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.