It feels like I never left. It feels like home. And yet…and yet it doesn’t.
It should. It really should. I mean for three years the flagship has been more home for me than home itself, and I’m honestly happy to be back. It just…feels like something’s missing this time, and I’m not quite sure what that is. It’s not necessarily a bad feeling, and I’m sure it will pass as the days go by, but it’s definitely there – sort of nibbling at the back of my mind. Something doesn’t…feel …quite the same.
Or maybe it’s me who’s not the same?
Hard to say, and too many deep thoughts for my sleepy mind I’m afraid…
For the most part though, it’s good to be ‘home’. The place is basically exactly how I left it, but the flagship just came out of dry-dock so she’s looking all pretty and shiny. The carpets are still springy (enough so that my chair doesn’t roll back as easily as it once did), and every so often a room still has that ‘new’ scent to it. Of course, bringing a ship out of dry-dock comes with its own set of issues, which I was warned about beforehand but wasn’t necessarily ready for. Y’see, when a ship goes out of the water, everything that isn’t nailed down gets locked up. This means that things aren’t always where you left them, you know they’re around here somewhere but you can’t for the life of you figure out where. Also, simply navigating the ship is a learning experience – because they’ve changed everything. Everything from the crew office to the (newly expanded) Officer’s Bar is in a different place. Your feet still want to walk the same worn paths they’re used to, but those paths don’t lead to the same place anymore!
Embark day was the usual organized chaos, although perhaps more chaotic because of dry-dock. There are people being moved about, offices being changed, rooms being reassigned, which means that A-Deck is in constant transit with people shifting belongings and office supplies back and forth. Right now I think the Crew Office is in two –possibly three – different places! That makes figuring out where exactly to get your crew ID rather interesting! And also, there’s nothing quite like going to drop your stuff off in your cabin and finding that someone is already living there. Turns out they just hadn’t moved yet…ah embark day.
There’s other work related stuff going on of course, there always is, nothing bad (though it is rather substantial as far as the impact it has on my day to day working life) but I can’t really go into the details just yet, partially because the details are still working themselves out!
But as usual, life goes on, pictures go up on walls, hooks go up on cupboard doors, and here we go again…
It would be strange, not knowing your way around “your own” ship.
Safe journeys!
SF, refitted ship! Sounds like a zoo. Thing will settle as you get underway.