July 21st, 1941
The journey starts here. I don't know if I'll be able to record everything about it but I'll try. My mother made me promise that I write in this journal as often as possible. She believes that writing your thoughts in journals keeps you sane. So I promised her, to comfort her. I've left home. We left today at noon from Halifax. It was difficult seeing the coast slowly shrink as we left. I hope this trip won't be too long, I don't want to get sea sick.

July 23rd, 1941
I've been playing cards with Rodney ever since we left. The boat is gigantic. There must be thousands of men on board. There's a swimming pool (the water is freezing!), movies, bingo and really neat things. The ship is called the Orion. There's a battleship that's escorting us across the Atlantic in case Germans attack us. I can't wait to get there, it's only been two days since we've left and it seems I've been on the ship a week!

July 26th, 1941
Last night, some kid, I'd say about nineteen, was crying in his bunk. Everyone was asleep and didn't seem to hear him. I couldn't help but hear him. I was wide awake, those bed are really uncomfortable. He must have missed home and his mother. He's not the only one. We all miss home but we don't cry about it. We'll see home again, someday.

July 29th, 1941
Finally! After eight days we've arrived safely in the Bristol Channel! Absolutely no threats from the Germans on our way over! We'll be docking soon enough at a place called Avonmouth. My first time on European soil!