Typical Days at Sea!

Even though I am sure that you all enjoy my blogs, I can bet that many of you would like to know more about my day to day living habits and how my days go.

The days alternate from being ‘A’ days and ‘B’ days. On our schedule, we have a code (A or B) next to it to tell us which day we have that course. It’s very simple. And every day that we are at sea we have a class called Global Studies that every student and faculty member is required to attend. We learn about prevailing winds and how the Earth moves causing different climates and types of regions in different parts of the world. Soon, we will start learning about what to expect in Spain, which is what everyone is excited about. Everything shuts down during that time including the store, computer lab, and snack bar. And if you are caught roaming the halls, you receive a gentle reminder to attend. We can, however, watch this class through our television in the cabin, but Caitlin (my awesome room mate) and I know we will fall asleep (especially with experiencing how un-eventful the class can be, not to mention the rocking of the boat simulates a baby cradle) so we attend it in the Union (the 500-seat classroom at the front of the ship) or in another classroom where it is projected onto a screen. A lot of people feel the most seasick at the front, so a lot of them opt to watch it in another class. I myself haven’t gotten seasick, besides the fatigue which we are told is a sign of seasickness. Anyway, Global Studies begins every day at 9:20am and before that we have breakfast from 7:00-8:30. We usually make it upstairs by 7:30, and I’m not having too much trouble with getting up earlier than I am used to. Breakfast is always the best meal of the day, so getting there early is beneficial. They usually serve pancakes or French toast with bacon or sausage, some kind of egg fixation that I avoid, and lots of juices and coffees and breads.

After Global Studies on ‘A’ days, I have Principals of Marketing in the Union from 10:45 until 1200. The professor in that course is a woman by the name of Dee Bird. She is a very interesting older white woman, and was born and raised in Zimbabwe. The way she talks can be perfectly described as cute. There are about thirty to forty students in that class, and so far the class seems to be a little bit of review but I’m sure it’ll progress onto things that I am less familiar with.

Right after marketing, is lunch time for me. It starts at 11:30 and goes until 1:30. Lunch varies in what they offer. We always have salad with two choices of dressings, bread rolls, pasta or rice, one to two meat choices (like pork chops or chicken wings) and soup. The variety is refreshing, although when I am in the mood for a light lunch, a toasted peanut butter and jelly sandwich seems to do the trick. I usually eat on the deck outside with some friends, or with total strangers. Everyone is so kind here. The crew comes by and clears the table for us, and I am always grateful and impressed with their balancing skills of plates and cups. Promptly at noon every day, an announcement is made telling us if we are to move our clocks forward before bed, our exact longitudes and latitudes, the water and air temperature, and that nights activities.

After lunch is my second and final class for the day (not to mention my favorite on the ship): Intro to Poetry. The class runs from 13:35 until 14:50 and is more of learning how to read and analyze poems instead of writing them. But we are given several opportunities to write poems and get credit for them, which you can all count on me doing and posting! The professor for this class is very animated and can recite poem after poem after poem, which I find to be rather entertaining. It also astounds me how similar his voice is to that of Kevin Spacey, and yes, I have gotten agreements on this opinion.

After my classes, I usually bring a book up to the top deck and sit out under the last hours of sunlight before dinner at 5:30. Dinner is just like lunch, except more meat is usually offered. Talking to several students, it seems to us that the vegetables and salads always look better than the meats. A lot of them are wondering if they are going to walk off the ship vegetarians, but I love my meat so don’t you worry about that!

After watching the sunset on the deck, it gets cold very fast so everyone usually heads to their cabins or to the piano lounge to study. Movies are played on four stations of the television, so when I don’t have homework to do, I watch one of them. It is quietest on the ship from 7:00pm until 9:00pm. Then almost every night at 9:00, there is a movie played in the Union, or some kind of event. Tonight was open Microphone Night and there are several talented musicians on the ship! Almost everyone comes to these kinds of gatherings. Bed is around 11:00, after writing emails to friends and family!

On ‘B’ Days, everything is nearly the same except I have only one additional course to Global Studies instead of two. That class is Psychology of Stress in the Workplace, and goes from 2:55 until 4:10. The class is going to be interesting, but the professor is (not to be rude) outrageously dull. But I’m not complaining! Between Global Studies and Psych, I lay out in the sun with some friends or catch up on reading, or whatever. It’s nice to have a few hours of my own then.

In Spain, a group of us girls are going to a place called “White City” where the buildings and houses are all white. Then we are taking a trip to little cities called Saville and Granada to see the sights and go wine tasting. Caitlin and I are both very interested in wine and photography (and love The Beatles!) so it is surely a good situation for the both of us.

I got a tour of the bridge today (basically the cockpit of the ship) and I got to shake the hand of Captain Kingston. Funny British guy that has an interesting sense of humor. We got to ask all the questions we wanted. There won’t be sea life sightings until South Africa, is what he told me. Whales are seen occasionally, and he will announce them as he sees them. Boats are also few and far between. We are nearing the middle of the Atlantic and I have only seen one boat since leaving the Bahamas.

Morning yoga has yet to start, but I have been working out at the fitness center three times a week. It sure is hard to run on a treadmill while the ship is rocking side to side! Additionally, I signed up to be a psychology tutor, and applied to work on the student yearbook. We should find out soon who is going to be working on that.

It’s time for bed, but I thought you might be curious what I am doing with my time on the seas! I am loving it here!

Deck Thoughts

As I sit on the upper dock of this moving vessel, the wind sweetly whips through my hair and the brightness of the sun teases my eyes. The waves are far below me, but their stir against the boat can be heard like a kittens purr. The peace of life on this craft is truly altering. Here, everyone is so welcoming, and instantly loving. No one fights, or gossips, or judges you through looks or clothing or skin color or accent or beliefs or opinions. Everyone cares about your individual experiences and wants to immediately learn truly what you are all about, starting from your core and then out to your clothing, and never the opposite way in order with the rest of the world. In these short days, I have already learned so much. And not from classes, or text books, or research sites. I have learned about people, through people. And what I have learned makes my mind wander to the depths of what this world could be, and it aids me in realizing that everything in this life has to do with other people, and the actions and interactions and reactions that we constantly take for granted and have become numb to, sometimes annoyed with. And when considering all of that, it forces me to contemplate human desires. Through this week, this is what I have unearthed:

People, as human beings who were born to love and enjoy life, should do just that and not a single thing less. What is life if it is not bringing one absolute joy? There is no excuse for letting a life go by. You are only given one, so don’t squander it.

We are not even half the way to Spain, and I have already learned so much. Evidently these experiences give me more than what I will learn in a classroom. Who will I become? I am electrified to find out!

Ahoy!

Jan. 19th - 2300 hrs

As my taxi driver with a thick Bahamian accent picked me up from my hotel this morning, I was relieved that I was on my way to the ship. The lack of sleep and dragging heavy bags around was just about over. Just this one last leg and then I was there. I could feel the salty air from the open windows of the cab filter through my hair and my spirits rose. It had been a long time coming, and just as he cut down a small alleyway, I could see a giant ship in front of us: Semester At Sea. A smile swept cleanly across my tired face, and excitement welled up from somewhere down deep. I was finally here!

We disembarked at five, and promptly at that. Dinner was had on the deck just in time to catch the first of many sunsets. And soon after, night fell. And boy did it fall hard. There was no more land to be seen, or even ocean for that matter. Looking out, all we could see was black; not knowing where the sky ended or where the ocean started. But although the waves could not be seen, they sure could be felt. The ground still feels like walking on a labyrinth with the waves pulling you with its powerful force.

Even though making my way from port to starboard is no easy venture, the people here are wonderfully pleasant, most with a true appreciation for where they are that you can sense from just a glance. Names have flown past me, all except for my room mate and a few other girls that I met on the plane. I am excited to start classes to meet more people on a closer-contact level.

I am here, and I can’t wait for more!

Note: For those of you who have anxiously been waiting for an email from me, the free email is not working properly on most of the students’ computers. I’ll go get it fixed once the lines die down!

Ah ha!

Well, after packing late, lack of sleep, last minute flight changes, weighing luggage, changing bags, a few goodbyes and moving terminals, I am finally (and officially) on my way to distant lands. Salt Lake City is where I am now. And it is the beginning of my journey. I can't help but think that I will be sitting here in early May, astounded that the voyage is over. But for now, I am happy that I am here, finally, and on my way to start it all!