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!