Being in a bubble

It’s Saturday, just a normal Saturday, with a normal watch, school day, big cleaning and “Besanschotan” until the news. News we maybe didn’t want to hear or couldn´t believe at first.

Our captain informed us, that this week the Ukraine is attacked by Russia. Of course, the mood was depressed. Our thoughts were with the people, who have to fight at the battlefield and everyone who has to leave his home behind. These persons who have to be frightened of losing their homes, families and friends.

Imagine you’re waking up in the middle of the night, hearing a loud thunder. A sound you’ve never heard before, that wasn´t heard for a long time in Europe. But on this day, the 22nd of February 2022, 5 am, bombs attacked the Ukraine, which was the beginning of a new war. The first war in Europe for a long time.

As probably everyone in Germany and Europe, everyone on board was devastated.

But it was a different feeling, you would have had if you were at home. We were in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. 6000 meters under us, 1000 miles next to shore and in between nothing, just the dark blue sea. Even though you know that you are on your own, that there’s no one to come to rescue in case of distress, you still feel like you are at the safest place on earth.

Far away from all these problems – politics, war, corona virus, climate change…

Here, the Thor, our home, could be seen as a bubble. But there are moments, when this bubble bursts. Moments, like this – when we receive our weekly news. When we see how the world around us keeps changing. When we realize that wars still happen. Even though they seem far away, they still exist. These are the moments, when it turns quiet and everyone falls deep into his or her thoughts. Moments, when you realize, that situations like these are carried by the community. Then you can be sure, that there’s someone you can talk to, you can trust.

There are lots of other situation, where the bubble bursts. If there is a lot to do for school and the week is very stressful or if you feel homesick.

Especially then, you are looking forward to hear something from home.

Here we’ve limited contact to home. On Land we can phone or send messages to our families. If new crewmembers come, they bring all the mail our families and friends had sent us. Everyone is looking forward to read about what’s happening at home. There are letters with reports, pictures and lovely words from home. But these are also moments, when you appreciate talks with comforting words from the community on board and in general your new family.

Everytime, you get reports and information from the other part of the world, you could have mixed feelings. It could be joy if you get pleasant messages from home, but also frustrating and devastating when you see, what’s happening in the world.