Written by Mc Cartney Bulawan, Deck Cadet, Bow Odyssey
When I was a child, my father's sea journey came to an abrupt end, which never made sense to me. When at home, he would tell me about the splendor of the high seas: the ship itself, the waves, the dolphins, and the grandeur of various nations. He would always push me to follow in his footsteps so I may succeed in having an abundant life. However, I did not consider myself to choose the same career path as he did at the time. For some reason, I always thought that I was not meant for the same career path as my father.
Nonetheless, I took the NSA scholarship exams, and passed – something I am forever grateful for. It was the first time in my life that I attempted to engage in an activity that I did not enjoy, something so out of my comfort zone. But as I got older, I realized the only constant thing in this world is change. Since then, I picked up a variety of new skills, many of which were unfamiliar to me. I went from someone who is afraid to be brave and loud to someone who I can say I admire and proud of.
My journey is a testament that things that are meant for you will come to you at the most unexpected times, whether you like it or not. Trust me when I say that when that time comes, they will fit right in like they have always been there. You only need to trust the process and do your best at all times.
Every seafarer has their own story, both good and bad; in some books, there are seafarers who lose. In my case, I had a rollercoaster ride during my first month on board. Homesickness was a monster I had to fight everyday; at times, until today.
Life on board truly leaves an impact on anyone and will often test you on how tough you can be as a person. Oftentimes it makes you question yourself and your capabilities. People back home see us, seafarers, as having a grand life, traveling the world, becoming rich, and living our dream lives. What they don’t see is what happens behind closed doors.
Being a seafarer will compromise your mental health if you let your personal problems at home affect you while being thousands of miles away. To know that something is wrong back home and to not be able to do something about it because of the distance can crush you.
As we fight the roughness of the seas, we also fight the sadness we have overseas. As we brave the seas, we conquer and win our own silent battles, too.
With everything I've learned, I can say that life on board is no longer the same as it was when I first boarded. As I came to understand why my father ended his sea voyage, I also came to see why some seafarers stay: because of the unparalleled camaraderie on board. We meet colleagues who are more than just family—a special group of individuals who are different from each other but share the same objectives and vision, working as a compass for each other. As former CEO Kristian Mørch said, “The compass is chosen as a symbol as it keeps a steady direction, regardless of unpredictable deviations that may turn up along the way.”
