One More Week!

Hey everyone!

I'm leaving for California in just one week! I can't believe how quickly the time has gone by. It feels like just yesterday I was trying to think of a way to convince my parents to let me apply. :)  I've had such a great Christmas Break being able to relax and spend time with my family and friends, but I am so ready for this adventure to begin. I'm extremely excited, but I'm definitely nervous as well. Such a mix of emotions!

My passport!

My parents are flying down to San Diego with me to see me off and attend the Bon Voyage reception for family members on the ship before we leave. Students aren't allowed to go to the reception due to limited space, so they'll actually get to see the inside of the ship before I do!


My biggest stress right now is trying to decide how and what to pack. We're allowed to take two pieces of luggage and a carry-on item. I'm going to bring two large, rolling duffle bags and a backpack. Fitting what I need for four months of my life into such a small amount of space has proven to be quite a challenge so far, especially since I need to pack for both winter and summer weather. Below is a picture of what my living room currently looks like as I'm trying to decide what I really need to bring. It's a struggle! I've had quite a few people ask me what I'm packing and how I'm choosing what to take. Once I make my final decisions I might make a post with my official "packing list" for those that are interested. :)

I thought it would be a good idea to order some currency from each of the countries ahead of time so that I don't have to worry about finding a place to get some as soon as we arrive in each port. There were a few we weren't able to order, but here is a picture of currency from 8 of the countries I'll be going to. For some reason, money from other countries is very fascinating to me!

I have greatly appreciated everyone's words of encouragement as I get closer to embarking, so thank you all for keeping me in your thoughts! This blog will definitely get more exciting once the voyage actually begins. I won't have very much global internet access, but I will have an email account on the "ship internet" that I'll be able to update this blog from. If you'd like to keep in touch with me while I'm gone, feel free to ask for my email address! That, and this blog, will be my only forms of communication for these four months.

Thanks again!

"Adventure is worthwhile." 

- Amelia Earhart 

Semester at Sea: An Introduction

Hey Everyone!

On January 9, 2013 I will board the MV Explorer and begin an incredible four months abroad with Semester at Sea. I, along with approximately 750 other students, will have an amazing opportunity to circumnavigate the globe in 106 days while visiting 16 cities in 12 different countries. I cannot even begin to explain how excited I am! For this first post, I just want to give a brief overview of what I'll be doing. I will probably do a few more posts before I leave, and I plan to update frequently throughout the voyage!

Itinerary 

Here is the list of destinations for the Spring 2013 Voyage:

- San Diego, CA, United States
- Hilo, HI, United States
- Yokohama, Japan
- Kobe, Japan

Photo Courtesy Of:
www.semesteratsea.org

- Shanghai, China
- Hong Kong, China
- Ho Chi Mihn City, Vietnam
- Singapore, Singapore
- Rangoon, Burma
- Cochin, India
- Port Louis, Mauritius
- Cape Town, South Africa
- Takoradi, Ghana
- Tema (Accra), Ghana
- Casablanca, Morocco
- Barcelona, Spain

The MV Explorer

The MV Explorer is basically a college campus set up on a ship. Here is a link to the "Our Ship" section of the Semester at Sea website. If you're interested, you can look at the deck plans, cabins, library resources, classrooms, etc. The cabin I will be staying in is an inside cabin located on Deck 3.  The ship has many of the amenities you would find on a normal college campus such as a gym, sports court, campus store, textbook center, student union, library, study areas, media lab, medical clinic, dining hall, computer lab, wellness center, swimming poll and more.

Photo Courtesy Of:
www.semesteratsea.org

Courses

I will be taking 12 hours of classes during the semester. The courses offered are through the University of Virginia. There were many different options to choose from! If you're interested, you can find a description of all the courses on the "Spring 2013 Courses and Field Labs" page. I'm focusing on finishing up my general education requirements. Luckily, all of my credits will easily transfer back to Washburn. I'm taking Health Promotion and Behavior, Music Cultures, Anthropology of Religion and Introduction to Anthropology. 

As far as classes go, we don't meet when we are actually in the countries, but we do have classes each day that we are at sea. Because of this, the academic calendar is divided up into "A Days" and "B Days." Classes won't always be meeting on the same days each week. This will probably take a little getting used to!

Each course also has a required Field Lab, which is a trip that you take with your instructor and class members in one of the countries. There will be various reflection assignments that go along with the Field Lab and it ends up counting for 20% of your overall grade. For example, in my Music Cultures course, our required Field Lab is a "Drumming and Dance Workshop" in Ghana where we will go to an African Village to learn and participate in the traditional dance and drumming arts of South Africa. I'm very excited for this!

Work Study and Activities 

I was fortunate to be awarded a Work Study position on the ship and will be working a couple of hours in the Administrative Office each day that we are at sea. There will also be many opportunities for me to get involved in extracurricular activities and student organizations. I'm already planning on joining the singing group, "Singers at Sea," which I am really looking forward to! You can read more about extracurricular and co-curricular activities by clicking these links.

In-Country Travel

While in each country, we can choose to either travel independently/in groups or through Semester at Sea affiliated trips, which are called "Field Programs." For safety and comfort reasons, I am doing most of my bigger activities and trips through these Field Programs.To give you an idea of what some of the trips will be like, here are a few I'm signed up for:

- Homestays in Vietnam, Burma, India, South Africa and Morocco:
These include staying in a home with a local family as well as other activities. For example, the homestay in Burma is a 3 day trip that includes visiting local markets, going to a beach and an elementary school and taking an elephant ride through the jungle! :)

- Habitat for Humanity Service Project in South Africa:
I'll spend a day helping to build a house with Habitat for Humanity International. I'm really looking forward to this experience!

- Orphanage Visit in Ghana: 
I'll visit The City Of Hope Refuge in Ghana. This is an orphanage that cares for children who have been orphaned, trafficked and abandoned. We'll spend the day interacting and playing with the children, as well as preparing meals for them.

Why I Chose Semester at Sea: 

Participating in Semester at Sea is definitely going to be a step outside of my comfort zone, but it is one that I am more than ready and willing to take! I have such a desire to learn about the world and what it means to be a true global citizen. I will have an incredible opportunity to gain real-world experiences in numerous countries through participating in field labs and programs, service visits and other activities, as well as interacting with the citizens. I hope to gain an appreciation and understanding of the people and cultures in each of the diverse countries I will have the chance to visit. I also hope to grow as a person through this experience. Semester at Sea will allow me to exercise my interests and passions in a way that I have never been able to before. I hope to learn more about who I really am and what my true calling is. While I will likely run into some challenges along the way, I have no doubt that it will be worth it. I am incredibly grateful to have this opportunity!

Thanks everyone! I hope to keep this blog updated frequently next semester! :)