Jasperite Kim Wallace has swapped the Rocky Mountains for nine months of salt water swells and international ports.
She was hired as a teacher for Class Afloat, a private school that educates students for one semester or an entire school year while they sail around the world.
On Aug. 22 Wallace, seven other teachers, 10鈥�15 boat crew, and 40 students will set sail from Collingwood, Ont. on a Norwegian tall ship called the Sorlandet. Stops along the journey include Portugal, the Bahamas, Costa Rica, France, Scotland, next spring in Norway.
In 2010, a Class Afloat ship sank off the coast of Brazil and all 64 members were rescued, but Wallace isn鈥檛 hung up on the unlikely event. 鈥淚f that happens, it happens and you deal with it then,鈥� she said during a quick interview before packing up and setting sail last week.
Class Afloat teachers deliver the Nova Scotia program of studies, because the school is based out of the province. Wallace will instruct Grade 11 and 12 Language Arts, plus help facilitate a first-year university course through Acadia University. Also, teachers are responsible for a pod of students, ensuring they complete boat chores. 鈥淐learly the best way to make sure they get done is to help them do it.鈥�
Aside from teaching, Wallace is prepared for a boatload of learning, like coping with compulsory seasickness.
鈥淲e all get [sea] sick for the first two weeks. Everybody that barfs together bonds together,鈥� she said with a laugh. 鈥淚 think that will be one of my biggest challenges鈥攋ust growing my sea legs and trusting that the discomfort will pass while I鈥檓 experiencing it.鈥�
Tackling the impending uncomfortable event with humour, she adds: 鈥淚 typically do a cleanse, one in the spring and one in the fall, and maybe this will replace my fall cleanse.鈥�
Nine months on the boat will give Wallace time to focus on building relationships with her crewmates and the sea鈥攁 part of the Earth she has little experience with. 鈥淚鈥檓 quite familiar with the land, but I know nothing about the sea, so I wanted to improve my relationship with water.鈥�
As Wallace puts it, she is literally 鈥渓earning about relationships on a ship.鈥�
Living in close proximity to others presents the opportunity to not run away from a conflict, she adds. 鈥淲e tend to avoid discomfort, which is our appreciation for luxury and even how we respond to climate change. We either ignore it or push it away.鈥�
In essence, the ship is a 鈥渕icrocosm of our culture, of the Earth, really鈥� and the ship鈥檚 inhabitants will learn about sustainability.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to have to ration our water, our power, our food,鈥� said Wallace. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to have to considers each others鈥� needs before our own wants.鈥�
The students, teachers and crew will have internet access when the boat docks at ports, but they will be mostly without it, especially during the ship鈥檚 three trans-Atlantic crossings, which take between 23鈥�30 days.
As someone who uses the internet to help form lesson plans, Wallace is intrigued by planning without quick access to information. 鈥淚鈥檓 curious to see just how different it is without the use of technology.鈥�
The week before she left Jasper on Aug. 8, Wallace hiked as many places as she could, including a summit of Mt. Edith Cavell. 鈥淚 just wanted to feel what it鈥檚 like to live in the mountains and just fill up with that because I know that this is my home.鈥�
She will return to Jasper next summer, and though her 鈥渉eart is leaving full鈥� she has mixed emotions about being away from this beautiful area for an extended period of time.
鈥淸Writer and mythologist] Joseph Campbell talks about the 鈥榟ero鈥檚 journey鈥�; a person goes out into the world, then learns skills and brings them back into the community,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 curious about what those skills will be.鈥�
Wallace will record her seafaring adventures in her blog at www.kimafloat.wordpress.com. Her journey can also be tracked at www.classafloat.com/track.
Sarah Makowsky
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