Ms. Claustrophobia went fishing with Mr. Jet Lag on their Rocky Boat and caught Rabies.

Once upon a time there was a big boat. This boat was filled with all the loveliest creations of the world, like drunk teenagers and cheap booze. Life on the boat was peaceful, no drama, no embarrassing dancing or public humping in deck clubs nor any seasickness or bad ideas. Everyone got along perfectly and never argued about things people actually had not done. And never was anyone bored, or claustrophobic, just waiting for the boat to reach land in order to catch a plane home.
This was the boat I was not on a few weeks ago.
Of course there were some resemblances: Drunk teens and cheap booze.

After I returned from New Zealand, late on Thursday 25Th February, I had to get ready for another trip. The next day, on Friday, me and my year mates boarded a ship to Stockholm. Numerous attempts and successes of sneaking booze past security and onto the ship, took place on that historical day. Some had a straightforward approach to the booze problem, sneaking it in their bags and hoping they wouldn't get searched. Others took bigger precautions, or at least a bigger bra, to make sure their alcohol would get on the ship, or at least in their cleavage. A few innovative people probably just drank their alcohol before boarding the ship, a smart choice if you want to pass out in the first few hours and there by don't need to experience the true horrors of life on a Finnish cruise.

After all the mambojambo in the terminal, the boat was of to blue and yellow land, a place few Finnish people admit they like, at least not during the ice hockey world championships.
Life on the ship was quite the opposite to prior notions, but I took pride in not being in the center of it all. Truth be told, I spent most of the time feeling sick in my cabin. Later I feel that my share of partying mostly took place in my stomach, between Mr. Jet Lag and Mrs. Rocky Boat. A few successful attempts of having fun did succeed nevertheless, (like a small toga party I slipped into with my rumbling stomach and tired mind) but claustrophobia did creep into my mind more than once, I even thought about the ship sinking and about rabies, but more as a joke. However it made me think about taking a plane back from Sweden instead of boarding the ship again the next day.

As we know, flying isn't really in my price range, so that didn't work out, not after a trip like New Zealand. It didn't matter though, because after the little shopping spree in Stockholm, I was quite pumped up to get back on the ship. Not that I wanted to leave already, no, I could have shopped till I dropped, but unfortunately I still wasn't feeling very good. Stockholm was full of shops I wanted to visit, but didn't have enough time. Me, my friend Aya and another mate, walked mostly around Södermalm and Aya even purchased a big fur coat (No animals were harmed in making that coat though.) After a nice cup of cappuccino and a tasty pasta salad, we were heading back to the boat for a nap and some more drunk teen action later in the evening.

While on a cruise, time changes its meaning. No longer do people worry too much about what the time is. There's only buying from tax free time, wild partying time and passing out time. In the midst of all the party animals first dealing their drinks from fellow students of legal age and then going on the hunt for the starting location, me and Aya took some time off and made some brilliant ideas reality. We used about two hours for cutting my bangs. Aya did a very well detailed job, but it was a slow job, because I had to take short breaks every five minutes, making sure I wasn't going to throw up. The party in my stomach had got wilder since leaving Stockholm, and no pills were working.

With my new hairstyle I was encouraged to fight my feelings and went on the hunt for friends with Aya. I started feeling better by the hour, actually enjoying the cruise life and not feeling claustrophobic. In the end I managed to have a pretty good time and did not embarrass myself, result! A lot of drama and subject for gossip did take place on that cruise, but lucky for me, I wasn't involved.