Happy Birthday to…me

Ship: Regina Maris
Date: 27th of November 2024
Position: North Atlantic Ocean
Geographical Position: 25°07.180N 018°26.943W
Etmal: 125nm
Total: 2341nm

I absolutely hit the jackpot:

Yesterday already, I discovered some cockroaches in the kitchen drawer and soon realised: They would become my problem, if not today, then the day after, because I was going to have galley duty. And do the daily report. That would be a lot of work…

My inner clock woke me right on time, just before Sophia came downstairs to wake the galley-team: Miriam, Timo and me. Normally I would have slept as long as possible, but my early waking had a reason: It was my birthday and on those, I never sleep long. At home, I usually run into the living room, hug my family and unpack my gifts but here on the ship, birthdays are very different.

I didn’t find time up until 10am to look at my parents‘ gifts for me because galley duty took so long; we found some rotten fruits under the wheelhouse and re-sorted everything in the kitchen. During said break till twelve, all of us galley people took a little nap.

After that, we started preparing lunch: Gazpacho and leftovers from yesterday. Let me just say: The idea was good, but what we made of it was another thing. The gazpacho looked like vomit (credits to Janno, thank you for making me want to throw my food away because of your stupid jokes!) and was not of everyone’s taste, too much onion, too much garlic, etc.

After we finished doing the dishes and all meetings were done (no underwear in the lost & found today), I began with the most important part of the day: Making my phenomenal chocolate cookies, for which Talea and Antonio already prepared the dough yesterday. At the time I put the first portion into the oven, everyone was asking when the cookies would be ready to eat until Lisa shouted everyone back to class.

When I had the cookies ready, I started to hand them to everyone. Many wanted a second one and would literally have started a war for more. I already knew before that someone could bribe Maxim with white chocolate a lot, but those cookies were next level, he would have done anything to get more.

But jokes aside, everyone really liked the cookies and I was very positively surprised. I think I‘ll make them again, maybe on Hannes‘ Birthday in three days.

Because I made the cookies, I had no break before dinner and worked right through until Sonjas Pathway Presentation about fast fashion after it. I was extremely impressed by it and so were the teachers, Sonja was the first one to get an A on a Pathway Presentation. She really deserved it!

When all of us galley people finished the dishes and the cleaning of the kitchen, we finally had free time! I sat with my friends and played Dutch, they also had gotten me a few little presents which I really loved. I know, Malte will come soon to remind me of my time left wearing the birthday crown.

About the day I really can say, it was the most exhausting but also most memorable birthday I ever had. Excuse me now, my cards await me.

Bemerkungen:

Marilen: Hey, Mama, Papa, Minzi, ich denke an euch und vermisse euch alle, besonders heute, hab‘ euch lieb 😘 und Opa, alles Gute auch Dir!

Ella: Alles Gute zum Geburtstag, Marten!!! 🥳❤️

Pepe: Hey liebe Familie, ich vermisse euch sehr und denke jeden Tag an euch. Ich freue mich schon, wenn ich euch das nächste Mal anrufen kann. Mir geht es gut und ich hoffe es geht euch auch gut!! Liebe Grüße vom Weg zu den Kap Verden ❤️😘