Our sails are billowing with the wind, carrying us further into the great blue expanse. The estimated time of arrival is changing daily as the strength of the wind varies. We finally sail west, accompanied by a pod of striped dolphins dancing alongside the Europa. They have been showing off spectacular jumps and tricks, cheered on by a large group of voyage crew exclaiming their admiration loudly with every trick. I wonder if the dolphins are just having fun, or if they are also hearing us and putting in some extra effort to induce an extra “wow!”. Jordi missed this amazing photo opportunity, as we were hesitant to wake him. So far, we were met by common dolphins but they never stuck around long. It seems a bit brutal to pull someone out of bed for them to then discover there is nothing to see anymore. We will wake him next time, but with the firm disclaimer waking him for only two common dolphins will not be appreciated. Yes – as some people in the world dream of seeing them, some of us have gotten used to the sight of them. 

That is probably one of the best aspects of being part of such a diverse crew. Some of us are completely new, others have been around for a while already. We are all amazed by different things. It is easy to forget how special some things are, just because we have seen them a lot already. Other people’s excitement can bring back this feeling of wonder and awe. 

I still clearly remember my first night in the Netherlands after my last sailing trip. I was looking out of the window in the middle of the night with no stars in sight. Instead, the sky was bright pink, a soft glow created by the greenhouses at the border of the village. It was kind of beautiful in its own way, but it made falling asleep difficult after getting used to the pitch-black darkness of Europa’s cabins. Now, back on board, I could spend hours observing the celestial spectacle above us. However, I have noticed I am less responsive to the sky. Lucky to have grown up under the Dutch clouds, I understand why it was the subject of many paintings. But, here on board, I am never the first one to notice how pretty the sky looks. I need others to remind me to look around and admire the shapes and colors on the horizon.