adam

Day 54: Misery can be a valuable teacher

Posted by adam at 12:24 am 12 Responses »

Mar 182013

Finally flat seas & 360° of calm horizon; our camera the farthest anything has gone from the boat for 54 days. Adam (black cap) tends to laundry.

[Excerpt from Adam’s diary after 3 weeks of storms, two broken oars, and a shorted wind generator. Cold, wet and slow, the crew morale was at an all-time low. Weather changed two days later, bringing a much needed infusion of hope.]

It amazes me how much time I spend on this boat thinking about the time I will get off the boat, thinking about the events that will occur post-row. Thinking of meeting Jefferson and Becca on the beach brings a lump in my throat and water to my eyes. 23 days into the journey and Miami feels so far away.

I prepped myself for this journey with a simple mantra: “Enjoy Every Moment.“ Sigh. Thrilled enjoyment is not possible right now. Acceptance and tolerance seem more manageable this moment. I can tolerate this, I suppose. I’m okay not being okay. Continue reading »

Day 46: 40 more days?!?

Posted by adam at 8:40 pm 23 Responses »

Mar 102013

Since crossing the halfway point, the ocean has decided to fool with us.

We’re officially across the ½-way point, but have very difficult weather on the horizon for the next several days. Angie Pendergrass and the UW Meteorological team are forecasting heavy westerlies (headwind) against big westerly swells. Overcast skies are limiting battery charge. While we want to go west toward Miami, the ocean and the weather are only letting us north. Still so far away, that’s okay for now… but how long?

Recently, I have been coming to terms with how unbelievably crazy it is to row across the ocean. Continue reading »

Day 38: What we eat

Posted by adam at 2:45 pm 3 Responses »

Mar 022013

Markus using Jetboil stove to cook grub

The first two questions people ask us are:
1) “Are you crazy?”
2) “Where do you go to the bathroom?”

The third? “So what the heck do you guys eat out there?!”

Our menu took us two months of planning to allocate proper nutrition and caloric intake for this Atlantic journey. Here’s what’s cookin’ … Continue reading »

Day 37: Still are the Ocean

Posted by adam at 2:30 pm 3 Responses »

Mar 012013

Adam rows into the sun, while talking about Jordan’s book, “Rowing into the Son”

Going out on long journeys with monotonous physical activity is a wonderful meditation and very peace-giving. Sure, there is the odd scary bit where your adrenal glands fire, oars break and you experience extreme stress. The reward of pushing through the extreme, though, is a meditative, physical presence – A connective existence that is simple, repetitive and empowering.

Really, to be in the wild outdoors is a giant gift and a blessing. I am so grateful to the CWF and all our sponsors for providing our crew with this opportunity.

The Ocean, on one hand, is vast and similar. On the other hand, the Ocean is filled with fractal details that promenade more beauty and wonder with each smaller iteration. Nature is all-encompassing. The moon, stars, waves echo in your eye sockets with a resonant beauty. Flying fish glide for a hundred meters over the waves, while terns, skuas and gulls fly and circle above the boat.

This is a gorgeous experience that confirm my thought: We are the Ocean

Tooth Story: Adam breaks a molar

Posted by adam at 9:51 am 3 Responses »

Feb 252013

Anatomy of a cracked molar. Open the diagram in a new window and reference while Dr. Spooner describes how Adam broke a tooth.
(Diagram credit: David F. Spooner, DDS)

A week and a half ago, I sent a message to Greg at OAR Northwest Mission Control that I had chipped my tooth. When you’re at least 1,000 nautical miles from land, this has the potential to be anything from a slight nuisance to a serious medical emergency. Luckily, Greg’s dad is a dentist so I was able to get some quick help, and a great explanation why this happened. I thought the experience would be valuable to share with all of you, so here are the emails and a diagram! Enjoy… Continue reading »

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OAR Northwest

adam

Day 54: Misery can be a valuable teacher

Day 46: 40 more days?!?

Day 38: What we eat

Day 37: Still are the Ocean

Tooth Story: Adam breaks a molar

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