When the horizon is tilted...
...hang on.
On Monday we went to Block Island, a little slab of land that from the air looks — to me — like a goose with an upraised beak. BIRI is 12 miles off the coast of Rhode Island, accessible by ferry (or plane, though I’ve never had the scratch to take a plane over). We have been ferrying there for decades, despite the fact that every trip demands I medicate.
I dope up on Dramamine any time I so much as set foot on an airplane or a boat and how I wish it wasn’t so. Being prone to motion sickness runs counter to my notion of myself as one tough broad, but I have always been prone to motion sickness, and autumn childhood trips over the state line to Arkansas to look at the leaves were torture.
My inner ear simply cannot keep up.
Through years of experiments, I have found the only thing that calms my nausea is original-brand Dramamine, not the non-drowsy type, not ginger snaps, not little pressure-point bracelets or little tabs you paste at the bottom of your ears and certainly not staring at the horizon and thinking happy thoughts. Those may work for you, but for me? They do nothing, and as you may know if you’re prone to motion sickness, once the dizziness etc. kicks in, there’s no going back, and if you’re on a boat or a plane, there’s no escaping until you land or dock. I have read motion sickness described as a feeling that at first you are afraid you will die, and then you afraid you will not die, but will linger forever in this horrible state.
I am an exceedingly brave traveler, since the last time we ferried to BIRI, the sea was worse than we thought it would be — so much so that people (not me, I was Dramamined) were lined up on the deck waiting to vomit.
You could hang my husband upside down in a closet and shoot him into space and he’d say “Whee!” yet he is unfailingly understanding of my motion sickness, which I appreciate. That last time to BI, he actually apologized for the rough trip, though I didn’t precisely hold him responsible for the seas.
Because I’m doped up, I spend a lot of time sleeping on conveyances and while the naps are awesome, I’m often groggy at the beginning of every trip. On Monday we spent the day outside, and by the time we boarded the ferry at twilight, I was prepared to settle in for a nice hour-long nap. But when we were close to port in New London, my husband urged me to come outside so I could see the moon on the water (above). The scene was otherworldly and for a moment, I forgot to feel vaguely sick and a little groggy. I’m so glad he came and got me. Happy Friday and may you have an awesome weekend.
Your story makes me remember an ill advised whale watch out of P-Town. The Captain decided to go out because there were two bus loads of fifth graders on the boat. Conditions were rough and got worse through the trip. Despite Dramamine I spent the trip back standing on the second deck where it was narrow enough to keep each hand on a rail on both sides me while I stared out at the horizon, struggling to keep lunch down. When we rounded the tip of the Cape things calmed down enough for me to release my death grip and go down to the lower deck to use the head (sailor talk, matey). That required stepping over the bodies of dozens of listless, seasick school kids. Once docked and walking down the wharf back to the car we were treated to displays of oneupmanship only ten year olds can provide.
“Oh man, I was so sick I puked twice!” “Oh yeah? I puked four times!” “That’s nothing! I……..”
To add insult to injury, we saw a single pilot whale which was enough to let the company off the hook from their guarantee of a free trip if you don’t see any whales. Haven’t been on a whale watch since.
You and I have the motion sickness trait in common! It made me feel validated to hear your story. It always felt like I had a weakness I should be able to overcome, but I have resigned myself that I will be motion sick whenever exposed for the rest of my life. It is true about me that I can be competent and resilient, yet can't sit in the back seat of a car, go on a spinning ride at the amusement park, or ride on a boat before being sick in moments! Dramamine helps, but not completely. So happy you made it over without getting sick. Now you can relax and enjoy!