Hey everyone,
so a lot of you know that I grew up by the beach and that I have this eternal love for salty waters and sandy grounds. Most of my summer childhood memories that I treasure so dearly took place by the sea, so I always appreciate the view of the open waters that help me remember those moments.
However, one of the memories that I don’t like to think about too much occurred one day when my dad took me on his friend’s boat to let me experience the view of my gorgeous hometown from the sea; I had always been fascinated by all the boats standing at the dock, so I remember being excited to be on one of them for once.
Little did I know that 15 mins into our trip I would get so seasick that my dad’s friend would have to steer the boat back to shore. Sadly, that’s the day I discovered my seasickness.
Over the years, I’ve discovered that I suffer from several types of motion sickness and that basically most forms of travel for an extended period will not make me a happy camper; however, over time I’ve also discovered that practice helps (somehow I rarely feel sick on planes anymore (knock on wood)).
Sadly, when it comes to boats and ships, it seemed that no matter the size of the boat (except for it being a cruise ship in perfect weather) and no matter how often I’ve been on one, I was bound to get sea sick so I’ve tried to stay away from them as much as possible. Time flies though and the older I got, the more I realized that I don’t want something like seasickness to stop me from trying new things especially when my bucket list included items like diving and sailing.
Last July I finally took all the courses necessary to get my diving certificate; I did my research online and realized that a lot of people who get motion sickness take a pill the night before they get on the boat in order to let their body fully absorb it, so I did the same and it worked like a miracle (placebo effect? We’ll never know.). I had to complete four open water dives over the course of two days and I didn’t feel a thing the entire time I was at sea.
After I moved to Bergen, I heard of this sailing club here that offers an intro class to students and that allowed you for a small yearly fee to sail as much as you’d want (with more experienced people on the boat). My initial reaction to the news was to remember that day from my childhood and immediately discard the idea of joining, but I honestly felt that I would be doing myself a huge disservice by missing out. So, a couple weeks later I found myself on my way to the intro class. Yesterday was the practical part of class, so I made sure to take a pill a few hours before getting on the boat, and I can honestly say that it was one of my favorite things I’ve done in this city so far: the couple hours I spent on the boat enjoying the views, getting to meet new people and learning how to sail were so awesome that I cannot wait to get back out again.
I cannot believe that I’ve waited this long to finally get over my little annoying childhood memory, but I’m so glad I did. I truly cannot wait to learn more about sailing and discover some of the gorgeous views this country has to offer.
The best is yet to come,
Dom.
d_globetrotterin - الرحالة 
