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!
Friday, January 23, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
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!
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!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
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!
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