ON THE NORTH SEA — When I first set eyes on the Statsraad Lehmkuhl, I truly felt as though I had come home. After two days of traveling mishaps, confusion and frustration, I had found what I would call my home for the next two months.
The Statsraad Lehmkuhl is a Norwegian ship that is carrying about 140 people on a voyage that will cross through the threads of time to create a tapestry and weave together the hearts of the modern pioneers with those who originally embarked on a similar journey 150 years ago.
My name is Tawny Archibald, and I am privileged to sail in this event many have come to call "the sail before the trail."
My coming here is a miracle in and of itself, and as I have come to understand, I'm not the only one who has spent many days in tears and on bended knee wondering what more I can do, when suddenly a window opens and hope shines brightly in.
Over the next two months I will write this journal, telling you about the people I meet, the wonders I behold and the spirit of togetherness that has already started to grow among the people of the sea.
While participants in this 150th re-enactment have various reasons for coming, I have come to honor my own ancestors who migrated primarily from Sweden and Scotland.
Accommodations on this voyage are better than those on the earlier ships (we have flushing toilets, running water, showers and hot meals), but some things are definitely the same.
Our first full day at sea, we hit a mild storm that, for us, seemed to wrack the ship with a torrent of rain and vicious winds. While I didn't think I'd succumb to the sea, I found myself a little woozy and slightly nauseous a few hours into the storm, and I wasn't the only one.
Another thing both generations of amateur sailors share is a common homesickness. Many of the early emigrants traveled alone or with only part of their family, and I have found that the rule more than the exception here.
Bonnie Jackson of Morgan has left her husband and four children to go on the entire 59-day voyage. Eliza Cleverly of Bountiful is only 18 years old and traveling alone from Esbjerg, Denmark, to Portsmouth, England.
One amazing thing is how quickly all of us "loners" have been adopted into "sea" families. The St. Johns family of Heber has warmly welcomed me into their fold. De Layne, her mother, Nida, and children Dell and Heather have already become my surrogate family. We sleep in the same row of hammocks. I put up with their snoring, and they put up with my constant ramblings. It's a good compromise. All of us will be going the entire route, which is a comfort to me.
The crew is another family all of its own. There are about 30 crew members aboard the ship, and although most are from Norway, there are some from Scotland, England, the Netherlands and various other countries. Some will leave us in Oslo, Norway, some in England, while others will continue on to New York City.
As I get to know the crew members a little better, I find they are very funny and patient with the foreigners who come aboard their ship. They are more than willing to explain, for the hundredth time, what the port side and what the other side is called. And, believe it or not, they still smile, even though I know their teeth are gritted.
All in all, this looks to be the makings for an incredible adventure. A chance to push the limits and set new boundaries, to make new friends and discover how to become a better one and to find out who I really am by discovering where I came from.
As I spend the next two months sleeping in a hammock, eating fish, braving pelting rain, singing in the lower banjers and watching the most amazing sunrises over the world's most beautiful waters, I know I will land in New York just a little stronger, a little braver and hopefully a little closer to those who I am trying to honor.
Contributing: Tawny Archibald's trip is being underwritten by the SeaTrek Foundation and independent private donations.