Ship Life!

I am in love with the MV Explorer! I got used to the rocking motion and the sounds of the engine in our room really quickly and know I absolutely love being on the ship. The endless ocean view surrounding us is indescribable. I wish I could post a photo, but even then it wouldn't be able to capture it. There are large windows in all the classrooms, so it's really easy to stare out into the distance (while fully paying attention of course). It's also amazing to be able to walk out of any door to stand on a deck overlooking nothing but ocean as far as you can see. I found a quiet study area right on the back of the ship on the outside area of deck 5. The back of the ship is the calmest so it's very peaceful. My Religions of the Modern Mediterranean and Intro to Cultural Anthropology courses are really interesting. And the Global Studies course that everyone takes is nice because it incorporates elements of the history of all the countries we will be visiting. As of right now, I am 6 hours ahead of California time and I believe we'll be 9 hours ahead by the time we reach Spain. Which is only 5 days away! I can't believe it. We lose yet another hour of sleep tonight, which will be the third night in a row... Zombie mode activate! It's really difficult to complete all of the required readings for the classes each night, participate in any social aspect of the ship, and get enough sleep. So far, sleep has been the main priority for me. We go to all three classes every day so it's really easy to fall behind. And our midterms are right before we get into Spain, so study groups come highly recommended by the faculty. I went to a presentation on dining out in Spain last night. It made me more excited to hear about all of the foods to eat and what to stay away from.. Spaniards enjoy eating bull testicles and barnacles apparently. The most exciting news about recent food on the ship: brie cheese was served with lunch the other day (so good on the dinner rolls) and pineapple upside down cake squares for dessert! I had 2 at lunch and 2 at snack haha. I signed up for the dependent child care program (babysitting for the faculty's kids) and the extended family program where you are matched up with a lifelong learner and a few other students to have several "family dinners" on the voyage and have a support system. I also signed up for yoga club (my friend Ashley is instructing), ASL club (Meghan is instructing), Argentine tango lessons, and Harry Potter Club! I'm hoping I'll be able to fit most of them into my schedule..

Officially En Route to Spain!

It felt so surreal to be waiting in line and then to actually walk up to the ship to board yesterday. It took around an hour total. Not too bad, but the Bahamian heat was not very forgiving (aka dripping sweat). Oh and I forgot to post in the Bahamas entry, but a gallon of gas there costs $5.50-$5.75. Crazy right? Kate and I were so lucky with the room we were assigned on the ship though. Our Minnesota friends Ashley and Meghan boarded the ship a day early for work study and let us know that they saw our name tags on our room. We paid for economy- the cheapest option- and got a cabin on deck 3! And we are only one room away from theirs. Such exciting news. The only thing is that it’s right over the engine so it’s a tad loud and we can feel the vibrations haha. But we absolutely love it, and it’s so nice being unpacked and organized. Last night consisted of lunch, a lifeboat drill, dinner, and then a welcome meeting and meetings with smaller groups according to the deck you’re on. We have been getting to know a lot of nice people around the ship too. Today, we have meetings scheduled from 9am to 9:30pm. The main room that everyone will take Global Studies in and in which they have lectures is called the Union. You can feel the motion of the rocking ship really easily in the Union and in the front of the ship in general, so it’s really difficult to stay awake. Kate and I went back to the room after the first couple of lectures and discovered that they’re already broadcasting them on our cabin TVs. We were happy to relax in our room and watch. My free email is mmwilliams@semesteratsea.net, so email me as much as you all want! I will update soon with another entry.

Hellooo Bahamas!

Nassau is incredibly beautiful! Clear, turquoise colored water with soft white sand. Right when Kate and I got to the hotel, we saw our two roommates from Minnesota- Ashley and Meghan- waiting for us. It was perfect. We went up to the room to shower before heading down to the beach. The weather is very humid here, so I'm showering a lot more than usual! We got coconut drinks on the beach from a local, but he kind of ripped us off with the price haha. Ashley also found a dead floating starfish in the water. (Yes we are sure it was really dead. We even checked with a local.) After a few necessary photos, Ashley decided she wanted to keep it. We were told we would have to cut it open and extract all of the insides for it to not smell horrible but we thought we would let it dry out on our balcony for a while. Unfortunately, the decomposition became too much so he had to go.

Meghan, Ashley, Kate and I

 We have met a lot of people going on the voyage with us these past three days, especially from our hotel. Everyone has seemed really nice, but the majority do seem to be preoccupied with alcohol.. We got really lucky with the group of girls we met on the first day. We love our hotel roomies Ashley and Meghan, the girls are hilarious. We also met Mary and Cedar from Colorado and Rosie from socal. It was pretty exciting that we all get along so well. We went to dinner at Senor Frogs last night (and there again tonight for an SAS meetup), downtown to the straw market this morning, and of course the beach everyday. The currency is really neat looking here and is a dollar per dollar to ours, so you get mixed change when you pay with cash. The only downside to this mini 3 day vacation is how expensive everything is. We haven't wanted to spend too much on food, so we've only eaten 3 real meals here. Other than that, poptarts, goldfish, and dry cereal have been staples in our diets. We board the ship tomorrow morning and cannot wait! It goes by last name so my time to board is 11:30. We also found out that Kate and I will officially be roommates and our room is one door down from Ashley and Meghan's on deck 3!! Greatest news ever. I will be able to email everyone from my free SAS email on the ship so expect to hear from me soon! Oh and I tried fresh conch salad, scorched conch, and conch fritters. Pretty good! And I was the only person to get mosquito bites and I have around 8 huge ones on my legs and arms.

Ashley, Meghan, Cedar, Mary, Kate and I

New hats at the Straw Market

Ashley and starfish

Rosie, Kate and I at Conch Fritters restaurant

Final Countdown

In as little as an hour and a half, I will be off to Nassau, Bahamas. I am currently sitting at the Philadelphia International Airport with my fellow voyager Katie Dutra. The goodbyes were harder to make than expected, but once on the plane, reality finally set in and most of the anxiety was replaced with excitement. After looking forward to this voyage for the past year and imagining what it would be like to be on the ship and in the countries, it still hardly feels real that the time has come to embark on the MV Explorer. I know that this summer will be full of so many new and exciting experiences and sights to see. I am determined to fully appreciate every moment and I can only hope that time won't pass by too quickly. I promise to update with entries as often as possible and with photos when I can access wifi in the ports. Internet time is limited on the ship and I won't have use of my phone, so I will post my free Semester at Sea email (easiest way to contact me) as soon as they are assigned. I have to admit I am looking forward to being disconnected from my world for a bit. Well that's all for now. I will post photos of the Bahamas before departing on the 17th!

Oh, the Places I Will Go!

So I thought I would post some further detail about the places I will be visiting. I don't have many concrete plans, but I did register for eight Semester at Sea directed field programs. Some of the ones I signed up for will also fulfill a requirement for different assignments in my classes. The first stop on the itinerary is Nassau, Bahamas where I will be staying at the Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort with three other girls going on the voyage. I can't wait to be relaxing on the beach! Unfortunately, I will be missing the momentous 20th birthday of M.Chinn on June 15th, but I have already promised that I will make it up to her with amazing souvenirs and gifts upon my return. 

Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort

La Sagrada Familia- Gaudi's Cathedral

We will then board the MV Explorer on June 17th, and embark to Barcelona, Spain. I plan on exploring the city and especially the works of famous architect Antoni Gaudi. I also have a day trip through SAS to Montserrat Monastery, a beautiful Benedictine monk retreat in the mountains. In Italy, I plan on traveling to the island of Capri, the city of Rome of course, and to Florence and Cinque Terre. My only scheduled trip is to the ruins of Pompeii. The day after we depart from Italy, one of my best friends will be getting married back home. The date of July 9th was chosen just recently, and even though I won't be there for the actual day of the wedding, I am so very excited for Kelsey. I know that they have a lifetime of happiness ahead of them and so much more. I do get to attend her bridal shower this weekend, and hopefully we will be able to skype on the day before her most special of days. I am extremely excited for Croatia and plan on touring the city walls in the old city, perhaps kayaking around the island of Lokrum,  and hopefully traveling to either Montenegro or Mostar. I also have a trip to the Osojnik village which includes a traditional meal from a host family and a folk show. 

Cinque Terre, Italy

Dubrovnik, Croatia

For Greece, I hope to tour Athens and the ancient Acropolis, and I would love to visit Santorini and perhaps another island. I'm not exactly sure what to expect in Varna, Bulgaria (still really bummed they had to replace the Alexandria, Egypt port), but I do have two SAS trips scheduled: one is a service visit to an orphanage and the other a visit to a Bulgarian village. Istanbul, Turkey is sure to be amazing. I will see the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and the Grand Bazaar. I also want to experience a traditional Turkish bath. And I have a two day trip scheduled to Cappadocia!  So excited. 

Santorini, Greece

Cappadocia, Turkey

Camel Trek in Morocco 

In Morocco, I am participating in the three day trip to Marrakech, with a camel trek in the Palm Groves. I have also read that the market places and the Jardin Majorelle are must-sees. I still have to book my flight home from Boston, and I hope to stay overnight to explore a little. This summer is sure to be unbelievable! Only two weeks away!