One Week at Sea

We have now been at sea for one week and arrive in Cádiz, Spain tomorrow.

One of my favorite parts about being at sea is seeing the sea life. One day, there were about three dolphins right in front of my and Caitlin’s window in our room and I have a whale from afar twice. We haven’t seen land since with left from Halifax with the exception with two tiny islands. We sailed right in between them. Surprisingly, there were tiny towns on these islands. (How do they get provisions?! We were in the middle of nowhere!) Until seeing these islands, I didn’t realize how much I miss land.

Additionally, I am having a great time making friends. Caitlin and I have met a good group of people that we really get along well with and are making travel plans with for our upcoming destinations. It’s really exciting to have made such great friends already.

The other day I went on a Bridge Tour, which is a tour of how the ship is navigated. I was expecting to see an old fashioned steering wheel, but there wasn’t a wheel at all. It was all electronic. (I knew it would be modern, but I still thought there would be a wheel!) It was really interesting, I got to look out binoculars towards where we were headed (I didn’t see land), and I got a picture in the captain’s chair!

There was a dance a couple nights ago: “Rock the Boat.” It reminded me so much of junior high! Caitlin and I walked through a few times and watched people, but it was so awkward that we didn't dance. Everyone was dancing really far apart and kind of in their own little world...girls trying to be cute and guys not knowing how to dance alone. EVERYONE was dancing alone. Literally everyone. It's not awkward to dance with strangers cause you know you'll never see them again. And it's not awkward to dance with friends cause you know them really well. But we are all in that stage where we kind of know people, but not really, and you KNOW you'll see them again because the boat is only so big. Oh well. It was really funny to watch. And I guess it was video taped and being played live on the TVs in our rooms—even funnier.

Meals on the ship are getting a little repetitive, but are always good. There are always a lot of starches (pasta, potatoes, breads), which I love, but even I get a little tired of it. Caitlin and I wake up for breakfast (which is very good!) almost every morning and then go to class together. We’ve been meditating in our Stress class, and almost every time I fall asleep. I try so hard not to, but can’t help it.

The time difference from home is now 9 hours! We have lost an hour every night but one since we have been at sea and the lack of sleep has been catching up with us; but I’m sure that as soon as we port in Cádiz and step off of the ship tomorrow the adrenaline will kick in and all of the fatigue will disappear.

The first day in port, I am doing a guided tour of the city for a couple hours and then exploring the city with friends. For the next three days, Caitlin and I will be traveling throughout Sevilla, Córdoba, and Granada (it will be here birthday while we’re in Granada!).

Happy Father’s Day to Dad and Happy Birthday to Mom! I’m sorry that I’m gone and can’t be there to celebrate. I love you so much!

Enjoying The Sun. Almost to Cádiz!



The Pool

One Of The Decks

In The Captain’s Chair

Updates from sea

Caitlin and I left Seattle on June 15th with a layover in Newark, NJ, continuing to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Everything went smoothly with the exception of a two-hour delay in Newark where we met two other students heading to Semester at
Sea, including Caitlin’s friend Taylor.

When we got to Halifax, a town car, which was much too small to fit three-month’s worth of luggage for three girls, picked us up. We ended having to put three suitcases in the front seat of the car—it was tight, but at least we fit all of our luggage. Then when we got to the hotel (about 2:30 am), they told us they were overbooked for the night and had to send us elsewhere. Fortunately, the manager was very accommodating and we were sent to a nearby hotel that was equally as nice, free of charge.

In the morning, we moved onto the MV Explorer, Semester at Sea’s ship. Caitlin and I are roommates—we decorated our room with pictures from home and a world map to record our journey. There are 721 students on the ship plus faculty, staff, and some of their families: about 1000 people total.

On the ship, there are two dining rooms, an auditorium we call “the Union,” a pool, a pool bar, a spa, a gym, a hair, salon, and lots of seating/lounge areas (which double as the classrooms). My favorite part of the ship is the deck at the front of the ship: it is not as big or as crowded at as the rear decks. This is where I stood when we departed from Halifax. When we left, there were people waving good-bye and a group playing the bagpipes—it was very exciting.

After departure, Caitlin and I wandered the ship, ate lunch, and had an emergency drill. We all had to go to our designated areas, put on our bright-orange life vests and stand in lines—it was mostly just a lot of waiting and a little boring, but at least we know what to do now: better safe than sorry! After the drill, we sat on a rear deck and watched the waves, enjoying the beginning of our voyage.

Yesterday as orientation—mostly meetings and listening to rules—and today we started classes. We only take classes while traveling, never in port, so we will have class straight until Tuesday (including Saturday and Sunday). But, once we get to the Mediterranean, we will be in port so much, that we hardly have class at all. I am taking Spanish, Stress and Stress Management, and Global Studies. Spanish is really easy, but it will be a nice review and practice. Stress and Stress Management should be really interesting; it involves some reading but also “stress reduction techniques” like yoga and meditation. And I love my Global Studies class! The teacher is great, it is so interesting, and I think I should have been an International Studies major.

Now that we are out to open sea, we are moving faster and the waves are bigger. It is entertaining to see everyone stumbling around, trying to be graceful, but failing terribly. I was in line for lunch and it was funny to see the entire line swing from right to left.

Yesterday was really gray and cold, but today is clear skies, warm, and beautiful. I am sitting on a rear deck as the sun is setting, taking a break from my homework.

I have very limited Internet access, so I won’t be able to update my blog as often as I hoped. I also do not have frequent access to my regular e-mail account, so if you want to get ahold of me, contact my parents, Alicia, Mindy, or Nadya—they all have my new e-mail address that I can access from the ship.

P.S. No seasickness yet!

At Sea Tac, Leaving For Halifax

Our Room

Emergency Drill



On The Front Deck At The Ship's Departure From Halifax

Voyage Map and Itinerary

Destination	Arrive Depart	Day	Date
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada	Depart	Tuesday	16 June
Cadiz, Spain	Arrive Depart	Wednesday Saturday	24 June 27 June
Civitavecchia / Naples, Italy	Arrive Depart	Wednesday Sunday	01 July 05 July
Dubrovnik, Croatia	Arrive Depart	Tuesday Friday	07 July 10 July
Piraeus (Athens), Greece	Arrive Depart	Monday Thursday	13 July 16 July
Istanbul, Turkey	Arrive Depart	Saturday Wednesday	18 July 22 July
Varna, Bulgaria	Arrive Depart	Friday Monday	24 July 27 July
Alexandria (Cairo), Egypt	Arrive Depart	Thursday Monday	30 July 03 August
Casablanca, Morocco	Arrive Depart	Sunday Wednesday	09 August 12 August
Norfolk, VA, USA	Arrive	Saturday	22 August

One Week Until Departure

"Once in a while it really hits people that they don't have to experience the world in the way they have been told to." - Alan Keightley

I leave in one week from tomorrow, and it still feels surreal. I'll be updating this page as I travel throughout the summer, so check back here for updates. I'll miss you all!