Science says the olfactory system provides our strongest sensory connection to memory. When I step aboard the R/V Kilo Moana in Honolulu Harbor, the first thing I notice are the smells: the unique mix of industrial cleaner, steel, salt spray, and cooking oil immediately transports me back to the months I spent at sea last year. I’ve never been on this ship before, yet everything looks familiar: the beige hallways, the bolted handrails, the posted safety protocols, the bright orange EEBDs, the red immersion suits, and the strict, bold reminders printed on paper warped from humidity: Shut the doors quietly. Use hand sanitizer before meals. If it hasn’t been digested through your body, don’t flush it down the toilet.
Read MoreAloha Kilo Moana
in Ocean