disembarkation

the day has come; time to leave the ship.

had just over an hour of sleep last night (er, this morning) and spent every possible second enjoying the sunshine, the salt air, the stars, the moon and the good company. played silly games, listened to the boys play guitar and snuggled in blankets under the beautiful night sky.

saw mom from the ship; the strangest feeling. tears of joy and tears of sadness, all at once.

off to soak in the last moments together; should be off the ship around 12.

goodbye, mv explorer.

last night

its our very last night on the mv explorer and there won't be any sleep tonight. we'll be in fort lauderdale around 0800 tomorrow and our sea is expected to be off around 12 or so. then its a day in florida and a flight home thursday. how time flies!

off to swap photos, watch movies and spend time with some of my best friends.

love love love

the last day of school

he who returns from the journey
is not the same as he who left
-chinese proverb


it feels like the last day of school.

the sun shines, drawing people outside to marvel at the ocean. sundresses and nice shirts are the outfit of choice; as if the small effort to dress up makes the day a little more special.

bags are stuffed to the brim, overflowing with memories from the world around. the dress from spain, the scarves from india, the embroidery from guatemala. lining the hallways, the ship seems smaller, making it not only difficult to walk but difficult to grasp the concept of the end.

a break from traditional routines, one last assembly. special meals and snacks are prepared; its as if we are having our class picnic. the decks will be crowded tonight, as everyone tries to take in just one last sunset, to relish the ocean's breeze and to breathe in the salt air.

cameras are everywhere, trying to take in every last image. pictures may be worth a thousand words, though a thousand words may never adequately describe the emotions coursing through ship, like caffeine running through the veins.

a sense of finality; this is it. a nervous energy, trepidation, anticipation. determined not to leave eachothers sides, clusters of friends move from space to space, finding it hard to acknowledge the reality of tomorrow.

108 days spent together is not many in the course of a lifetime; though for all of the experiences and time spent together, one would think we've always been here. the ease of interactions, the unspoken understanding.

our minds are full, our bags overflowing, hearts bursting; the thrill of the summer ahead & seeing those from home is nearly overshadowed by a cloud of uncertainty; when will we see each other again? how are we supposed to describe this experience to others?

when words, photos, and anecdotes fail, how will we share our stories?

last day at sea

5 may 2009

0918 (9:18a)

 

its our last day at sea; a fact that may bring tears as the day moves along. we just ate breakfast and are about to finish packing up the room; its such a strange feeling! i took my map and photos off the wall and now everything feels empty and foreign.

 

we have convocation in a little while and i'm sure there will be tears; i'm packing tissues.

 

mom is on her way to florida, as i type, and i know she's excited. i'm excited too, and i can't wait for her to see the ship! we are the third sea off the ship, which we guess will be around or before 12pm.

 

off to get dressed, pack, lug my suitcases to the temporary hold and to enjoy convocation!

 

love love love

laura

time is worth more as it slips away

4 may 2009
(technically 5 may 2009)
00:20 (12:20a)

a very late good evening from the mv explorer!

things are busy, frantic and becoming overwhelming on the ship. the reality of returning to the states is hitting home, rather hard for some people.

i had a GREAT time at the ambassador's ball, it was like prom. everyone looked beautiful!

the day was spent packing, sunning, napping, swapping photos and staying as close to one another as possible. we had a combined cultural & logistical pre-port for fort lauderdale/the usa; given by "luke" and the other deans, as portrayed by some of our awesome sas kids. it was hilarious and a great way to round out the voyage.

its super late and we've lost our final hour; we are now on east coast time!

tomorrow is convocation and packing and probably a day of tears. then its fort lauderdale! lord, how did it get so late so soon? i'm so excited to see my welcoming committee and those at home. i'm excited to share my stories with whoever is interested, though i'm sure i'll put people to sleep.

i've just completed my slide show, and its approximately 25 minutes. though pictures are worth a thousand words and will hardly do justice to the stories or experiences behind them; my hope is that my slide show helps to convey just how incredible the journey was. and of course, if you want more pictures, i've got thousands!

off to bed, or a movie with the boys? not sure. probably won't sleep much between now and florida, i'll just deal with it ;)

a little housekeeping for all of my lovely readers,
--my ship email will soon be deleted. this means, if you want to stay in touch, laurabeard87@gmail.com is the best way to reach me.
--i WILL be continuing the blog, for all of those interested in following along; i will probably re-organize, add entries and spruce things up a bit; i'm not going to stop writing, that's for

panama canal day / ambassador's ball!!

3 may 2009
0804 (8:04a)


first and foremost,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!! i hope you have an awesome day, though i wish you didn't have to work so that you could watch the webcam!!


okay, now, good morning! its a sunny morning on the ship, which is what everyone was hoping for. i can see big ships out the window! mckendree got up early so i'm going to have to go find them for breakfast. i'm sure that the seventh deck will be crowded with people looking to enjoy the sun and pool. i'll be up there for a while, that's for sure.

tonight is the ambassador's ball and people are getting excited; its like our very own prom! everyone is getting all dressed up, doing their hair, painting their nails and showing off clothes from around the world. several of the boys i know will be in their suits, some of which are crazy colors like orange and neon green; should be interesting!

i'm off to find breakfast and to claim a chair on the 7th deck-- i'll wave to the webcams! haha!