More Pictures

I went ahead and posted more pictures to sum up the rest of the voyage. Due to size limitations I can't upload very many at a time. Over the course of the entire semester I took about 2,500 pictures, so this only represents a tiny fraction of them. If you want to see more, just ask. I'd be happy to show you! (I have videos too!)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31745921@N06/sets/

Welcome to Miami

I can't believe this day has finally come. I know how cliche this sounds but it truly feels like just yesterday I was beginning this voyage. I remember exactly how I felt that day in the Bahamas, nervous and extremely excited. I remember my first impressions of the boat and the people I met. I remember what I was wearing. Today around 1:00 pm I disembarked from the MV Explorer. My friends and I all woke up at 6:00 to have breakfast and watch the sunrise one last time. Most of the students on board had the same idea. The morning was filled with people taking pictures, crying, and saying goodbyes. We all stayed together until each of us were called off the boat. It was hard to leave. I can't even begin to describe the kind of bond I made with so many people this semester. It will be really hard not knowing when I will see them again; however, I know I formed relationships that will last forever.

So now I am in Miami at my Tia and Tio's house, currently unable to sleep. Tomorrow I will catch a flight to Atlanta and arrive around 7:00 pm. I can't wait to see what it feels like to be home again, to see familiar faces and eat familiar foods. And I can't believe that Christmas is right around the corner!

Thanks to those who have read my blog. It was a comforting feeling knowing that my friends and family were keeping up with me along the way. Writing the entries has been a helpful way for me to document the trip and process some of my thoughts. Who knows if I'm done with it. I have gotten so used to recording my daily activities. I might have a few entries left in me, but now things will seem so mundane in comparison.

ATL, I'll see you soon.

Reflections

In 108 Days I Haven’t…

 

1.   Driven a car

2.   Seen a single college or pro sporting event

3.   Had any Coke or Pepsi products

4.   Eaten at an American chain or fast-food restaurant

5.   Listened to the radio

6.   Spent more than 7 consecutive days on land

7.   Made my own bed

8.   Played a game of ultimate

9.   Used a washing machine

10. Taken a dance class

 

In about 24 hours the MV Explorer will be pulling into Miami.  I have said this over and over, but I still can’t believe how fast this semester has gone by.  I am going through such a wide range of emotions.  I am super excited to be coming home, but the thought of this trip being over is really depressing.  It has definitely been the trip of a lifetime.  The shared experiences and unique environments of Semester at Sea have led to some really meaningful relationships.  I am extremely fortunate to have made such a wonderful group of friends.  It will be hard leaving them.  But don’t worry family and friends back home, you have been in my thoughts for the past 108 days and I can’t wait to see you!

 

Tonight I plan on sleeping outside on the deck – that way I can wake up to the sunrise in Miami!  See you soon!

 

Pura Vida

December 9^th marked the last time I would ever board the MV Explorer.  Walking up the gangway, all I could think about was how the next time I was on the gangway I would be walking down it, done with the voyage forever.  The MV Explorer has really come to feel like my temporary home.  It will be weird leaving it for a home in Atlanta that doesn’t rock around.

 

My three days in Costa Rica were spent relaxing with 9 wonderful friends.  I couldn’t have asked for a better last port.  We rented a house right on the beach.  It had a swimming pool, five bedrooms, a kitchen, TV, and a grill.  We had so much fun making our own meals.  The homeowners were super cool and even hung out with us a little bit.  Most of the SAS crowd went to a more touristy beach about an hour away, and I am so glad we didn’t do that.  I just wanted to spend the last port without an agenda and with people I knew I would enjoy being around, not hundreds of college students all crammed into three bars.  It was so nice to spend some quality time with my friends before the trip ended.

 

On the last day in Costa Rica I went zip-lining through the rainforest.  There were a series of 8 zip-lines, and they had amazing views.  Sometimes we would be going over a river, other times right through the trees.  The zip-lines were really long too, nothing like at Girl Scout camp.  On most of the lines you are responsible for slowing yourself down with your hand.  Having spent the first 4 lines getting accustomed to the whole thing, I decided to see how fast I could go.  In order to do this hey told us to open our hand around the cable. So, on the 5^th zip-line I let go of the cable, picked up speed, and started spinning uncontrollably.  As I approached the bottom I had no way of stopping myself.  Without slowing down a bit I came hurdling towards the platform, body slammed the guide, and hit the fence of the platform in the tree.  I rebounded so hard I almost went back out on the line.  My leg has a little cut on it now, and will soon be turning all kinds of purple and green.  Right now it’s kind of swollen and hurts to walk on, but it could have been much worse.  Talent show tomorrow…

 

Last night we advanced our clocks for the last time.  We are finally on Eastern Standard Time!!  Now it really feels like we’re coming home.  There was a lecture on the Panama Canal last night which was pretty interesting.  I had no idea what a big deal it is to go through it.  Ships have to plan it waaaay in advance.  Here are a few facts I thought were interesting:

 

-          Approximately 40 ships go through the Panama Canal every day

-          Depending on the ship, it can cost hundreds of thousands just to go through (for our trip it works out to $200 per person)

-          The Panama Canal is 48 miles long

-          The Pacific and Atlantic Oceans are at different sea levels, making the canal an impressive engineering feat

-          The widest vessel that can go through can only be 130 ft. wide.  Our ship is 85 ft. wide

 

Tonight we had the Ambassador’s Ball.  It was just like prom.  Everyone dressed up and took lots of pictures.  The dining staff made us a fancy dinner and dessert buffet.  Then we all crammed in the Union and danced awkwardly to music that is probably really old, but we don’t know any better.  Anyway, I can’t wait to see you all in just 4 more days!!

Done

I am officially done with school work for the Fall 2008 semester!  I literally just completed my last paper and now have nothing to do but relax for the next 8 days of the voyage!!  Christmas break, here I come.  On the 7^th we will be arriving in Costa Rica, where 10 of my friends and I will be renting a house on the beach for two nights. I can’t even tell you how excited I am to grill out and play on the beach all day, without stressing over a thing.  I haven’t used a kitchen or even made my own food for 100 days.  I have never been more excited to grill a hamburger and hot dog in my life.  Since this is the last port, everyone is going all out and trying to make sure they have an awesome time with their friends on the boat.  Now that finals are over, this will be the first time we’ve been in port and not had to think about the work we would face once we got back on the ship.  Those three days in Costa Rica are going to be magnificent.

 

Once we get back on the boat on the 9^th, we have 5 days until our arrival to the United States!  During those 5 days we will have the Ambassador’s Ball, a talent show, Emma’s 21^st birthday, and multiple meetings on the disembarkation process in Miami.  My friend Annie and I have actually prepared a dance we are going to perform at the talent show.  I normally wouldn’t participate in something like that but our dance originated as a response to our experience in India and I have enjoyed choreographing and rehearsing so much that we thought we might as well perform it.  Plus, the entire shipboard community is extremely supportive. 

 

On the 11^th we will spend the day going through the Panama Canal, which I think is pretty neat. After that I have some hard-core packing to do.  It is going to be a really tedious process, especially since we have to record the items we have purchased in other countries.  With only a week left, people are getting very sentimental and discussing plans for how we will meet again.  We’re all going around and writing down everyone’s last names and contact information.  It’s weird that I have known these people for 3.5 months, but never communicated with them by cell phone.  It’s really starting to hit me that this trip is coming to an end.

 

Here is a little fun fact: From Nassau to Miami we have traveled at least 28,692 miles. (For this analysis we’ve used land or statute miles (5,280’), not nautical miles (6,076’). The ship hasn’t traveled along the line of shortest distance between each port. Generally it does follow a great circle route, but has deviated for storms, etc. So the distance we have traveled is probably a few hundred miles farther. For reference, the equator is 24,900 miles.

 

Thanksgiving in Hawaii!

Never in a million years did I think I would be spending Thanksgiving Day on the beach in Honolulu with a group of 20 people that I had known for about 3 months.

We arrived in Honolulu around 8 in the morning but didn’t get cleared for disembarkation until around 10. Since we only had a day in Hawaii, everyone was trying to get off the boat as soon as possible. The gangway was on Deck 2 and the line to get out went all the way up to Deck 5. We had to be back on the boat by 9 pm that night so we literally had a matter of hours in Hawaii.

The first thing my friends and I did was head to Wal-mart to pick up some food for the day. I really wanted an entire Thanksgiving feast, complete with stuffing and pumpkin pie, but Wal-mart didn’t really have the best options. The closest I came to eating anything Thanksgiving-related was a turkey sandwich. After our blitz through Wal-mart we rushed to the beach. All 20 of us crammed onto a bus that was already quite full, carrying bags and bags of food, drinks, ice, and coolers. Nothing could have made us look more like a bunch of college kids trying to have a good time.

The rest of the day (from noon to 7:00) was spent on the beach. We laid out, played frisbee, ate turkey sandwiches and Doritos, and took lots of pictures. We stayed on the beach long enough to watch the sun set and then decided to go back to the boat. We gave ourselves about 2 hours to get back and go through the line. Sometimes it can take close to an hour just standing in line to get on the boat, and we definitely didn’t want to risk having dock time in Costa Rica.

Luckily the line getting back on the boat was not long and we made it just in time to grab dinner. Speaking of which, I am getting so sick of meals on the boat. All they serve us is white lettuce, potatoes, pasta, and wanna-be meat. I have never had so many carbs in my life. I am usually not one to complain about food, but the meal situation has been beyond monotonous. I don’t care how many ways they can serve me potatoes, they still taste the same. I can’t wait to have Manuel’s hot wings, El Torero’s jalapeño cheese dip, a Vortex burger, and Melton’s buffalo tenders.

Anyway, I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I’m sure dinner at the Chaviano’s was fun and eventful. It was so nice being able to use my cell phone for a few hours. It actually took me a while to send my first text message. Talking to you all made me all the more excited to return home. We only have two more class days left and then 5 days of studying and finals. After finals we’ll be in Costa Rica for 3 days, and then it’s back to the USA!

Someone is 21 today...

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEREDITH!!!  Love you!