ropes to pull.
But I didn’t know what those nautical terms meant. So I was randomly clutching at the eight or so ropes in front of me until the sail caught the wind with a large “thud”
“Now this is sailing!” I thought.
“but I think I am beginning to feel seasick.”
Throughout "On the Commute," I have travelled by bus, skateboard and car but a few months ago I got an incredible opportunity to spend 10 days in the Spirit of New Zealand! Volunteering as a leading hand.
If you haven't heard of Spirit of New Zealand before here is a quick summary 1
It’s a sailing boat, where 40 teens and 14 volunteers embark on an adventure from Auckland Harbour for 10 days without their phones or other electronic devices. The teens make friends, learn how to sail the ship and share an unforgettable experience.
As mentioned before I was volunteering on board as a leading hand. My role was to bridge the gap between the teens and crew throughout the adventure but I was also there to be the eyes and ears of the ship for the rest of the crew and volunteers.
So I slept in a bunk, shared a room with 20 other boys, jumped into the sea every morning at 6:45 rain or shine (which it did rain), and ate breakfast, lunch and dinner with the teens.
But I also took part in daily team meetings looked after the well-being of the boys on board and of course, I was a judge for the evening games.
When I think back to everything that happened over the 10 days at sea I remember being up the must and having the wind howling past. I remember the shouts of joy during the evening games as an egg tower came smashing to the ground and I remember the peace of not worrying about what was happening online.
But the biggest thing I have taken away from being on the Spirit of New Zealand was the sense of achievement and confidence after trying something new. Even if that means clinging onto the rigging, 25 Meters above deck, with no idea what you are meant to be doing.
Life update: Two small things
Firstly we have passed one year of On The Commute.
So far I have had a heap of fun writing these newsletters, setting goals, sharing my favourite apps, gloating over my failers and sticking to a deadline…
Ok, Maybe not the last two.
But I am planning to continue for the foreseeable future.
The format may change as I try new styles of writing and I finish up at my current job (More on that in the next email)
But one thing will stay the same, I will try my best to post four times over the next year.
Oh, and the other small thing.
it was my birthday a couple of days ago! (The day I am writing this)
I Turned 22 years old, And you can see my post about it on Instagram here.
This is both exciting and scary, as I don’t feel any more responsible than last year.
But who does :)
To wrap up this email, here are 3 short and sweet quotes I have been thinking about over the last year while writing and sharing content online.
“Do Your Best” by Bear Grylls
“See The Good” by Zach Windahl
“Learn, Make, Repeat” by Matti Haapoja
Goals: Term 3
Pass my full driver’s licence (November)
Complete my Maths course (December)
Focus on getting enough sleep each day.
And write the next email for Substack.
My Favorites
App: TickTick
YouTube: 72 House in Paris
Read: Eric Jeng’s newsletter here
Bible Verse: In their hearts, humans plan their course,
but the LORD establishes their steps. Proverbs 16:9
Thanks for Reading 👋
Spirit of New Zealand is a steel-hulled, three-masted barquentine and can carry up to 54 people. The ship's home port is Auckland, New Zealand and it spends most of its time sailing around the Hauraki Gulf.
The ship is used for a year-round youth development programme, consisting primarily of 10-day individual voyages for 16- to 18-year-olds in which teens learn about sailing and challenge themselves.
You can read more about the boat and trust here