I Just Keep Moving On – Quebec City, Quebec – [07/13/2014]

I live in the margins of my itineraries. In the empty space between the places I visit.

I came across that quote in a series of files I found on my work computer that contained a short story – or rather photographs of the pages of a book of what I assume were short stories – whoever took the photos didn’t note the actual title of the book, but the story was about someone who worked on ships. And I can think of no better description about what this life is like sometimes. Where do you live? I don’t know…

That said, this is a comfortable ship. She’s different from the flagship of course – every ship is different – but the basic layout is the same, the layout of the library is identical. To the point where I sometimes forget where I am and go looking for things in places where they “should” be but aren’t. My predecessor left the place in a fantastic state (something she was nervous about, despite my constant reassurances that she had no reason to be), so my work is running very smoothly. I managed to repair the broken library database (or at least bring it up to some kind of working order) relatively quickly, though I fear that since the system was broken for so long that a full inventory may be looming in my metaphorical rear-view mirror sooner rather than later. I’m really not sure what’s here at the moment!

It is astonishing how quickly you fall into a routine. In some ways it’s as if I never was on vacation. One of the comforts of ship life is that at the same time that everything is different, everything is the same. The cabin you walk into is identical except for the tarnished brass number plate on the front of the door, the same tired/wired smiles, the same rattle of wheels down the I-95. You’re only the new kid on the block for the first few days, and then you suddenly become just part of the flow. There are lot of people on this ship that I know; I came here just expecting Amras (we knew we were working this contract together months ago), but so far I’ve run into people who know me from waaaay back in my time with the company. Of course a lot of them have changed positions, the solo guitarist from my second contract has become a computer teacher, my old supervisor from my second contract has become a cruise consultant (which feels a little strange really!), and at least two cast members from that contract remember me…some not in the fondest of terms I’m sure, that second contract was a rough one all around! But we live and we learn and we move on. Of course there’s always the challenge of remembering just where it is you know someone from…

Black Pearl?
Nope, never sailed her
Flagship?
Nope..
Explorer…?
That might be it…

Amras is of course, still Amras, had I not been almost expecting it I would have been bowled over by his golden retriever style tackle in the middle of the I-95. But I know my big brother well enough to suspect that was coming. He still owes me for surprising him by showing up on his ship over the summer, and one day I’m sure that debt’s going to be paid back in full.

And then of course there’s the books. There’s a routine you go through when you introduce yourself to a library, and at the end of the routine the book shelf in my cabin always has at least two or three new additions. Should come as no surprise that this contract is no different…

Strange world this really…you leave home to come home…and somehow neither cheapens the other…