The Straits of Magellan

We left on time today, and are making our way through the Straits of
Magellan. We're in protected waters until around 11:00 tonight, which is
when the ship will start to roll a bit. The weather reports weren't too
specific, but we might miss a weather system, which we'd all be very happy
to miss. I took some pictures as we left, and will have them up to flickr
as soon as I can. I will definitely be trying the "sailor's
cocktail"--sudafed and meclazine for seasickness. Better to take it and
not need it for the first exposure to open water than regret it much
later. I'm about 90% sure I won't need any more drugs than a first dose,
but I'd rather be ahead than trying to catch up.

It was hard waving to Marc as we pulled away. I've done this now
twice--left port on a boat while he stayed behind on solid ground. Ironic
that most of the time I'm the one waving him off at the airport. We've
been through so much in the past year, and while I'm only gone for another
16 days, that's 16 days without anyone from my family. And even if some of
the boat feels like family, it's not the same.

Hopefully I'll be able to send more posts from the Drake Passage, roughest
seas in the world. Hopefully, I'll get out my notebook and start writing
some poems tonight.