Bracelet

To put my coins to good use I made a bracelet out of them. I love it and it reminds me of all the amazing places I have been and the people I have met. 

Miss SAS everyday

Going home

As I write this I am sitting in the Frankfurt international airport. It is an unreal feeling going home. I am so happy to see my family, friends, and familiar surrounding again. At the same time I know I am going to miss traveling and going wherever the wind takes me. I have had the most amazing five months of my life. I cannot thank my parents enough for the opportunity they gave me. I am so lucky. These experiences will change and shape my life forever and I know that everyone will be sick of hearing my stories eventually! But right now I can't wait to get on this ten hour flight and touch down in good old Boston, USA!!

Munich, Germany

Oldest church in Munich 

Two towers on church, not destroyed during the war because the pilots used them as reference points

Beer hall!!!

Salzburg

Court and I decided to take a stop in Salzburg, Austria for a day. Court was very excited to do the sound of music tour so we hopped over the Salzburg and warmed up our vocal cords. 

Our hostel showed the sound of music movie every night at 7 so we settled down and watched it our night before the  tour. The next morning we arrived at the bus and began the tour. We went to many of the locations major scenes took place. We saw the gazebo that "16 going on 17" is sung, the house, where Maria and the kids fall into the lake, the church Maria and the captain are married in, and many of the mountain scenes. It was so neat to see these places in real life. The town and surrounding parts of Salzburg and breathtaking. It was such a fun stop for a day!

Prague part II

I went to the Czech Republic a second time with court and we stayed there for the days. It was so great to get to go back so soon. I really love the city of Praha. Cobblestone streets and old trams all over to streets. We got to hang out with Lubor again. I realized he is the last face from SAS I will see in Europe. 

Court and I at the Lennon wall

Vienna, Austria

Reunited

Last night I picked up COURTNEY CARROLL from the airport!! So happy to see my first face from home in five months. Now we take on Vienna, Prague (again :)) and Munich. 

Berlin

I realized at this point that I say every place I visit is amazing...but the problem is that they all are. Each place is different and has its own way of beauty. For the last couple of days I have been flying through countries, mostly because I met up with my friends Nate, Spencer, Ethan, and Yue. They have done all of the travel planing, I am just joining up with them for a week where I get to relax and just follow them. So These cities like Budapest and Berlin are places that with out them I would have never gone. But I am so happy that I did. 


Berlin was a mix of old and new. The buildings would have old structure resembling ancient cities, then there were modern elements mixed in. The Parliament building, called the Reichstag building,is a massive stone structure with a glass dome on the top. 

Just as I did in Paris with Emily, we did the Fat Tire City Bike Tour in Berlin. We biked around for four  hours and got to see most of the city and historical sites we wanted to. On the tour we stopped at Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, Hitler's Bunker  Luftwaffe Ministry, Brandenburg Gate, Victory Column, and more. Easily my favorite times in these cities is when we get to bike or walk around and take in all the sights. 

Yesterday I left my group to take a train to Vienna to meet my friend from home Courtney. She was studding in France for the Semester so we decided long ago to meet up after both our semesters abroad ended. Now I can't believe I get to see her again! I am going to the airport to pick her up, I may bring a sign and wear a drivers hat....

Berlin Wall

Prague

Wow. I am loving Prague. I just got here yesterday and luckily got to meet up with my friend Maddie from the ship and my friend Lubor who lives in Prague. It was a mini semester at sea reunion. Yesterday Lubor showed us around a part of the city. We visited the oldest bridge in Prague, which gave us amazing views of the city. We also visited the old town square and clock tower. Our last stop was the John Lennon wall (then the

 John Lennon pub of course!)

I guess I did not know too much about Prague before visiting, but it has exceeded my expectations! I suggest anyone who can to take a vacation here some day in their life. 

Poland

Yesterday we took the night train to 

Auschwitz concentration camps. It was a very eerie and moving experience. We toured where the prisoners slept, worked, the gas chambers, and memorials to the perished prisoners. 

Sleeping on the night trains is always a funny and uncomfortable experience: 

Switzerland - Austria - Hungary - Czech Republic

Over the last three days I have traveled through a lot of countries. I left France and headed on my quest to get to Austria. I "had" to stay the night in Switzerland (huge hassle!). I arrived in Austria the next day after a scenic train ride all around the Swiss mountains. From Austria I went to Budapest Hungary. This is somewhere that was not even on my radar but it is incredible! One of the most beautiful cities I have had the privilege of visiting. The city is so old that there are ruins from the Roman Empire. I met up with some of my SAS friends here and we have been wandering around the city, which is all lit up at night.

Tonight we plan to travel to Poland and see a concentration camp tomorrow. Then tomorrow night we get to go and visit my friend Lubor, who lives in Prague.  I am the most excited to see him again. I have been having an amazing travel experience and don't know what I will do with myself when I come back to the good old USA....maybe catch up on ally sleep. 

WWOOF

My friend Claire and I decided back on SAS that we wanted to WWOOF in France. Well we did near Montpelier and it was a great experience. Our jobs consisted of helping build and rock wall, weeding, and taking care of two adorable 16 month old twins. All in all I am so happy we did it. Now on to Austria!

Ciao

Bye Paris

More Paris

Emily and I had such adventures in Paris. We saw all the major sights; Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, the louvre, and the arc. We like to think mastered the metro and blended in (even though our fashion was not up to Paris standards, they were having none of my large sweatshirt and spandex).

The wine and cheese was to die for, I think we are Brie every night. But alas we parted ways. I am off to start WWOOFing in southern France with my friend Claire. Emily is off to Dublin to meet up with her sister.

I have had the most amazing time as I know it will continue.

Ohh and dad the picture of the chocolate almond croissant looks as good as it tasted :)

Paris

Barcelona

Three years ago I traveled to Barcelona with my parents for vacation. We saw all the sights and had a great time there. This time I got to hang out with all my friends and do some of the same sights and really take in the city. We learned the metro and were very proud of ourselves, saw the Sagrida familia, ate churros, and said long goodbyes to each other.
The weather was kind if crummy when we were there so me and my friend Emily decided to take the night train to Paris. Ht takes me to today. I'm currently in Paris, France and not angry about it at all!!

Poem

Here is a poem written by a Semester At Sea student from Spring 2012. It was posted on the facebook group and it is very fitting of how I am feeling and our experiences. Here it is:

There is a Singapore rail pass, a receipt from a Vietnamese dressmaker, and a Kingfisher bottle cap on the bottom of my purse. I have been to Dominica, Brazil, Ghana, South Africa, Mauritius, India, Singapore, Vietnam, China and Japan. My trusty anti-theft money belt is now the home of rupees, rand, cedi, reals, dong, yuan, and yen… and I don’t plan on cleaning it out anytime soon. I have done more and seen more than most people will in their entire lives. This is how it feels to have a dream come true.

Where I used to see shapes on a map I now see people; beggars, politicians, drug dealers, philanthropist, thieves, travelers, parents, children and in many countries, angels. Everyday I have seen the best and worst that humanity has to offer. I have been ripped off, misguided, threatened, spit on and cursed out more times than I can count. I have also been brought to tears by the generosity of a complete stranger. We have all had to trust, especially in the taxi, tuk tuk, tro tro, rickshaw, and moto drivers- but above all, we have had to trust each other. We have experienced each other’s good, bad and ugly, like really ugly…like day five of the Amazon ugly. Though we were strangers three months ago, we have shared moments of intense fear, hopelessness, bliss and inexpressible gratitude. We have supported each other through meltdowns, travel group drama and of course- missed FDPs. We have watched each other come of age, overcome fears and forge new identities…sometimes in the form of a nose ring or a panda hat.

I have gained an extreme amount of weight- or as I like to see it now- I have gained baby weight of my cultural and intellectual rebirth. But really – it’s not like I was going to skip the Nan in India, the pho in Vietnam or the fan ice in Ghana (or the birthday cake on deck five). Although I won’t miss the pasta and potatoes, I will always long for one more long dinner on deck 5. This ship must be the only place on earth where five college kids can have a three-hour dinner without being interrupted by text messages or Facebook notifications. Those long dinners will forever be among my most precious memories. Whether we were planning our weddings or trying to process India, I always felt most at home during dinnertime. May we always remember the freedom of being unplugged and out of touch and the magic of living in the moment with the people sitting around us.

I finally have the lingo down. I use words like deck, swell, port, berth, tymitz, green sheet, and quarantine. I know that breakfast means deck 6 and dinner means deck 5, unless it’s inedible then its up to deck 7. I no longer worry about the pub night schedule or whether or not my clothes match when I run to global studies. I still don’t know the last names of the majority of my friends - even though I can probably name their school, major, hometown and how they handle stressful situations. Like all SAS kids, I too have spent my fair share of time wondering if the peanut butter is actually soy butter or if the mythical stabilizers are out. I tell time by ports, using phrases like “We became friends after Ghana” or “I haven’t been to the gym since Singapore.” Even though I know there are 367 days in our SAS year, I haven’t actually known the day of the week since we left the Bahamas. My closet is now an eclectic showcase of all the latest trends in tourist couture- I realize as I am writing this I am wearing pants from India, a shirt from China and bracelet from Brazil. I can’t wait until I accidently pull out a Rand to pay for a cup of coffee or find a Family Mart receipt for five Japanese Strongs in my coat pocket.

Though I will miss this ship- the garden lounge, the union and the cove. It’s the people I will miss the most. I can’t imagine life without the eggrolls, the SASholes, the shipsters, the pastels, Mizaram, Nalbach, Takada and of course the amazing crew- especially Achilles. I can already hear Stuart’s voice in the back of my head before all major life events… “Graduation tomorrow- Graduation tomorrow.”

It is funny to look back now- at photos of our old selves, before our dreams came true and the world changed us. We looked so put-together, wondering the ship with our nametags on… now we look like day three of a Grateful Dead festival. However you describe it- backpacker chic, pirate swag - this scraggily bunch of college kids is now a force to be reckoned with …and I am proud to be among them.

As emerald shellbacks we have gone on safari in Africa, tried yoga in India, and enjoyed a few drinks in Mauritius. We have accidently hung out at a prostitute bar in Ghana and caused a 300% revenue increase for that 7/11 in Hong Kong (the same goes for the Krazy Koconut in Dominica and Captain’s in Shanghai). We understand the frustration of being lost in a cruise ship terminal, a subway station and of course, Makola market. We have built houses, fed the hungry, meditated with monks and stood breathless as we visited 3 of the 7 wonders of the world. We now know that no public restroom in the US could ever match the horror of an Indian squatter… and we always know – no matter where we go, there will always be Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pitbull on the radio, and convenient store liquor. We have survived Brazilian rum, Ghanaian gin, South African wine, Vietnamese beer, and Japanese sake…and we have the stories to prove it. We will never forget the theme songs: “I Love my Life” in Dominica, “TIA” in Ghana, “Waka Waka” in Cape Town- and if you traveled with me in India, you will never forget dancing on the bus to “Chaiyya Chaiyya.”

We are professionals now. We have learned the tricks of travel and how to walk with absolute confidence-- no matter how lost we actually are. We have slept with out wallets, tied ourselves to our backpacks and carried index cards with “please take me to my hotel” written in various languages. We know now it’s best not to admit it is your first day in a country, especially when bargaining. We are now masters at the “walk away” technique and know that if the shopkeeper is happy- we definitely paid too much. We can spot a fake swatch or Prada bag from a mile away and all the while we wonder if the Tom’s in Africa are fake or stolen. Red flags shoot up every time we hear phrases like “I give you good price”, “Come meet my friend” or “Here brother, sister- have a look.” We now know that asking about people's children and hobbies is the fastest way to drive down a price (and turn a greedy shopkeeper into an honest friend).

We have learned the importance of pronouncing people's names correctly and even more importantly learning the words "please and thank you" in every language. We have mastered the art of the discrete picture taking, whether we were trying to capture the serenity of a monk or the desperation of a child, we have captured moments that exist beyond description. Even if we took 1,000 photos- images can’t convey the smells, tastes and sounds that made each moment real- and maybe now we realize that the magic really begins when we stop experiencing life from behind the lens and fully immerse ourselves in the moment.

We could have done a million other things this semester- stayed at home, studied in one country… but we didn’t. At this exact moment in time we came together- to learn and grow and to forever be the kids of Spring 12. Although we were a special breed before the MV (lets be honest- it takes a special person to drop everything and sail around the world with complete strangers…without any real plans)- now we are just bizarre. We lived on a cruise ship. We sailed around the world. We went to a university that had a gangway and a pool deck. We must be the only people on Earth who had classes canceled so we could cross the equator or watch our friends in a synchronized swimming competition. Our lives are epic and we are epic… and I know it is just the beginning.

Although we are a pretty confident bunch, we still have our fears. Fears like getting off the ship, losing touch, or getting that first text message. We worry that we will be strangers to our family and friends and that no one will ever understand us again. We will lie awake at night wondering what we will do with our lives to top this experience or how to make this semester count. Deep down we all really have one fear- that we haven’t changed, that we haven’t grown enough and that we will settle back into our old ways of being. We will walk off the gangway in San Diego wondering: “now how do I make this the beginning not the pinnacle?” It seems daunting now, figuring out a way to make our new selves function in our old lives- and not bark at our friends when they complain about traffic, class or being hungry. After Ghana, I will never complain about having to read for class again. I get now how lucky I am just to be able to.

As alum, we will be a hard bunch to overwhelm, to scare or discourage. After waking up to a tarantula in Brazil or walking through a row of beggars in India, nothing really fazes us now. Things that once seemed "difficult" months ago are no longer remotely intimidating. We did this… now we can do anything.

Although we may be unfazed, may we never be “unimpressed.” May we always be delighted by the wonders of world and find magic in every place and person- not just in the monuments or celebrities- but in everywhere we go. May we always see the world though these eyes- the eyes of youth and hope. May we stay optimistic and stay positive… and may we always stay a little naïve-for no other reason besides being young rocks. May we remember the things we said we would do- the people we promised we would help… and may we never forget the moments when we felt anything was possible….may we always remember the person we wanted to become. May we always see the world as an opportunity and a challenge- and may we wake up every morning ready to conquer it.

So as the moments slip away and we try to pack the last three months into two suitcases… may we smile bigger, breath deeper and soak it all in. However you want to say it- You Only Live Once, Love Life, Capre Diem, or Life is short… do it big and do it now… because this is all we have and we are the luckiest people alive. Of course we are lucky because we just sailed around the world and had 1,000 eye-opening experiences, but the luckiest because we have each other… and may we always have each other.

Last day

Yesterday was one of the hardest most emotional days of my life. I had to leave my home of three months and some of the best friends I have ever had. Our "sea" was the last to leave the ship. I didn't think that I would cry but my friend Emily and I walked onto the sixth deck to watch fellow students leave the ship and we just lost it. It was so hard to say goodbye and accept that this amazing experience was over. I don't think I have ever been as happy as I have been these last months. I have learned, experienced, and grown so much. I can never thank my parents for giving me this absolutely amazing experience, it means the world to me. I love Semester at Sea, I am a better person because of it.

MV Explorer

Picture of my home at sunset

Alumni Ball

On our second to last night the Ship had our Alumni ball. Basically we get to relive prom again and dance all night with our friends. I ate with some of best friends Allie, Emily, Maddie, Lubor, and Peter. The ship gave us special dining and Champagne, we felt pretty fancy. We watched a fair well video and danced for the rest of the night and had a sleepover. Great way to close out the voyage!!

Morocco

Morocco was my favorite country. I stayed in Marrakech for three days with my friends KOB, Lubor, Peter, Allie, and Emily. We stayed in a traditional riyad and visited mosques, local markets, and more. We had an amazing time. The food was incredible, I have never eaten so much couscous in my life!! Everyone spoke multiple languages, mostly Arabic, French, Spanish, italian, and some English. It was an amazing way to end the voyage.

Morocco

First day in Casablanca, morocco!! The weather is balmy and breezy. We walked to the Hassan II mosque. It was breathtaking and we were lucky enough to be there when they were saying prayer. Very different experience.

Tonight we leave for Marrakech. And maybe ride some camels!!

Penguins

We went to a penguin beach near the cape of good hope and frolicked with some penguins! Today we get back on the ship and head to Ghana, time is moving to quickly

Cape Town

Cape Town is one of the most westernized places we have visited yet. My friend Michael has a friend from his home college studying abroad here so he took us around the city to the more non-touristy places. Yesterday we hiked lions head mountain during the full moon. the city was lit up by moonlight. Today we are going to see the penguins that live on the beach here! Then tomorrow I am attending a wedding of some fellow SAS students.

Wine tasting

Today is our second day in South Africa. It is amazing I want to move here ASAP!! Allie, Maddie, Emily, Brittney, many others and I are at a wine tasting. We are visiting four wineries and touring thief vineyards, maybe the perfect day