8. Day – A Manifest
“Together Apart” is an oxymoron, it is two ideas that at first sight seem mutually exclusive and irreconcilable, merged into one. Together apart means that we are so angry at the Polish parliament and at the Portuguese landlords that we want to start a world strike with both French and Soviet revolutionary children and to write a Greek mythology story about it.
Together apart means a German girl once upon a time was lonely on a vacation just as we are
It means women sail and men sing
It means we are going home with some new swimming skills so we can swim our way back here
It means people fall in love with assholes all around the world
It means inventing a lingua franca
Or respecting the silence and the soft sound of waves
It means we wouldn’t need borders if we had boundaries
It means we share so much more than the land
We share the sea and its deepness
From all around Europe we came and gathered for the adventure of a lifetime; we came looking for answers and we found them but we are left with so many more questions. We made friendships that we didn’t expect. New ideas were drawn, connections were made and boundaries were pushed. We got to spend these amazing moments with each other and now we set out for the rest of our lives, but we definitely will be together despite being apart, which is, to us, the most important and fulfilling part of this journey. So many different topics were brought about and divergent opinions were confronted that really made this summer school an eye-opening learning experience. The diversity of the people we met and their different lifestyles gave us an outlook on their realities.
It is of utmost importance that, especially considering the current circumstances, we try to be empathetic and listen calmly with genuine interest and heartfelt curiosity to the other side. We believe that our time on this boat has not only set an example, but it has also contributed to the general discourse as a whole by encouraging and creating the perfect fine tuned environment and space for people to engage in these all too important discussions.
Dear Marleen,
When we first stepped on your welcoming deck we were a bit cautious about what’s in front of us. The strangers that we were about to set sail with seemed nice from the very beginning, but only after some days we were able to start calling each other friends. We are apart in certain views but together in our stance to promote them. It is for these reasons, our time on this boat will remain unforgettable and will enable us to reminisce upon the great things we experienced with fulfillment and joy
Thank you to the Crew for safely showing us the wonders of the Aegean Sea and creating a home away from home. Thank you Marleen for enabling us to grow and rediscover the sense of community on your board.