[postlink]https://beenaroundtheworld.blogspot.com/2010/01/san-diego-1-day-until-embarkation_16.html[/postlink]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RNdcDdWOFkendofvid
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Hi everyone!
For the next 109 days I’ll be sailing around the world onboard the MV Explorer as a member of the Semester at Sea (SAS) Spring 2010 voyage. We’ll be traveling to a total of 9 countries—Mexico, China, Vietnam, Japan, India, Mauritius, South Africa, Ghana, and Brazil—and 11 ports if you add Honolulu Hawaii and Fort Lauderdale, FL to that list. (Go here for the full itinerary: http://www.semesteratsea.org/voyages/spring-2010/spring-2010-intinerary/calendar.php) I’ll be chronicling my adventures through written and video (blog/vlog) entries for my family, friends, and National Society of Collegiate Scholars members as the NSCS Scholar at Sea recipient. I’ll be using an Xacti HD 1010 camcorder for all the video footage. I LOVE this camera. It’s cute and extremely functional.
It’s been a long process preparing for this voyage but I can finally say that I feel ready! I have my malaria pills on deck and few days ago I received a total of 5 vaccinations. The actual shots weren’t as bad as the pain/numbness you feel days later (Hep A is the worst!). My friend Kadir (SAS Fall’08 alum) organized a conference call with him and a few of his SAS buddies last week. They were really helpful and pretty much gave me a run-down of how to prepare, what to bring, and tips for maximizing my experience. They also kept emphasizing how amazing the experience was and how it was hands-down the best 4 months of their lives—which made me even more energized about this trip. I also received my passport (and visas!) in the mail along with preliminary currency for the voyage. Other than Nigeria, I’ve never traveled outside the country, so I was really excited to see visas stamped in my passport book (finally filling up the pages!! lol)
Along with course readings, I’ll also be reading Eat, Love, Pray by Elizabeth Gilbert and Travels with Herodotus by Ryszard Kapuscinski (at my leisure :)). I heard about the former two summers ago through Bria, a fellow intern. She read the book while studying abroad in Bali and raved about it. The book chronicles the author’s post-divorce adventures while eating in Italy, praying in India, and falling in love in Bali/Indonesia. My goal is to finish it before India. I’ve already started it and so far, it’s pretty good. The latter was recommended by my co-worker from last summer, Toshen, who happens to be an avid reader and book reviewer (visit his site: www.toshen.com). I should have plenty of time to get through these books, since my course load won’t be too heavy. I haven’t taken anything even remotely creative since high school so I’m really excited about my SAS courses. In addition to the Semester at Sea Geography course (covers the social, political, and economic climate of each of the countries we visit), I’ll be taking Digital Storytelling (Video Editing) and World Performance Theater.
Penn doesn’t recognize Semester at Sea (womp), so I’ll be taking this voyage on my own, for zero course credit. I actually prefer this because it gives me the opportunity to take classes that I really enjoy and re-engage my love of learning. I'm looking forward to see what classes are like without grade anxiety looming over me. Since I had to forfeit writing a senior thesis (womp womp), I’ll be conducting an informal, hands-on cross-cultural analysis (comparative study, if you will) of all things that I love food, fashion, performing arts and music :). In true active-learning/ethnographic style, I will not only observe but immerse myself in the cultures I visit and try EVERYTHING, first-hand :) .
After 3 ½ years of all nighters, constant exams/papers, and overanalyzing most things (more like 18 yrs for that), I’m really looking forward to fun classes, living in the moment, and staying up all night (by choice)! I can’t think of a better way to cap off my college experience and I’m soo thankful for this opportunity! We leave in shuttles for Ensada, Mexico tomorrow at 7:30am to board the MV Explorer, so off to bed I go. So excited!!!
PS. I’ll post some videos once I figure out how to transfer clips from my cam, for now you can check out this SAS promo vid to learn more about the voyage.
Now playing: On to the Next One—Jay Z, It’s My Life, Bon Jovi
Now reading: Eat, Pray, Love
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