getting ready to drag my bags down to the port! wish me luck!

no more snow---

time for some sun & sand!

here i am on the beach! we spent the day at paradise island, had a beer on the beach & now we're back in the room re-grouping and showering before dinner. we got some wine/beer to drink in the room so we don't have to pay a ton of money for drinks at the bars, which are wayyyy overpriced for college girls on a budget. we are going to try and find a fish fry restaurant we heard about for some dinner. i'm feeling very relaxed today and its actually really nice to not keep checking the time, to wander around without a schedule and to just take it all in. the girls i'm rooming with, caitlin & mckendree are super nice. we had a really relaxing morning, with a simple continental breakfast in the lobby and then just meandering around nassau.


here is our very first glimpse of the mv explorer, our home for the next four months. it was so surreal to see the ship in person, i got goosebumps. to think off all the work it took to get here and now i just get to enjoy it.


here is a better picture of the ship, taken from our lovely island shuttle. its bigger then i expected, but it still looks tiny next to the carnival ships!




heading out! xo
*if you click the pictures, they will open & you can see them nice & big :)

in the bahamas!

i'm here! i'm in the hotel with my nice roommates, just hanging out. i made it here with no issues, we landed here early. aside from the babies/families surrounding me on the plane, the flight wasnt bad. customs here was really relaxed too, and i found my bags quickly. i waited at the airport for about an hour with a girl i met on the flight and took a cab to the hotel together. we then walked around nassau and savored the last sun of the day. the island is gorgeous and i definitely want to vacation here. we got some dinner and drinks at senor frogs, where we watched some cruise ships come and go. the explorer isnt here yet, it'll be making it's entrance at about 5 am. we then headed back to the hotel and hung out for a bit while waiting for my roommates. we walked around area briefly and decided on senor frogs for tomorrow night, which will be crazy.

off to bed!

love & miss you all!

1 day, 17 hours til the ship leaves nassau!

here we go--

i leave for the airport in a little over an hour.

yikes.

i got to see a bunch of friends last night, which was nice. packing is all set! my bags are zipped and hopefully are not overweight. if they are, i plan on taking out my textbooks and putting them in my carry-on, though that is getting heavy as well. i think i've done everything, and i hope i have enough clothes!

i'm too scattered this morning, so i should go.

my plane leaves at 12 and i should be in the bahamas around 330 or so. then i'm checking into the hotel and waiting for my roommates to arrive. i think i'll probably nap until they get there, or just relax in the room. hopefully they'll want to go out when they get there-- i feel like we should.

i'll try to post on here as much as possible, but the internet will prove to be a challenge.

i'll miss you all! email & keep me posted on your lives!


heading off to jump in with both feet & praying it'll be worth it, though i know it will!


just a few HOURS til the bahamas
& about 48 hours until i'm on the mv explorer!



* by the way, its currently negative 9 degrees here. and its 68 in nassau!!

people need to see that far from being an obstacle, the world's diversity of languages, religions and traditions is a great treasure, affording us precious opportunities to recognize ourselves in others.
-youssou n'dour, musician

[one of the quotes on the starbucks cups. ]



i have lots to do, lists racing through my head. i don't know where the time went because it feels like this trip is so far off. truth is, i'll be on the ship heading out to sea at this time just seven days from now. that is a lot to take in. i think saying goodbye, or see you later, to all of my friends and family is making this week daunting. i get nervous & anxious, though i simply can't let it get to me on the eve of this huge trip. i have to finish packing tomorrow, i want to be done with it and have everything squared away so that i can relax and spend time with my family before i leave. i've been wanting this break to hurry up since before it started and now i feel like its over too quickly. i'm going to miss everyone, very much. and the ineffeciency of communication will prove to be a challenge. i just want everyone to know that i will be thinking of them, that i still want to know whats going on in everyone's lives. email me stories from home, it'll mean so much to me. and i'll do my best to keep emailing and updating all of you with my whereabouts.

bedtime. packing in the morning, wish me luck--

FIVE days til nassau, SEVEN until embarkation. [ !!! ]

calendar

so this may look a little confusing, but it is the calendar for our voyage! here are some hints to help interpret all those boxes:

- everything is in military time.

- the A1, B1, A2, etc. are the days we have classes. this will only be on days that we are "cruising," and not in port. my schedule is:

A days: 0800-0915 english as a global language
920-1035 global studies
1045-1200 languages of the world

B days: 0920-1035 global studies
1455-1610 nutrition around the world

- the grey areas are the times that we are in port. the white is when we are on the ship.

- in the days between hong kong and shanghai china, as well as kobe and yokohama japan, students do not have to be on the boat. there are no classes these days as a result of that. the theory is that students would rather get themselves to the second port on their own and spend more time in the ports. plus, at this point, we will have been to many ports and will have more confidence exploring the cities.

- there will be two april 12th's! this is the result of crossing the international dateline.

- we will be changing time zones constantly throughout the trip. i'm relatively lucky to live on the east coast and to begin the journey in the same time zone. the west coast kids won't be so fortunate. SAS was nice enough to figure out all the time changes and list them out for us.

Based on Eastern Standard Time,
the time on-ship is behind by the number of hours listed below:

Spain: +6 hours
Morocco: +5 hours
Namibia: +7 hours
South Africa: +7 hours
Mauritius: + 10 hours
India: +10.5 hours
Thailand: +11 hours
Vietnam: +11 hours
China: +12 hours
Japan: +13 hours
Hawaii: -6 hours
Guatemala: -2 hours

okay i think thats all i could figure out thus far, off to get things accomplished.

14 days until the bahamas, 16 until embarkation!

stream of consciousness--

here are just some goals i've set for myself, some silly and some serious; to accomplish before i leave for the bahamas. i think you could call this a glorified to-do list.. (i don't suppose that posting my goals (or, to-do list) on here will have any effect on the actual completion of said goals or tasks, though i think its a wonderful form of procrastination!) most of this has been written as i think of it, sort of catcher in the rye, if you will. essentially my thoughts as they have popped in my head.

- set up email forwarding. figure out how to post via email. finish contact list/address book. figure out how to post pictures.

-figure out how to make all my music live on my external harddrive so that i can free up valuable space on my computer for more important things, like the millions of pictures i plan on taking. (note to self, get more memory cards!)

-hide nearly all of the clothes that are not going on semester at sea so that bec doesn't wear them all (and look better in them..). similarly, pack up all the remaining school stuff for the fall & get it out of the room.

- let all the banks know that i will be in foreign countries, using foreign banks and to please, please, please not freeze my account.

- do all the laundry that is piled up on the floor, so that organizing-hiding-packing can be completed. while all the clothes i own are being washed, wear bec's. with permission.

-decide which shoes to bring. this is a tough one. i only have 2 bags. but i have a bunch of shoes. sneakers for lots of walking, sneakers for less walking/around the ship, black flip flops, brown flip flops, comfortable flats that are more dressy than flip flops but not quite party shoes, party shoes, slippers, dressy sandals, etc. clearly this many pairs of shoes are not an option. but coming from a girl who wears brown shoes with brown outfits, black with black and never a combination of the two; i have work to do. i need to be flexible. to wear black with brown; to simplify.

- fill prescriptions. take course of typhoid meds. get some dramamine. bring extra band-aids. find the band-aid blister stick, which i swear exists but bec doesn't. i googled it, and its out there. now word on how useful it truly is, but i figure it might not hurt to have it on hand.

-similar to the shoe predicament listed above, decide which bags to bring. my hideous computer backpack is coming along for the ride to house my laptop. my two wheeled duffels will be along as well. but then what? i'll need the biggest "purse" imaginable for my carry-on, so as to fit all my extra electronics (external harddrive, video camera, digital camera, cell phone, ipod, etc.). i'll also be packing my small messenger bag & my little backpack. and then a wristlet. and my wallet (big or small?!). and my money belt. then an empty bag to pack things in when my suitcases are stuffed at the end of the semester? this will be a challenge, i need to really decide what is multi-purpose and only pack those sorts of things.

-decide on a sim card for the international cell phone i have yet to purchase. i should probably have ordered these things a while back. (opening a new window.. ordering now.) (the sim card at least.)

- figure out classes for fall 2009, freak out about life, think about grad school just long enough to freak myself out, worry about paying for grad school... enough about that; i'll tackle this one in may.

- find a job for the summer. no more coffee shop, though it's a hard habit to break. find something in philly, nyc, boston, nh.. anywhere they'll take me. and pay; though its unlikely that an internship will pay. remind myself that i need the experience & i'll take anything i can find.


i think this is enough procrastination for now (as i have posted twice in the same night & accomplished nothing on the to-do list.), off to waste away watching dvds with the girls.

i must be dreaming.

as i have said in practically every blog thus far, i have a lot to do.

i am so ready to be on my way, and i have quite the to-do list to tackle before i board my plane to nassau in just 14 days, 16 hours and 31 minutes.

it feels like i have been in prep mode for months now, and the waiting is driving me nuts. however, at the same time, i feel like i am being rushed. its hard to wrap my head around the fact that this is truly happening. it was a long fall semester, and i am relieved its over. so much happened. being able to focus on the trip has made all the difference in the world. but here i am today and i have visas in my passport, suitcases next to my bed, lists on scraps of paper stuffed in my purse, a list of emails and addresses a mile long, new clothes, and a new video camera ready to record the whole thing. i have all these things that make the trip real, but i can't help but feel the need to pinch myself. i guess it is supposed to be hard to be mentally prepared for a chance like this. this trip has been a dream of mine since i first discovered semester at sea on the unh study abroad website. never would i have believed that i would be here. two weeks from departure day.

this post sounds similar to some of my old ones, but i cannot help but to return to this feeling of overwhelming gratitude. i get sentimental. i'm overly emotional. i can't help it, that's me. i don't have the right words to tell anyone how i'm feeling when they ask me about this trip. there will never be enough words to truly thank all of my family and friends for supporting me.

i am leaving behind all i know for a ship filled with strangers. when i come home in may, the strangers will have turned to family, just as those strangers at unh have become. it has been important to remind myself that this is not the only adventure of my lifetime, more another chapter; though an amazing one at that. so much of my life has already been shaped by semester at sea, and i know that will only increase as my 100 days go by.

it's beginning to look a lot like..

christmas!

i'm working on my christmas spirit, i'll find it somewhere, i swear. maybe a little christmas music will help. we're snowed in and trying to decorate. we've gotten about 4 inches of snow in the past 3 hours.. oh boy. and more snow on the forecast for sunday. i have lots of organizing to do in my disaster of a room, so i'll take any distraction i can get. made a great present for dad for christmas, more about it when he actually gets it.

29 days until the bahamas where it is 80 degrees today, 31 days until embarkation!

(almost) the end of the semester

i am writing this from the library at home, where i am supposed to be studying for neurology. i guess that isnt going to happen today..

i moved out of the apartment at school on saturday, which is bittersweet. i am so so very excited about my upcoming adventure, but i am going to miss 305b. it is crazy to think that i will not be living there anymore and that i will not be back until late august! that is a long time from now! i became close with all of my roommates this year, and they have helped me through my good days and my bad days. i'll miss them very much-- we are joking that i'm just going on a big long sleepover and i just so happen to be taking my room with me. i'll see them all tomorrow when i go back for my final, but after that i'm not sure when i'll see all of them again. boo.

as a result of my moving out the apartment, i now have a room at home full of boxes and containers and a big ol' mess. i'm hesitant to truly unpack everything, as i am going to have to begin packing relatively soon. i have gotten great tips from other blogs, the semester at sea facebook group and my friends & family on little tricks and creative ideas for packing my life into two suitcases.. i am thinking there will be a lot of packing, unpacking, re-folding, etc. going on before my departure day.

i am having trouble staying focused, as i keep thinking of things to do.. my mind is always going, which i suppose i can be thankful for because i am not freaking out yet. i just need a notepad by me at all times.

i am trying to put off the major cleaning and organizing until after i complete my finals and am done with the semester. it tough, though, i feel bad for bec who has to deal with the gigantic mess and sharing her room again. when i get all of my work done i plan on making a big list to hang on my wall, so i can see what i need to accomplish.

i ordered a total of 5 books for my classes on the ship, and 4 have arrived thus far. i decided to get my books through amazon instead of the university of virginia bookstore because i was able to save myself a significant amount of money. the only downside is that i have to carry the books with me to the ship in january. with a 50 pound limit on my bags, i think i may have to put them in my carry-on to save space in my suitcases. maybe i'll read them on the plane? haha, i doubt it. i did have to order 1 book through UVA, as it is not a real text book, rather something specific to our itinerary that discusses each port. that book will be waiting on my bed when i get to the ship! i spent a long time looking through the UVA bookstore's website, contemplating all of the packages they offer for students-- a school supply backpack, a travel bag, t-shirt/sweatshirt/hat combos. i decided against them because they are so pricey! i am thinking i'll buy a semester at sea nalgene when i get to the ship, or maybe i'll order one and have it waiting in my room.. its so tempting because i just want to have things that say semester at sea!

i think that i am most excited for this trip because i will be getting to know myself. i am pushing myself to step out of the box, to try new things and to be on my own. when i applied for the trip back in late march, i never knew that i would actually be where i am today. it has been a long journey to get to this point and i have already changed. i am hopeful that this semester will be life changing. my eyes will be opened to the world around and i am so incredibly blessed to have this opportunity. so many people are cheering me on, offering advice and words of encouragement. i am taking a trip around the world! only 1% of the world's population can say that they have circumnavigated the globe. this trip very well could change the course of my life. new doors will be opened, others closed. i will come home a different person. still laura, although different. and that is exactly what i need. i need to know myself, and this is one hell of a way to learn. i will make new friends and see how much i have taken for granted in my life at home. my hope is to come away with a newfound appreciation for the life i have been afforded thus far.

in reading semester at sea blogs, i have been able to live vicariously through students currently on the ship. the fall 2008 trip has just returned home, and i am curious to read what they post. one student who has kept up with her entries, posted a speech she wrote for the convocation on the ship.. parts of the speech are specific to their journey, but there are a few parts that have been inspirational to me as i prepare for my own trip--

"Although each and every one of us had a unique experience on Semester at Sea, we all have a lot in common. We’ve all circumnavigated the globe, survived a countless number of time changes, experienced life at sea, gained a greater appreciation for the world and all its inhabitants, realized that we have privileges and advantages that many people only dream of, and that we need to stop taking the littlest things in life for granted because we are not guaranteed another day here on Earth..."

"Whether you came on Semester at Sea to live life to the fullest, to escape a broken heart back home, to travel the world, or to simply prove to yourself that you can survive being away from home for three and a half months, you will now be going home a different person than you were that very first day.."

amanda's blog has been the most helpful in my preparation for this trip, she certainly has a way with words. if anyone wants to read more of what she says, check out her blog -- http://sastravels.blogspot.com/ --

i'm going to give studying a try for a little while longer..

32 days until nassau, 34 until the ship leaves!

ramblings

- i got my prescription for my typhoid vaccination, as well as my anti-malarial, anti-seasickness and anti-foodborne illness prescriptions yesterday. so now, with all those meds, plus some high quality bug spray, i should make it home without any incurable diseases. good thing!

-i'll be heading to student legal services tomorrow to arrange for power of attorney for mom and dad. this way they can sign things for me when i'm at sea.

-i ordered my text books today! a grand total of 6 books, coming out to about $300. its a lot of money, but 5 will be shipped home and 1 will be waiting in my cabin when i make it to the bahamas. i was able to save some cash by staying away from the university of virginia's bookstore and by getting them used off amazon. hopefully they are all in decent condition.

- i am officially doneeeee with classes for the semester in one week from today. and then i'll be home for a few days, back up here for finals and then home until i leave on my great big adventure.

-this weekends to-do list includes figuring out my darn fieldtrips. i have GOT to decide by tuesday. but i dont want to pick! with the help of some friends i have selected a few, but i still am too scared to fill out the application on the website! i dont want to get locked in and then change my mind.

- i found an international phone program that wont break the bank! i'm getting myself more information, but i think its going to be exactly what i was looking for. more on that when i figure it all out.

off to dinner.

i need as many distractions from life these days as i can find.

is it january yet?

45 days, 22 hours.

a note from the dean--

the following is an email i recieved from the dean of my semester at sea, in regards to the recent pirates, bombings in india and the instability of the thailand government----

December 2, 2008

Dear Members of the Spring 2009 Voyage Community:

As president of the Institute for Shipboard Education and as a past executive dean, I have sailed on seven Semester at Sea voyages. I look forward to sharing my next voyage with you, the 98^th in Semester at Sea history, and to witnessing your many personal and academic achievements. The spring 2009 community, selected for its impressive scholarship and commitment to global education, is sure to make a lasting impact. However, please know that there is no higher achievement for Semester at Sea than the safety of our students, faculty, and staff. This has always been true, but the recent bombings in India, political unrest in Thailand, and attacks in the Gulf of Aden require a thorough review of the effect of these events on our current itinerary. Let me take a moment to explain Semester at Sea’s comprehensive data collection and analysis approach to safety.

The Institute for Shipboard Education works closely with senior security experts at the U.S. State Department and other independent risk assessment experts to carefully design and evaluate Semester at Sea itineraries on an on-going basis. Contingency plans are always in place to execute alternative itinerary strategies should any concern arise with regard to piracy or international security. Very often, political unrest and other security threats are isolated to one specific area of a country. We are careful to avoid those areas and we can cancel field trips or change itineraries at any time. All the countries on our program are also common destinations for other study abroad programs as well as U.S. tourists and business travelers. As part of our Health and Safety Awareness program, the evening before arrival in a specific country, all students are required to attend a pre-port briefing about country-specific health and safety concerns. Frequently, Semester at Sea arranges for local U.S. Embassy officials to board the ship the day of arrival to provide additional safety briefings.

Semester at Sea’s floating campus, the MV Explorer, is the fastest passenger ship of its kind. This speed gives us greater flexibility to avoid areas of concern and to change itineraries, which decreases the impact on our schedule. Unlike a land-based campus, we have the great advantage of mobility. In the event of sudden security concerns, we can simply cancel our visit to a given country. When nearing the Gulf of Aden we enforce a 24-hour security watch and maintain constant contact with international maritime agencies that monitor vessel traffic. In addition, we deploy anti-piracy protocols to deter potential intruders and we are instituting additional security measures. The physical characteristics of our vessel and the heavily patrolled and monitored route we plan to follow this spring, which is also traveled by hundreds of other ships daily, reinforces our preparations for a safe passage. Having said that, we continue to evaluate world conditions daily and we have several options available if we determine that it is necessary to change our course. We are currently in discussions with the U.S. State Department, maritime security experts, as well other private risk assessment firms to help us make informed decisions. If anything should change, we will immediately notify you.

To keep you informed of our comprehensive health and safety practices, we publish a dedicated section on the Semester at Sea website: www.semesteratsea.org/our-ship/overview/health-safety.php. I urge you to familiarize yourself with these practices and to contact our office with questions at info@semesteratsea.org. We will continue to seek out the most effective safety measures available in our efforts to keep our floating campus and the Semester at Sea voyage community safe.

Next month we will embark together on the 98^th voyage of Semester at Sea. I am confident that this will be a rewarding and memorable experience for each of us and I am honored to be sharing this wonderful opportunity with you. Thank you for your support in making this a safe and academically successful voyage.

Sincerely,

Les McCabe
President, Institute for Shipboard Education
Spring 2009 Executive Dean

47 days to go..

55 days to go.

yikes.

course approvals

good news --
yesterday i finallyyyy received my course approvals. i had submitted my forms in early october and they were just in my mailbox yesterday. i am very lucky, in that the course i am already registered for was approved. i'm sure it would have been a mess if i'd had to change classes. so, i will be able to take 'nutrition around the world' and complete my unh general education requirements. this means that all my classes senior year will be major/minor related, yay!

i have a LOT of work to do, as far as my trips go. i get so caught up in the details! i wish i could do everything. my big booklet should be here today, so i can really dive in and decide what i'm doing.

friday is the mandatory unh abroad 'orientation' for students who are going to non-english speaking countries. should be interesting. 3 hours of lectures, most likely.

all of the little things i signed up for this semester are piling up quickly, so i should head out and tackle things now, while i have a few hours.

61 days, 7 hours. oh my.

FDP's, IFP's, Indy's, etc.

fdp's -- faculty directed practicas. field trips designed and organized by professors according to their interests and the goals of their classes. we are required to take approximately 2-3 FDP's per class, and to journal about them.

ifp's -- international field programs. these are the trips organized by SAS from beginning to end. there are day trips, tours, and long excursions as well. these can range from $20-1600, and include meals, airfare, admissions, 5-star hotels, etc. i will be doing a few of these, but my budget is not made for those high-end trips.

indy's -- these are independant trips planned by students, for students. there are several indys in the works on the facebook group, including a roundtrip to the taj majal and a sleepover on the great wall of china. i will be traveling independantly, so i look forward to meeting all these people who i have been exchanging messages with online.


all of the fieldtrips for this spring have been posted.
that means, i have a lot of decisions to make.

i'm hesitant to start deciding what to do because the idea of endless opportunities is much more exciting.

i am starting to put together rough ideas of what i would like to do in each country so that i can begin deciding which SAS trips to do, versus independant group trips, etc.

i know already that i will be heading to rome when we dock in italy to meet up with my wonderful friend amanda who is going to be studying in florence next semester. when i start to think about the two of us in rome, i get so excited! i can't wait. and i know that a familiar face from home will be exactly what i need after my first few weeks on the ship.

i'm off to google, about.com, and research things to do!
then classes, i suppose. :)

---63 days to go---

countdown

67 days + 8 hours..

i've got SO much to do!

a whirlwind of a weekend

what a hectic, crazy, emotional, fun, and exhausting weekend.
brandon's junior ring weekend (jrw) @ pc-- two nights of party clothes, dancing, and friends;
and poppa's 90th birthday celebration at home, with family from across the country.

i am so grateful that everyone was so accomodating to me (and to brandon). my family was understanding and i got to see aunts & uncles & cousins, albeit breifly. i wished i could have been in two places at once. jrw was a great time, and i'm so glad we made the last bus!

SAS update
-- all of my forms have been sent and are accounted for! YAY, no more paperwork!

-- the field trips have been posted on the semester at sea website. i have NO IDEA how i am supposed to pick my trips. there are so many amazing offers. i just have to choose wisely in the first round of selection so i don't blow my budget before i make it to the ship.

-- i'm looking at hotels in the bahamas. and i need to book a room as soon as possible, as they will only become more expensive the longer i wait. i suppose i'm only hesitating because i would rather not stay by myself, though i don't know anyone who would be able to share with me. i posted on the facebook group asking if anyone was interested in sharing a room and i'm not sure if anyone has responded.. i should check.

-- on a sad note, a student died on semester at sea's fall voyage. kurt leswing was hit and killed by a drunk driver in hong kong. i still have shivers down my spine everytime i think about the horrible accident. i am sure the ship community is struggling right now, and my thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends and all who knew him.

-- i go for more shots on wednesday! technically, its a shot and then a round of typhoid medicine for a week.

-- hopefully my lovely sister collected names & emails for me at poppa's party so i can get my email list all set up and crossed off my gigantic list.



off to clean up, unpack & head to class.

70 days and they will be flying by. i couldn't sleep when i realized-- that 2 months! where has the semester gone! i can hardly believe that i am getting so close to this trip, which has been in the works for about 7 months now!

YAY OBAMA!!

hopefully there will be some sort of coverage of his inaugaration while we are on the ship in january, because that's something i wouldn't want to miss.



t-minus 75 days.

vaccines & more

i got my tetanus-diptheria-pertussis immunization today,
and i'll be getting my typhoid pills & polio vaccine next week.

i also mailed the veryyy last of my forms to SAS!
it's such a relief!
hopefully that's the end of the running back and forth around campus from office to office.

this weekend is my poppa's 90th birthday party and brandon's ring weekend.
i'm so excited to see some of my cousins and to be back at pc again.

then it'll be back to reality as the semester is going by so quickly.
thanksgiving will be here so soon, and then the semester will be nearly over.

this weekend, i'll be getting all my family's addresses to add to my contact sheets
so that i can send emails and postcards accordingly.

off to get some work done..

76 days + 21 hours..

is japanse mickey different than american mickey?

i want to go to tokyo disney!

i got the idea from a friend who's sister is in taiwan on a fullbright scholarship. she's going to tokyo disney for their winter break! i've been looking online and the tickets are about 5,800 yen. (~60 USD) and its not to far from where the boat will be when we dock in yokohama.

there is also a hong kong disneyland, which is accessible by train. and according to the currency exchange website, it would be cheaper. about 350 hong kong dollars (~45 USD).

i'm looking into it, and hopefully other people will want to join me!

78 days + 5 hours. YIKES!