12.6.12
So this is it...my last few hours here on the MV Explorer...at least for
this voyage. It's been like high school again, running around trying to
get those last few people to sign journals/maps/cards/whatever you
brought for this moment in time. Most people are writing down e-mail
addresses before phone numbers, a reminder that e-mail has been our
primary contact since August, and there is such a thing where we can
dial a number and be able to talk to friends in a few short seconds...do
I even remember how to text? (It took me a minute to remember my phone
number too!) In some ways, the voyage is ending far too soon, but in
others, just the right moment to be back. All the suitcases are tucked
safely away for customs tomorrow, when before they were sprawled out
under beds, collecting dust until this fateful day.
I know that the friendships made on this voyage are everlasting, and
we're all going to still keep in contact, but it won't be as good as
seeing each others smiling faces every day, or hearing everyone groan
when the Bing Bong comes on and it's time for Randy's Bridge Noon
Report. I'll admit, as annoying as that sometimes was, it'll be a
moment missed when back home.
Mine and D's room looks so bare now that we've had to take everything
off the walls and out of the closet. Crazy to think what I have left is
a backpack full of clothes needed in Florida and a bunch of souvenirs
that I couldn't fit in my suitcase. And memories. Lots of memories
that will not soon be forgotten, but reminisced more often than not
while back home. I think I'll finally learn the lesson of 'pack
lightly' because it sucks trying to walk through the halls with
everything in one trip!
Our final pre-port is tonight; shocking that we have one for
Florida...but at the same time, it's going to be needed, because none of
us have seen the United States in over 3 months. In a few ways, we're
actually going to be foreigners to our own land; we have to readjust to
life back in the States. We've all made jokes about, "What's the
currency rate there?" Or going back to campus and not knowing where
everything is, "Quick, let's call DJ! He'll know what to do!" Not to
mention when we go somewhere new and NOT have a green sheet for
once...how strange! It's funny to think about what has become normalcy
and what remains foreign to us. To think, when we first embarked in
Halifax, everyone was strangers, people got lost on the ship... I don't
know what point during the voyage where this turned into everyday,
expected life. Strangers became best friends, the ship became home.
There have been several times in port where I have been overjoyed at
coming back to the ship, my home, after a long day, where climbing back
into my bed in my cabin was the best feeling in the world.
It's definitely not all bad...I am excited to go home, see all my
friends and family, spend the holidays with those I care most about.
But a part of me will always want to come back to this home, here on the
MV Explorer, and I know for a fact it won't be my last voyage with
SAS...I will return, I'm going to make sure of that! So here's to a
fond farewell to the ship I have called my home for the past 3 and a
half months! I'll miss it like crazy, but it will always stay with me
forever!
SH
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Alumni Ball!
12.5.12
I can't wait to share this moment with everyone! It took us a long time
to set up and get ready, but the ball was definitely worth it! I got to
eat at the later dinner, with Dean John, Dean LaVahn and his wife too!
I told DJ that I wanted to sit next to him when I found out I was eating
there (it was won in the auction, and that person got to pick 12 of
their friends! Megan Drew won it), and to my surprise, he remembered!
He called me the "Lady of the Night" since the waiters were serving me
first (Dean John was the center head of the table). I had so much fun
there, and it was a great time! We both had masks painted on as well,
so we got some great pictures! (Thanks Dawn for doing that for us!)
The dance was just as great! The deans got their dances first (again,
someone could win the first dance with x dean in the auction!) and they
were pretty great...Dean LaVahn's wife won the bid to get a first dance
with him, awww...! Kai got to dance with Dean John, and it was
absolutely hysterical! So was Ali's dance with Dean Lisa! Well the
music was great too, thanks to the DJ's of the night: Patrick and
Sean! I don't know why, but this voyage has a slight obsession with
both The Wobble and The Electric Slide! Both great dances haha. The
music was awesome, and all of us were disappointed when we had to call
it a night. However, the decorations went great, the people were just
as amazing, and the food/music was perfect! It was definitely one of
the most fun nights here on the ship, and a great way to conclude our
voyage! I can't believe we're going to be home in just a few days!
I'll write more tomorrow :)
SH
I can't wait to share this moment with everyone! It took us a long time
to set up and get ready, but the ball was definitely worth it! I got to
eat at the later dinner, with Dean John, Dean LaVahn and his wife too!
I told DJ that I wanted to sit next to him when I found out I was eating
there (it was won in the auction, and that person got to pick 12 of
their friends! Megan Drew won it), and to my surprise, he remembered!
He called me the "Lady of the Night" since the waiters were serving me
first (Dean John was the center head of the table). I had so much fun
there, and it was a great time! We both had masks painted on as well,
so we got some great pictures! (Thanks Dawn for doing that for us!)
The dance was just as great! The deans got their dances first (again,
someone could win the first dance with x dean in the auction!) and they
were pretty great...Dean LaVahn's wife won the bid to get a first dance
with him, awww...! Kai got to dance with Dean John, and it was
absolutely hysterical! So was Ali's dance with Dean Lisa! Well the
music was great too, thanks to the DJ's of the night: Patrick and
Sean! I don't know why, but this voyage has a slight obsession with
both The Wobble and The Electric Slide! Both great dances haha. The
music was awesome, and all of us were disappointed when we had to call
it a night. However, the decorations went great, the people were just
as amazing, and the food/music was perfect! It was definitely one of
the most fun nights here on the ship, and a great way to conclude our
voyage! I can't believe we're going to be home in just a few days!
I'll write more tomorrow :)
SH
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Dominica!
12.4.12
Aside from the tragedy that occurred our first day in Dominica, it was
definitely an amazing port. The first day, I couldn't believe it was
December, and here I was, parading around in shorts and a tank top! I
took a picture next to a Christmas tree haha. I walked around a bit
during the morning, but the city is very small. That afternoon I went
on a SAS river tubing trip. It was so much fun! We first went to the
Emerald Pool, which the water looks like emeralds. There was also a
waterfall and we got to swim...It was quite cold! Afterwards we headed
to the river. We got in the tubes and were given paddles and helmets,
and then we were off! It was such a great time-sometimes the rapids
were lazy, sometimes it was quicker. A couple times people fell off,
but because they lost their paddle or were trying to get some unstuck
(there were rocks we got caught on a couple times!) We went with a
group called Wacky Rollers, and they were great! They had us do a
couple chants, and we even had joke time haha. I loved every minute of
it, and I hung out with new people!
Our last day in port ever was also a great day. We left the ship and
first went snorkeling! It was amazing; I saw so many fish and corals
and even an eel! My mask kept fogging up though so I had to keep
adjusting to it, but other than that, I loved seeing everything. We saw
jellyfish too! I can't even begin to name all the types of fish we saw
either. As we were swimming back to the shore, I accidentally hit some
fire coral...and just as the name suggests, my leg felt like it was on
fire for the rest of the day. It's a type of coral, but it is related
closer to jellyfish than it is coral. I still have a mark of where I
hit it, but it doesn't hurt too badly anymore!
We then went to Titou Gorge, swam around for a little bit, climbed a
waterfall and then jumped off it! (It was only about 6 feet). Did I
forget to mention this is partly where they filmed Pirates of the
Caribbean 2?? We also got to jump off a ledge about 20 ft in the air
into the gorge! The picture looks awesome, and it was pretty scary at
first! Then we headed to Trafalgra Falls...sorry if I misspelled that!
It was really pretty, and we got to go in some hot springs-like a hot
tub! It was so nice! We also drove through the botanical gardens
before we went back to the ship!
It was definitely a great port, and a great way to end the semester!
I'm going to miss this so much!
SH
Aside from the tragedy that occurred our first day in Dominica, it was
definitely an amazing port. The first day, I couldn't believe it was
December, and here I was, parading around in shorts and a tank top! I
took a picture next to a Christmas tree haha. I walked around a bit
during the morning, but the city is very small. That afternoon I went
on a SAS river tubing trip. It was so much fun! We first went to the
Emerald Pool, which the water looks like emeralds. There was also a
waterfall and we got to swim...It was quite cold! Afterwards we headed
to the river. We got in the tubes and were given paddles and helmets,
and then we were off! It was such a great time-sometimes the rapids
were lazy, sometimes it was quicker. A couple times people fell off,
but because they lost their paddle or were trying to get some unstuck
(there were rocks we got caught on a couple times!) We went with a
group called Wacky Rollers, and they were great! They had us do a
couple chants, and we even had joke time haha. I loved every minute of
it, and I hung out with new people!
Our last day in port ever was also a great day. We left the ship and
first went snorkeling! It was amazing; I saw so many fish and corals
and even an eel! My mask kept fogging up though so I had to keep
adjusting to it, but other than that, I loved seeing everything. We saw
jellyfish too! I can't even begin to name all the types of fish we saw
either. As we were swimming back to the shore, I accidentally hit some
fire coral...and just as the name suggests, my leg felt like it was on
fire for the rest of the day. It's a type of coral, but it is related
closer to jellyfish than it is coral. I still have a mark of where I
hit it, but it doesn't hurt too badly anymore!
We then went to Titou Gorge, swam around for a little bit, climbed a
waterfall and then jumped off it! (It was only about 6 feet). Did I
forget to mention this is partly where they filmed Pirates of the
Caribbean 2?? We also got to jump off a ledge about 20 ft in the air
into the gorge! The picture looks awesome, and it was pretty scary at
first! Then we headed to Trafalgra Falls...sorry if I misspelled that!
It was really pretty, and we got to go in some hot springs-like a hot
tub! It was so nice! We also drove through the botanical gardens
before we went back to the ship!
It was definitely a great port, and a great way to end the semester!
I'm going to miss this so much!
SH
Monday, December 3, 2012
Here's to Casey
12.3.12
Hey everyone. As some people already know, one of our shipmates, Casey
Schulman passed away a couple days ago. She was killed in a boating
accident while snorkeling the first day we were ported in Dominica, and
it was an independent outing, not one that Semester at Sea organized.
I didn't know her well, but it's still shocking to lose one of us, and I
have friends who grew up in the same neighborhood with her, so I'm
trying to be there for them. I never heard anything bad about her, and
apparently she went to every Global Studies...now that's commitment!
The whole shipboard community came together in a memorial service, and
another one will be held tomorrow while the ship does a full circle as
people drop flowers into the ocean. It seems like a normal maritime
tradition, but I can't be positive. We also are writing notes to her
parents as well to let them know we're all there for them.
It's a sad situation, especially since we were so close to home, but
we'll get through this...together. This voyage has had its share of
misfortunes, but we've always overcome them, and this is no different.
In times of struggle, we band together and support each other. We
should look at the bright side and live the rest of the voyage to its
fullest, just like Casey would have wanted.
SH
Hey everyone. As some people already know, one of our shipmates, Casey
Schulman passed away a couple days ago. She was killed in a boating
accident while snorkeling the first day we were ported in Dominica, and
it was an independent outing, not one that Semester at Sea organized.
I didn't know her well, but it's still shocking to lose one of us, and I
have friends who grew up in the same neighborhood with her, so I'm
trying to be there for them. I never heard anything bad about her, and
apparently she went to every Global Studies...now that's commitment!
The whole shipboard community came together in a memorial service, and
another one will be held tomorrow while the ship does a full circle as
people drop flowers into the ocean. It seems like a normal maritime
tradition, but I can't be positive. We also are writing notes to her
parents as well to let them know we're all there for them.
It's a sad situation, especially since we were so close to home, but
we'll get through this...together. This voyage has had its share of
misfortunes, but we've always overcome them, and this is no different.
In times of struggle, we band together and support each other. We
should look at the bright side and live the rest of the voyage to its
fullest, just like Casey would have wanted.
SH
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