Before we begin, I should say that I am not afraid of adventure or doing something different at the expense of creature comforts. I love a good mountain expedition where you spend days on end with a small group of people not showering and having little privacy. I don’t have very much experience on the ocean, most of which has been in protected waters near Alaska – in Prince William Sound and the Inside Passage. Going out on a research vessel was a new experience I thought I’d like, but I really wasn’t sure. Enough people asked me if I got seasick that I was pretty nervous about that. Also, I’ve never quite felt at home on or in the water. I was a little nervous and excited when we left.