Time for the second update from sea:
It’s been three days since the last post (this is being written on the night of C5, or class 5, and will be posted on C6). And there’s a lot that has happened in the last few days.
The sunsets around here are nothing short of beautiful. There is going to be about 60 pictures of just sunsets alone, and I swear that almost each of them are going to be different. The only way to describe them is as an act of awesomeness. True fact!
Anyways, the adults of the trip are almost as important as the kids who are here. There are about four kids per one adult (which, for the sake of this trip, shall be defined as a person who is of legal age who is not a student on this voyage). This blog post will just tell about the few of the many adults that I have come across throughout the voyage so far in the last seven days.
There is, of course, the two main deans. There’s one from UPitt, and there’s one who is from UVA. Their names are on the website, so you can look them up (yeah. I’m making you do work. I don’t care).
Then there are the assistant deans. There’s Lynette, who is not only the dean of students, but who I found out grew up no more than 6 blocks away from where I grew up. Furthermore, she took the same train as I did. It’s crazy. Truly is. There’s also Jill, who is also awesome. She’s also obsessed with gelatos. And I mean OBSESSED! Well, for that matter, so am I, but that’s a story for when we get with Italy.
Then there are the professors. Prof. Bowler is the one for global studies, and everyone on the ship has him. We all take that class together. Then, after him, there’s prof. Gillespie. The only way to describe her is that she’s like Dr. Goodstein and Dr. Tabrizi combined. True fact. And, lastly, there’s Dr. Huey. And while his class is awesome, and I mean awesome, and while I think he’s a good prof and person and all that stuff, let’s just say that I will never raise doubt about silver fox’s long pauses for notes ever again. I mean ever.
Chela is our LLC (R.A.). I don’t want to say that we have the best sea, but just about every other sea is jealous about us and the stuff we do. We initiate, and then they imitate.
Then there’s Ruel and Dante, who are our cleaning people for the ship. And by that, they make sure the room is looking good and that there are no damages and stuff, and then they also clean the beds and stuff for us. It’s weird that we are on a ship and that they are here, but I think that the entire ship is thankful that they have come here to help us. at the very least, the kids are grateful for them, and treat them well. (sidebar: I’ve talked to Dante and Ruel a few times, and they said that we were their best room to clean b/c our room was the “easiest and required least work” to finish. That makes me proud).
Anyways, I’m just finish this post by saying the highlights for the last few days, for my laptop battery is dying right now and I need to charge it soon.
The food on the ship is edible most times. It’s gotten slightly worse since we left Halifax, but that is somewhat expected after being on a boat without land for more than a week. Dinner with the group of awesome peeps has been just about daily, and that is an awesome thing to have on one of these voyages.
There was a dance on Saturday, but it was just meh. However, the party actually happened in two places. There was the alcohol line, and then there was the smoker’s deck. (mon, I don’t smoke). Everyone just hangs out there and meets people and has fun and all of that stuff.
Sunday was our movie night for our sea, and we saw Forgetting Sarah Marshall. It’s ridiculously funny. True fact.
Anyways, there should be land approaching in less than an hour, so I have to finish and read and do all that fun stuff until then. The updates will get better when we get to Spain in two days (which I hear is a Thursday).
Be safe. Enjoy the Summer. If Jessica F or Sara are reading this, Be Safe in Jamaica.
Until next time,
Jeff.
p.s. the concept of time and days are completely irrelevant on this trip. It’s a ship.
It's 12:30am and there is free internet in the hotel. Tomorrow, we board the ship, but the whole group of kids, parents, teachers, and other people are already in the city. Lifelong learners and student workers already boarded the boat. The rest of us are going to board sometime tomorrow, and then the boat leaves at 1700 (have to get used to ship time since they use the 24 hr clock system). Anyways, if the two days in Halifax were any example as to how this trip is going to run, then the next 68 days are going to be awesome. J
So here's the low down on what happened in Halifax.
So I got into Halifax yesterday with about 8 people on our same flight. There were two who came from California, but the rest of them were from Upstate or Long Island. The flight was smooth, and we were on one of those commuter planes that travel to the local places (sidebar for Matt, it was an Embrader 140. We're tall people, Matt. You know our pain). I think that we all had excitement the night before, causing us to 1. Get no sleep before JFK, and 2. Fall asleep the entire way to Halifax.
Getting to the hotel was also a trip. I met Mel (Cool girl from Long Island) and Amy (other cool girl from Long Island) on the plane, and we decided to split a taxi to the hotel. They ended up staying at the same hotel that I was staying at, so it was worth it to split the stuff over. When I got to the hotel, I met the two roommates for Halifax, Josh and Tina. Fun times, ya know? I settled up here, got some stuff, and then explored the city with Mel, Amy, Josh, Tina, and Sami, this guy from Boston who met with Tina and Josh the night before. We ended up finding a Subway sandwich shop in order to get some food, but right across the street, there was a good sushi place. And by good, really really really big sushi rolls.
After that, we went to walk around the city and explore and have fun times and such. You know, bonding and all that fun stuff. Then, after waking up, Sami and Josh found two girls from down the hall of Sami's room. The four of them ended up coming to the room, and them, plus Tina and me, went to go explore the Halifax nightlife for Sunday (Mel and Amy were tired and wanted to sleep in/wait for their roommate). Exploring the city is a lot better when the legal drinking age is 19 instead of 21, and to be honest (soapbox alert), the city is probably a lot more safer now with a legal age of purchase at 19 than it being 21. True fact.
BTW, when I do go on a soapbox, I will probably preface it. Why? Well so that readers know that I am preaching about nonsense and when I am not. True fact.
Anyways, the Club was awesome (some stories are not for you all until after I come home. Just know that it was really fun). Then we came back and Tina and I slept while the rest of them ended up chilling for a bit.
The next day, Mel and Amy, and their new roommate Emily, along with Tina, Josh, and Me all went to chill for the day and explore what the daytime of Halifax had to offer. Two words can only describe that day: Harbour Hopper! There will be pics in 2 months to explain all of that. Then, there was Canadian Wal-Mart to get some last minute supplies (such as a Broken Phone Charger…) and then back to the hotel to pick up our last roommate, James (who we ended up finding a few hours before on Monday for Monday Night).
Then was dinner, and an SAS gathering in a Bar down on Argyle Street, and then some general hanging out between then and now. The night ends with Josh and Tina talking about randomness and fun times and life, and me writing this blog to say what's good. It's now 1:10, and I thought this would have been posted a few minutes ago, but it's on its way now. We have to wake up early, then go thru security and ship protocols and all that fun stuff, find out our roommates, find each other, say goodbye, and then start the actual journey itself. That's the things about these two day buffers. It's doesn't seem real, and yet it seems fully real. So we'll see what happens the rest of the day.
James is Asleep. Josh and Tina are going in depth about life and nonsense (which are really the same thing). And I'm writing this. See you all sometime soon, if not before we dock in Halifax.
Until then, Au Voir, mis amis.
Today is it. This is the last full day in New York until August 23rd. How about that?
There's something that I've noticed about those going on Semester at Sea. We tend to analyze everything, plan most things, and yet be spontaneous at the same time. There's planning and then not planning and replanning and overplanning and underplanning and everything that comes with it. It's crazy really about what's about to happen. 8 countries (with Halifax included) and 9 ports in 70 days, and then a daytrip to Richmond to cap it all off. 700 people who all coordinated their lives to take the same trip at the same time are, on Tuesday, going to go on that trip.
So before I go to Halifax, which I leave for tomorrow, I'll tell you all about the journey of how I got here.
All of this loosely began in 2008 after graduation. I went to my Home School, St. Francis College, b/c they gave me a full scholarship. I always heard of this program, but never looked too much into it. I did know that I wanted to do something abroad during university.
Fast Forward to spring of 2009. Tried to find out about study abroad programs and possibly doing one sor the summer of 2009, but was told that the school's policy was to wait until the end of sophomore year in order to do anything. So I waited and relaxed and hanged out that summer.
Fall 2009 began the first real meetings about study abroad with the SFC Study Abroad director, Dr. Greene. I had a sense that I wanted to do SAS, but the price did seem to be a bit expensive. So, we looked at a few programs from ISA (institute for study abroad) along with SAS in order to see what would fit. And, for good measure, I applied to get some information mailed from SAS and other places.
Then, the SAS stuff came. And in that batch of stuff was an 18 minute DVD. And I was hooked. No other programs seemed to be as good anymore, and as such, it was now time to set up the application for SAS. Forms began to be filled out, finances were going to be figured out (worse of a process than the forms), and logistics and all that fun stuff.
The application was sent in sometime in the Middle of October, after Dr. Greene's approval. Then, the waiting process began… and went on and on and on.
The day before Halloween, I get the email. I'm accepted. And then, the journey became real. In however many months came between then and tomorrow, I would go on SAS
What followed in that time was the planning of craziness: months of paperwork, forms, finances, more forms, reading, researching, packing, buying, selling, form filling, and not to mention the fact that there was still the fact that I had to not fail at college… and show up for work and stuff… and all of that stuff.
But by May, it was mostly done. Classes were passed and forms were finally being mailed out and everything seemed to be working.
Then, the goodbyes hit. 3 weeks of them to be exact, with the last ones tonight. No need to go thru them since most of the people reading this were either a part of one or know what it's like to have 3 weeks to say "see ya later" to just about everyone they know before SAS
And now, we're here. I leave tomorrow, and say goodbye today. And then tomorrow, the fun begins. For those who don't know, I'm seeing 7 countries and 8 ports while away. Barcelona, Rome, Naples, Dubrovnik, Athens, Istanbul, Alexandria, and Casablanca. There will be some other stops along the way and lots of pictures when I come back.
Until then, see u all on the flip side. Yes, I said flip side.
It's been so long that I didn't update this, I forgot to mention everything that's happened over the last few weeks.
I started and finished my Sea Lion Seminar…
I turned 20. Spent it at the Aquarium and Coney Island, then Sushi
I finished the Sea Lion Seminar.
And I went and came back from CFL Nationals (pics are on FB).
And now, there's only two countdowns left: 12 days until Halifax, and…
14 DAYS UNTIL SEMESTER AT SEA!
It's unbelievable that it's legitimately two weeks away. And there's still a ridiculous amount of stuff to do. I have to repack everything from Nats to SAS, figure out what I'm going to bring to SAS, make sure my money's all set for nats, figure out what to bring to Halifax, figure out what to get in Halifax, and finish everything until a week from Sunday.
Anyways, Nats was fun. Time to make sure everything's in order, and then, time for SAS.
14 days J
