First 3 Days

 As predicted, the maintenance of my blog has taken a backseat to classes, snack time, and hanging out with my mermates, but I have taken a new resolution to update it every three days at sea. The first word that pops into my mind when summing up my first 12 days on the MV Explorer is UNBELIEVABLE. When preparing for this journey I had heard words thrown around such as life-changing, unforgettable, best semester of my college life, but being the skeptic that I am, I assumed that was all propaganda. But now I know those will be the exact same words I use once this voyage is over.

The first day

Jubilantly and nervously I boarded the shuttle to Ensenada, Mexico, where my cherished new home awaited me and 500 other college students. Instantly you could feel the eagerness in the air as everyone began to introduce themselves to their fellow SASers around them. The group I met on the shuttle were great company, but unfortunately I lost them once we cleared inspection and boarded the ship. Feeling anxious and overwhelmed, I found two other girls to eat lunch with who shared in that feeling. Though it had only been 2 hours since we had boarded the ship, I felt as if everyone had already made friends and I was the outcast. But as fate would have it, the dreaded lifeboat drill 

Being grouped together as the misfits for wearing shorts and flip-flops, Danielle Moore (Dani), Kala Jackway, and I began to bond over the sexiness of our life vests. As the ship embarked and we headed out to sea, little did we know we had meet our mermates (as Dani would coined it later on) for life.

The second day

With a full day of orientation, Danielle, Kala, and Antoinette Cashwell (known as Toni, my roommate and also mermate), were bound to the Union. Many SASers felt the full wrath of Poseidon, Danielle and Antoinette included, as the boat continued to rock and the ship's Dramamine supply began to dwindle. I was lucky enough to only feel the effects of being rocked to sleep, only able to stay awake for an hour at a time when sitting in one spot. The most intriguing speaker was Duncan, Will Smith's technology consultant, who spoke about discovering the path less traveled and making it your own.

 The third day

Today all SASers remembered we were in college and not just traveling the world with 500 new friends. Global Music and Adolescent Psychology were both intriguing, but on far opposite sides of the spectrum. Global Music centers around enjoying the musical experience during class, while Adolescent Psychology tests your knowledge with quizzes every class.

The day flew by as each day before it. 10 pm snack time arrived, the most beloved time of the day. Kala, Toni, Dani, and I grabbed our chocolate squares and wandered around, searching for an open seat. We plopped down next to two SASers offering friendship through Pitch Perfect. Of course they swooned and from then on our group acquired two new mermates, Lauren Siegel and Grant McCannon.

test

Test from the ship

First Leg of the Journey

Traveling from North Carolina to California constituted the first leg in my world circumnavigation. It was great to hang out with my sister, brother-in-law, and their precious puppy for a few days! 

I was able to be a kid again at Disneyland before I embark on this life-changing adventure. 

Maria kicked my butt in the Toy Story shoot-out.

But when the day closed and the fun was over....it was time to pack. It was quite a struggle, to say the least, to pack for 4 months of my life. With the explosion of clothes, snacks, and medicine sprawled across the room it seemed as if I was packing for a lifetime, but when it was all zipped up in two duffle bags and a backpack it felt as if I couldn't be leaving for more than a few weeks. 

I couldn't have packed without the help of my wonderful sister who kept me sane throughout the entire process. As well as my parents who ran more errands than they would like to count. 

Then all pilled in a car, we headed down to San Diego. It felt like a normal drive until I first caught a glimpse of the ship. Excitement finally hit me as I realized this ship will be my home for the next 4 months. 

My family had the privilege of touring the ship before any students set foot on the ship tomorrow. In the mean time, I mingled with other SASers in the lobby of our hotel. Everyone was very nice and I can't wait to meet more students tomorrow! 

With tearful goodbyes (mostly on my mom's side), my family set out back to Los Angeles. For a few minutes a feeling of panic set in realizing everyone I know is gone, but I know I am going to make great new friends. 

My shuttle leaves at 10:15am for Ensenada, Mexico so for now I'm headed back to my room to grab some much needed sleep. 

Luckily I'm not superstitious or my hotel room number might keep me awake at night..... 

Passport Complete!

I finally received my passport back from Travisa with my Chinese Visa! Unfortunately I wasn't able to complete all the visas on my own as I had originally planned due to the India Visa taking an extra 2 weeks to be returned to me, but at least I'm done now. It's really cool to actually see something in the pages of my passport!

Chinese Visa...

Ghana Visa...

India Visa....

The Voyage

At T-12 days it has finally hit me that I am leaving everything I know behind and traveling around the world for 4 months..........I think I might be a little late to the ballgame on this one but at least I realized it at some point! Since we will be traveling to mostly third world countries it is hard to say how often I will be able to update the blog. But I have sworn to myself to keep some type of journal so I never forget this journey.

Speaking of countries, I've finally mapped out how long I will be in each country. The ship will debark from Mexico and travel across the Pacific from there.

Our first stop is Hilo, Hawaii for 1 day....

Then the ship docks in Yokohama, Japan and we stay in Japan for 6 days; meeting the ship in Kobe, Japan....

Then the ship docks in Shanghai, China and we stay in China for 6 days; meeting the ship in Hong Kong, China....

Then Vietnam for 6 days....

Then Singapore for 2 days....

Then Burma for 6 days....

Then India for 6 days....

Then Mauritius for 2 days....

Then South Africa for 6 days....

Then the ship docks in Tema, Ghana and we stay in Ghana for 5 days; meeting the ship in Takoradi, Ghana....

Then Morocco for 5 days....

Then we disembark in Southampton, England to get on a plane back to the real world.

So for now I need to get all my ducks in line and make sure I have enough shampoo to last me 4 months.