Oceanic Feeling is “a feeling of limitlessness; a sensation of an indissoluble bond, as of being connected with the external world in its integral form” (Wikipedia).
It is also the topic of a research thesis, whose full title is: “Psychological Study of Long-Distance Traveler – Oceanic Feeling and Emotions of The Elsewhere” (in French here). Very appropriate read in my case, first because I was actually crossing the Atlantic Ocean – aboard a container ship – and because I was transitioning between Europe and South America via Africa, after already 10 months of travels spent in Asia and Oceania.
My activities, thoughts and emotions while at sea are hand-written in a notebook – 70 pages in total.
Today I am sharing with you an overview of the trip, as well as the story of the very first day.
My wish is to see the whole story published one day, either online or in a paper book – who knows… In the meantime, parts of this odyssey will be progressively released to the rhythm allowed by my life.
Details about the trip:
- Time spent on board: 23 days, from the 6/10/2014 until the 29/10/2014
- Origin: Antwerp, Belgium,
- Destination: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Stopovers: Hamburg (Germany), Dakar (Senegal) and Vitória (Brazil).
- Ship: Grande America – Italian flag, length: 214m, heigth: 32m (13 storeys),
- Crew: 30 members, mostly Italians and Filipinos
- Speed: 15 to 17 knots at full power, corresponding to about 30 km / hour, hence around 720 km/day.
Diary:
Nathalie's Travel Stories 