Can I just tell you that I hate cold showers. It has been tough waking up in the mornings in a room with no windows. My brain refuses to believe it is really 8:00am when the room is 100% dark. Yet, that is the correct time, and all I really want is to have in the morning is a nice hot shower to get the sleep off of me, but NO. As wonderful as my accommodations have been, my shower has been cold, lukewarm at best. I reported it to Nelly, my beloved cabin steward, and she promised she would pass it on, but to no avail. Matt, our IT guru, reported that he realized he was a dumb-ass b/c he had confused the hot and cold sides of the tap and he had hot water the whole time. We all had a good laugh, and I silently felt smug b/c I couldn’t believe what a stupid mistake that was. What kind of idiot wouldn’t immediately have figured that out, right? Sure enough the next morning, whilst enjoying yet another blisteringly cold shower, I toyed around with the temperature dial and discovered that lo & behold, the hot water is in the middle of the dial, as opposed to hot and cold on opposite extremes. I am not sure of the logic… but I’m kicking myself for not discovering it on days 1-6 on the ship. Ugh. Yea… I’d say that makes me an even bigger idiot/dumb-ass.
So, we’ve got students. Not just a few, we’re inundated with them. They’re everywhere. In fact, no less than 2 hours after we opened the gangway to them, the pool was FULL of them in bikinis and board shorts, posing and prancing around for one another. It was simultaneously funny and unnerving. Suffice it to say that I don’t plan on making any shirtless appearances anytime soon since I definitely do not measure up. The SAS student body is incredibly white, and blond, and affluent. I am astounded by the incredible sense of privilege they have. There have been some immediate exceptions, but on the whole I was not impressed my first day. Luckily, now that some of the initial posturing and flirting is out of their systems, they are really beginning to show promise to be fun. I’ve got to say, meeting our students has really made me appreciate the amazing students I get to work with at UCI. They are diverse in cultural backgrounds, development of their identities, ethical, bright, and engaged. I miss all my student leaders. I’ve found a handful of folks here who remind me of some of you, so in a small way, you’re still here with me.
Leaving the Bahamas felt like a moment out of a movie. I expected the moment to feel immense and meaningful, but it really was overwhelming. First, I got to watch as all the families who came aboard to say goodbye to their travelers hugged and kissed one another and said their last farewells. It was tough not breaking out in sobs watching some really heartfelt and emotional moments. There were a lot of tears, and I’d be lying (and heartless) if I said my eyes didn’t get a little misty watching it all. I took many a family photo, and tried to reassure a lot of people that 3 ½ months would go by a lot faster than they would believe. Later, we all ran through our lifeboat drill. (I’m a lifeboat captain… sounds fun, but is actually really mundane). And then we crammed onto the top decks as we slowly pulled out of the harbor in Nassau. (Nassau is the home port of the ship, who knew?) There were tons of parents all on the pier waving goodbye and holding up homemade banners, and running alongside the ship. It was very picturesque. I swear, the only thing missing was confetti and streamers. I hate to be cliché, but I was picturing every episode from the Love Boat. Only on this voyage, I'm Julie, the cruise director.
And now the big question. Does Drew get sea sick? And the answer is a “kinda.” I haven’t been nauseous, or had any kind of upset stomach . No projectile vomiting, or anything dramatic or fun like that. Instead, I have just been zapped of all energy, and constantly dizzy, and with a latent headache at all times. In addition, I have this awesome clammy/sweaty/pale thing going on, and the puffiest of eyes. Let me say, I look quite healthy (not!). I shouldn’t complain too much as two of my Student Life teammates have it worse. One can’t stop puking, and the other can’t seem to function standing up. I break down and have been using a nice cocktail of Meclazine, Dramamine, Bonine, ginger gum, sea sick bracelets, and hardcore prayer. It seems to be working, but again… the jury is still out. Miraculously, two and a half days into the voyage, I finally started to feel a little more like myself. I’m still walking around like a drunkard, running into walls, people, and railings all over the place as the ship rolls beneath me. I don’t know what I’m going to do when we hit rough seas, b/c they tell me that these are some of the calmest we’ll see for awhile. Ay Dios mios! I’ve also taken to drinking Emergen-C on a fairly regular basis. Thanks to Natalie, et al. for introducing me to the stuff. I’m not 100% sold on the taste yet. Orange is not good, Strawberry is so-so, but I have to admit that Black Cherry is actually kind of good when diluted appropriately.
I allowed myself to skip our very first Global Studies class (probably not the smartest of ideas). I rationalized that I needed to sleep, recharge my batteries, and adjust to life on a moving vessel. While it helped, I can’t make a habit of it. It’s just so darn difficult to be alert and awake all the time. The rocking of the ship makes me feel like I’m constantly being rocked in a cradle. How can you fight that? Another thing that I’m finding pretty tough to deal with is the lack of a routine on board. Things are still very crazy, and we’re not settled at all. Each day I wake, and have no idea where to begin, or what to do first. Our orientation meetings seem endless and when we’re not in a meeting, I have a list of things to do, but am not sure yet where to begin. I've looked up spiritual info to share for Puerto Rico, but otherwise, I find myself sometimes at a loss. I'm lacking the systems I had in place at UCI to help me find my way. I know I won't stumble for long, especially since our next long haul between San Juan, PR & Salvador, Brazil will be a long one and should facilitate the forming of a routine. We have an office that the Student Life Team shares at the font of the boat (where the swells are biggest, and seasickness is worst… yikes!). I’ve spent a lot of time there, and thing I need to get out more. Natalie, you’ll be happy to know that everything (and I mean everything) here seems to be printed using Showcard Gothic font. I think of you regularly w/a smile.
In other news, the Student Life/RD team had to create a skit to introduce ourselves to the shipboard community. We decided to be lively and fun to hold their attention. While initially I was not part of the committee tasked with developing the skit, I brainstormed an idea everyone liked, and then ended up writing it, and playing the biggest part. I’m worried I barged in and took over… and I actually resisted my role most of the way, but… que sera, sera. In the skit, we pretended that the audience was able to listen in to the thoughts of students (played by RDs) as they typed emails and blogs in the computer lab. Then the audience was able to hear their interior monologues dictating what they were typing. Each RD was a blatant stereotype (jock, nerd, valley girl, hippie, etc). Into each funny email/blog we spread useful info and tips, etc. Rather than being up front, I was behind a curtain with a mic giving voiceovers to all the different characters. When we developed the skit, the RDs sat around and everyone laughed a lot at the voices I used and things I said as I ad libbed most of the lines. However, when we finally did the performance, I swear I could hear crickets chirping whenever I said something I thought was really funny. I may be overexaggerating just a smidge, but you get the idea. Afterwards, the RDs all said they thought it was awesome and went really well, and ever since students from all over the ship keep telling me how hilarious it was and how much they laughed. Who knew?!? Later, I walked up to dinner with a few of my residents from U. CO Boulder (I have 10 in my sea & 4 from College of Charleston). I had initially thought they were very TFC for me, but they seemed warmer than before, and when I went to go fill my water bottle, I came back and they announced to me “we took a vote and we just love you, Drew.” My little heart beamed. I KNEW I’d win them over, HA!
Do you ever get the munchies? I seem to get them really bad every night around 11:30pm. I find myself in my cabin really wanting some pretzels, or something salty to snack on (yes, Tim, I'm in 2042). It drives me crazy, b/c I want to just walk into my kitchen and reach in the pantry for something to satisfy my craving, but I can’t do that here. They have a 20:00 o’clock snack (10 o’clock for you landlubbers), where they serve little cakes or finger sandwiches (bologna, ugh!) but that doesn’t really cut it. So, I have taken to hitting the Faculty/Staff Lounge every night around 10:30 or so and eating as many dishes of mixed nuts and cheesey goldfish as I can get away with. And I wash it all down with the free glasses of ice water. Yea, the bartender, Analiza, doesn’t seem to appreciate it, but I am tying to be gracious and charming. (It’s not working). There is actually a pretty fun group of young professionals on board who meet up there in rotating groups. Emily A., the nurse, Joe, Ben, JP, and Matt who all work in IT/AV and media, Emily B. & Shannon, partners of other folks, and then a bunch of RDs and others. We’re all pretty much in our late 20s/early 30s and just nice fun folks. I think they’ll make for some fun travel companions too… we’ll see what develops.
Speaking of folks in their late 20’s, we have an adult passenger on the voyage who is 28 years old. This is strange b/c these passengers are usually in their 70s and 80s. We actually have one on board who is 91, but there is one woman who is 28. Her name is Kress, and I can’t help but think of toothpaste everything I hear it. She is a very interesting person as runs a clown academy in nor cal. Yep, a clown school. Who knew? And you’d never guess it looking at her. She is nice, and very un-weird. She dresses very fashionably, and could easily pass for a mature college student... except for the oversized shoes. (HA, gotcha!) She will definitely be one to watch as my journey continues.
Well, now we're in Puerto Rico and I just finished a whirlwind day… but I am going to leave my whole PR entry until anothr time. I’ve already got a long list of things to write about, but I’m too tired to even begin right now. So for now, I will just bid you adieu. Much love to all.
XOXO -me
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Thursday, February 1, 2007
First Impressions
I am a human lobster. Yep, even though I am a native Arizonan, I managed to get horribly sunburned before I even boarded the ship. I'm "that guy" right now, and people keep looking at me funny because they think I am blushing/looking guilty and sweating... when the truth is, my skin is burning and I just wanna strip down and stand in front of an air conditioning unit. Oy vey! Ok... did you enjoy that moment of humor. it's all true... and no, I didn't take any pictures. Evidence of this, I don't need. Now on the what I've been doing so far.
How can I even begin to describe the last few days? I arrived in the Bahamas on Monday evening. It was a weird moment to realize that I really have started this journey. As I sat in the airport in Ft. Lauderdale waiting for my flight to Nassau, I thought I felt my cell phone buzzing in my pocket. Then it occurred to me that I had already shut it off, and I was on my own. In that moment I really began to miss my family and everything familiar. Fear not, dear reader, the quick moment of homesickness passed. I boarded the prop plane that took me to Nassau and we sailed out over the Atlantic. As a nice surprise, I looked down and realized were flying over the MV Explorer. That’s right, Semester at Sea was just leaving Ft. Lauderdale making its way to Nassau, and there I was sailing over head beating them there by a day and a half.
I got to Nassau, and despite some worries that my bags wouldn’t make it, they beat me through Customs and were waiting for me outside the gate. My taxi driver did a nice job of telling me all about Nassau (fact of the day** Nassau is on the Island of New Providence, and is the capital of the Bahamas, but nt the largest city. That distinction belongs to Freeport.). I must admit, Nassau didn’t seem like much to me. Then we crossed a bridge onto Paradise Island, where all the flashy resorts are located, and it was a whole different world. Expensive yachts, high end fashion houses, glitzy casinos. Quite a contrast from the other side of the bridge. I checked into the Comfort Suites and when I walked into my room, I met two of my new RD coworkers. Mindy (32) from Wisconsin, and Matt (22) from Washington State. It’s a strange sensation to walk into a room and meet two strangers that you’ll be spending a lot of time with for the next 3 ½ months. It reminded me of an episode for the MTv Real World. This is the true story… of 9 RD’s… picked to work on a ship… etc. Mindy and Matt are great, and we headed over to the posh Atlantis Resort and checked out the giant aquariums and casino. I have never, in my entire life, been to a resort this large. The place sprawled on for miles. The next morning we headed over for a day of relaxation by their many pools, and enjoyed their water slides. Yea, what a tough life. I gave myself an extra day in the Bahamas in case my flights got screwed up, or my luggage took a detour, and instead I spent the whole time at the pool. Ahhhh… just what I needed to get into the right mindset for a new job. What I didn’t need… was the massive sunburn I got as a result of falling asleep in the sun and being too lazy to unpack my sun block. Yes, Mom… I know that was not a very smart move. I’m dealing with the consequences now (as you read above). Oy vey!
The night before we boarded to ship, Mindy and Matt and I had dinner with Tom (29), another RD and his partner Emily. They’re from Jersey, and we all had a nice time swapping stories and getting even more excited about our voyage. Oddly, I didn’t sleep a wink that night. I think it’s strange that I had no issues snoozing before that, but not on Tuesday night. Luckily my adrenalin and excitement carried my through Wednesday. Walking up the dock and seeing the ship looming overhead was a feeling I shan’t soon forget. I boarded the gangway onto Deck 2 and had my bags inspected before heading up the Deck 5 and Purser's Square. This ship is magnificent. I’ve been telling people that this isn’t going to be some kind of cushy cruise, but rather a "voyage of discovery." And while all of that is very true, this ship really is like a floating palace. It’s beautiful, and comfortable, and elegant, and I cannot believe that I will be spending the next 3 ½ month here. My jaw was hanging open for most of that first evening. In Purser’s Square, I met Beth, my new boss, and she gave me a big hug, and introduced me to a few of the other new cast of characters. Then I was given a key card, and was off to my cabin. It turns out that we have more students on our voyage than any Semester at Sea voyage has ever had before. As a result, none of the staff members have cabins with portholes. There are so many folks on this voyage, that all the crew quarters on the front of the ship’s 3rd deck have been taked over by staff members, and there are even a couple of RDs placed up there as well. Their quarters are a bit smaller, and somewhat spartan, so I’m felling pretty good about my new home. My cabin is an inside cabin on the lowest deck of passengers, in the middle of the ship. It’s also shaped a little differently than the other cabins. It’s not as deep, but wider, and has a slightly more spacious bathroom. Because I am near the engines, my cabin always has a low rumble/hum to it, and the floor vibrates a bit. I was worried about this, but now I’ve decided it's even a little comforting and will lull me to sleep at night. Once I got unpacked, I felt like it was a really nice little nest, with my family photos, and the picture of the Mesa Staff and beach in Newport. I’m also lucky to have Nelly, my cabin steward, around to help me out. She seems like a real sweetheart and makes my bed each day before turning it down each night. I am a very spoiled boy, indeed. Speaking of my bed, it's a twin bed, and is going to have to stay that way for the entire voyage. Let's just say that my 6'3" frame is going to have to readjust to this new reality. We'll see how things go. I didn't sleep very well last night. I think it was a combo of anticipation, small besd issues, and the fact I was schvitzing like a pig thank's to my lobster status. Oy vey!
Our first orientation meeting was full of pomp & circumstance. We were officially welcomed to the 92nd voyage of Semester at Sea, and indoctrinated to the program. All of the faculty were introduced, and their bios were read and discussed. Then the staff were introduced, but they didn’t give any detail about any of us. It was interesting just how quickly they made the distinction between faculty and staff quite obvious. They have since done a great deal to discuss how we are all equally important. I sincerely hope that the faculty feel that way. Stay tuned for an update in that area. After we met all the SAS big wigs, we had a nice reception in the Faculty/Staff Lounge. It is on the 7th deck, at the top of the ship and has windows all around. The reception occurred just as the sun was setting over Nassau and the Atlantic. I stood at the front of the ship, in the lounge and couldn’t help but stare out the windows. It’s as if each new step in this experience makes it seem all the more real. I met up with Dia, an old UVA friend & fellow alum who is serving as the Registrar for the voyage, Shayla the Administrative Asst. who has a bunch of friends in common with me, and Arnie Medvene one of the counselors in the Counseling Center from the University of Maryland where I did my Counseling Practicum during my masters program. It was really great to see friendly faces amongst the crowd, but truly everyone has been wonderful. The other RDs seem really great. Rounding out the team are Stephanie Sue (33) from the Carolinas, Erica (28) from California but studying in Australia, Daniel (31) who lists his home as “the world,” Lesley (26) from Hawaii, and Melanie the Asst. Director of Student Life from Washington State. They’re a fun bunch. We’ve already had some laughs. I think we’re going to get along really great. Today we had a long day of orientation activities and tours of the ship. My head is spinning! There have been some changes this voyage from past voyages. I was glad to learn that we won’t have to sell drink tickets to students. I had heard horror stories about that process, and the new one seems a lot more reasonable. We’ll see how it comes together. To balance things out we have new duties like in port-responsibilities in the evenings, and staffing the desk in Purser’s Square from 2-11pm. Ugh! But if I get frustrated, I just throw my hands up and form a biiig circle over my head to remind myself that I’m goin’ around the world!
We learned a little more about our Field Programs and trip leadership. I found out that I’ve been selected to be a Trip Leader for almost all of the trips that I am on. This will include being the only trip leader on a 3 day trip to Rio de Janeiro for Carnival with 40 students. Yikes! What have I gotten myself into!!! I actually think it will be just fine. I’m also leading a trip for a safari in Africa and a couple smaller trips in Puerto Rico. All of them will be a great chance to meet the students and learn more about them. Speaking of the students, I got a list of the 70 folks who will be my residents on the Aegean Sea. There are 20 men and 50 women. Turns out that this is pretty representative of the male/female ratio on the voyage. I can’t wait to meet them all this Sunday.
After dinner tonight, a bunch of us went into Nassau to grab some ice cream, and I desperately wanted to buy some Coca Cola to fill my fridge. You have to buy Coke on the ship. Well, when we made our way into town at 8:00pm, we learned that everything in Nassau closes by 7:00pm. Well, everything other than bars, and none of us were really in the mood to booze it up. So back to the ship we came which suited me just fine. Since I didn’t sleep a wink last night, I am hoping that once I log on and put my blog up, I am going to try to get some good sleep tonight. Tomorrow Desmond Tutu and his wife will join us on board, and we have another full day of orientation. The next few days will be a whirlwind, especially when the students come on board on Sunday. It may be awhile before I put up another entry. So until then, I hope things are good stateside. I send my love to everyone. XOXO -me
How can I even begin to describe the last few days? I arrived in the Bahamas on Monday evening. It was a weird moment to realize that I really have started this journey. As I sat in the airport in Ft. Lauderdale waiting for my flight to Nassau, I thought I felt my cell phone buzzing in my pocket. Then it occurred to me that I had already shut it off, and I was on my own. In that moment I really began to miss my family and everything familiar. Fear not, dear reader, the quick moment of homesickness passed. I boarded the prop plane that took me to Nassau and we sailed out over the Atlantic. As a nice surprise, I looked down and realized were flying over the MV Explorer. That’s right, Semester at Sea was just leaving Ft. Lauderdale making its way to Nassau, and there I was sailing over head beating them there by a day and a half.
I got to Nassau, and despite some worries that my bags wouldn’t make it, they beat me through Customs and were waiting for me outside the gate. My taxi driver did a nice job of telling me all about Nassau (fact of the day** Nassau is on the Island of New Providence, and is the capital of the Bahamas, but nt the largest city. That distinction belongs to Freeport.). I must admit, Nassau didn’t seem like much to me. Then we crossed a bridge onto Paradise Island, where all the flashy resorts are located, and it was a whole different world. Expensive yachts, high end fashion houses, glitzy casinos. Quite a contrast from the other side of the bridge. I checked into the Comfort Suites and when I walked into my room, I met two of my new RD coworkers. Mindy (32) from Wisconsin, and Matt (22) from Washington State. It’s a strange sensation to walk into a room and meet two strangers that you’ll be spending a lot of time with for the next 3 ½ months. It reminded me of an episode for the MTv Real World. This is the true story… of 9 RD’s… picked to work on a ship… etc. Mindy and Matt are great, and we headed over to the posh Atlantis Resort and checked out the giant aquariums and casino. I have never, in my entire life, been to a resort this large. The place sprawled on for miles. The next morning we headed over for a day of relaxation by their many pools, and enjoyed their water slides. Yea, what a tough life. I gave myself an extra day in the Bahamas in case my flights got screwed up, or my luggage took a detour, and instead I spent the whole time at the pool. Ahhhh… just what I needed to get into the right mindset for a new job. What I didn’t need… was the massive sunburn I got as a result of falling asleep in the sun and being too lazy to unpack my sun block. Yes, Mom… I know that was not a very smart move. I’m dealing with the consequences now (as you read above). Oy vey!
The night before we boarded to ship, Mindy and Matt and I had dinner with Tom (29), another RD and his partner Emily. They’re from Jersey, and we all had a nice time swapping stories and getting even more excited about our voyage. Oddly, I didn’t sleep a wink that night. I think it’s strange that I had no issues snoozing before that, but not on Tuesday night. Luckily my adrenalin and excitement carried my through Wednesday. Walking up the dock and seeing the ship looming overhead was a feeling I shan’t soon forget. I boarded the gangway onto Deck 2 and had my bags inspected before heading up the Deck 5 and Purser's Square. This ship is magnificent. I’ve been telling people that this isn’t going to be some kind of cushy cruise, but rather a "voyage of discovery." And while all of that is very true, this ship really is like a floating palace. It’s beautiful, and comfortable, and elegant, and I cannot believe that I will be spending the next 3 ½ month here. My jaw was hanging open for most of that first evening. In Purser’s Square, I met Beth, my new boss, and she gave me a big hug, and introduced me to a few of the other new cast of characters. Then I was given a key card, and was off to my cabin. It turns out that we have more students on our voyage than any Semester at Sea voyage has ever had before. As a result, none of the staff members have cabins with portholes. There are so many folks on this voyage, that all the crew quarters on the front of the ship’s 3rd deck have been taked over by staff members, and there are even a couple of RDs placed up there as well. Their quarters are a bit smaller, and somewhat spartan, so I’m felling pretty good about my new home. My cabin is an inside cabin on the lowest deck of passengers, in the middle of the ship. It’s also shaped a little differently than the other cabins. It’s not as deep, but wider, and has a slightly more spacious bathroom. Because I am near the engines, my cabin always has a low rumble/hum to it, and the floor vibrates a bit. I was worried about this, but now I’ve decided it's even a little comforting and will lull me to sleep at night. Once I got unpacked, I felt like it was a really nice little nest, with my family photos, and the picture of the Mesa Staff and beach in Newport. I’m also lucky to have Nelly, my cabin steward, around to help me out. She seems like a real sweetheart and makes my bed each day before turning it down each night. I am a very spoiled boy, indeed. Speaking of my bed, it's a twin bed, and is going to have to stay that way for the entire voyage. Let's just say that my 6'3" frame is going to have to readjust to this new reality. We'll see how things go. I didn't sleep very well last night. I think it was a combo of anticipation, small besd issues, and the fact I was schvitzing like a pig thank's to my lobster status. Oy vey!
Our first orientation meeting was full of pomp & circumstance. We were officially welcomed to the 92nd voyage of Semester at Sea, and indoctrinated to the program. All of the faculty were introduced, and their bios were read and discussed. Then the staff were introduced, but they didn’t give any detail about any of us. It was interesting just how quickly they made the distinction between faculty and staff quite obvious. They have since done a great deal to discuss how we are all equally important. I sincerely hope that the faculty feel that way. Stay tuned for an update in that area. After we met all the SAS big wigs, we had a nice reception in the Faculty/Staff Lounge. It is on the 7th deck, at the top of the ship and has windows all around. The reception occurred just as the sun was setting over Nassau and the Atlantic. I stood at the front of the ship, in the lounge and couldn’t help but stare out the windows. It’s as if each new step in this experience makes it seem all the more real. I met up with Dia, an old UVA friend & fellow alum who is serving as the Registrar for the voyage, Shayla the Administrative Asst. who has a bunch of friends in common with me, and Arnie Medvene one of the counselors in the Counseling Center from the University of Maryland where I did my Counseling Practicum during my masters program. It was really great to see friendly faces amongst the crowd, but truly everyone has been wonderful. The other RDs seem really great. Rounding out the team are Stephanie Sue (33) from the Carolinas, Erica (28) from California but studying in Australia, Daniel (31) who lists his home as “the world,” Lesley (26) from Hawaii, and Melanie the Asst. Director of Student Life from Washington State. They’re a fun bunch. We’ve already had some laughs. I think we’re going to get along really great. Today we had a long day of orientation activities and tours of the ship. My head is spinning! There have been some changes this voyage from past voyages. I was glad to learn that we won’t have to sell drink tickets to students. I had heard horror stories about that process, and the new one seems a lot more reasonable. We’ll see how it comes together. To balance things out we have new duties like in port-responsibilities in the evenings, and staffing the desk in Purser’s Square from 2-11pm. Ugh! But if I get frustrated, I just throw my hands up and form a biiig circle over my head to remind myself that I’m goin’ around the world!
We learned a little more about our Field Programs and trip leadership. I found out that I’ve been selected to be a Trip Leader for almost all of the trips that I am on. This will include being the only trip leader on a 3 day trip to Rio de Janeiro for Carnival with 40 students. Yikes! What have I gotten myself into!!! I actually think it will be just fine. I’m also leading a trip for a safari in Africa and a couple smaller trips in Puerto Rico. All of them will be a great chance to meet the students and learn more about them. Speaking of the students, I got a list of the 70 folks who will be my residents on the Aegean Sea. There are 20 men and 50 women. Turns out that this is pretty representative of the male/female ratio on the voyage. I can’t wait to meet them all this Sunday.
After dinner tonight, a bunch of us went into Nassau to grab some ice cream, and I desperately wanted to buy some Coca Cola to fill my fridge. You have to buy Coke on the ship. Well, when we made our way into town at 8:00pm, we learned that everything in Nassau closes by 7:00pm. Well, everything other than bars, and none of us were really in the mood to booze it up. So back to the ship we came which suited me just fine. Since I didn’t sleep a wink last night, I am hoping that once I log on and put my blog up, I am going to try to get some good sleep tonight. Tomorrow Desmond Tutu and his wife will join us on board, and we have another full day of orientation. The next few days will be a whirlwind, especially when the students come on board on Sunday. It may be awhile before I put up another entry. So until then, I hope things are good stateside. I send my love to everyone. XOXO -me
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Ready for the World
Well... after 3+ months of excitment and anticipation the time has come for me to commence this journey. In 6 hours I'll be heading to the airport and off to circumnavigate planet Earth. (It really does sound more dramatic when you call it "planet Earth," don't you think?).
I spent all day today choosing shirts & pants, and then putting them all away and going with different shirts & pants (I did this 4 times). I counted and recounted the numbers of pairs of underwear I planned to pack (29). And then I looked at my dining room table, full of "stuff" and started to worry. There was no way it would all fit into two bags, and weigh less than 100 lbs. Somehow the travel gods were with me, b/c it all fit with room to spare. I even had some extra space for the last minute add ons like Rainbow's End Trail Mix (the BEST ever from TJ's). I'm quite sure I will be the only dinosaur on the ship using a DiscMan instead of an iPod. I came to the conclusion that while I am generally a disorganized, messy, fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of guy... I am really travel-anal. Yes, I said travel-anal, and it is a funny expression. Feel free to borrow it and claim it as your own. I swear I spent at least an hour crosschecking 3 different sets of packing lists. But I'll be damned if I'm not prepared for any eventuality. (Erupting volcanos? no sweat!).
The last little gift I received for my journey comes courtesy of Jennifer Gamble, my new colleague and friend. She just got off the Fall '06 voyage and was incredibly helpful as I geared up for my trip. She gave me a wrist band that is printed with the phrase "Ready for the World!" And that's just what I am. So when I wake up in the morning (at 4am, yikes!) I'm gonna slap on my bracelet and then I'm off to see the world.
I spent all day today choosing shirts & pants, and then putting them all away and going with different shirts & pants (I did this 4 times). I counted and recounted the numbers of pairs of underwear I planned to pack (29). And then I looked at my dining room table, full of "stuff" and started to worry. There was no way it would all fit into two bags, and weigh less than 100 lbs. Somehow the travel gods were with me, b/c it all fit with room to spare. I even had some extra space for the last minute add ons like Rainbow's End Trail Mix (the BEST ever from TJ's). I'm quite sure I will be the only dinosaur on the ship using a DiscMan instead of an iPod. I came to the conclusion that while I am generally a disorganized, messy, fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of guy... I am really travel-anal. Yes, I said travel-anal, and it is a funny expression. Feel free to borrow it and claim it as your own. I swear I spent at least an hour crosschecking 3 different sets of packing lists. But I'll be damned if I'm not prepared for any eventuality. (Erupting volcanos? no sweat!).
The last little gift I received for my journey comes courtesy of Jennifer Gamble, my new colleague and friend. She just got off the Fall '06 voyage and was incredibly helpful as I geared up for my trip. She gave me a wrist band that is printed with the phrase "Ready for the World!" And that's just what I am. So when I wake up in the morning (at 4am, yikes!) I'm gonna slap on my bracelet and then I'm off to see the world.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Contacting Drew @ Sea
Now that I am a full-fledged big-time 30-year-old adult (grey hair and all), I think that I'm entitled to a mid-life crisis. Rather than buying a fancy car I can't afford, or dating a teenager (I can't afford), I'm going to travel instead. I wanted to make sure that everyone had my contact info. If you get an itch to send me a little note, picture, card, funny newsclipping, etc... I'd really love it.
You can try emailing me at drew_adelman@hotmail.com, but my internet time will be severely limited, so you may not get a timely response. Your best bet is to send me something the old fashion way... Elvis stamps and all. The address info is below.
The U.S. Post Office recommends sending international mail AT LEAST two weeks in advance. Please keep in mind that mail service in other countries may vary. WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND that letters be sent via AIRMAIL only and that you DO NOT SEND PACKAGES. In many cases, packages are held up in customs or the local post office and excessive duty is charged. Many times packages are not received by the intended recipient onboard. We also recommend that you do not enclose currency in the mail. The port agent in each country will make every possible effort to deliver mail to the ship however, the Institute for Shipboard Education will not assume responsibility for any undelivered or lost mail.
TO SEND MAIL TO DREW PLEASE ADDRESS IT AS FOLLOWS:
Drew Adelman C/O: MV Explorer
Arrival Date
Port Agent Address
San Juan, PUERTO RICO, Arrive Feb. 7 (send mail by Jan. 24)
Cruise Plus Service & Sales
Fernandez Juncos Avenue
San Juan, PUERTO RICO, 00909
Salvador, BRAZIL, Arrive Feb. 17 (send mail by Feb. 3)
Oceanus Agencia Maritima
Av. Estados Unidos, 397, Room 601-604
40018-900 Salvador, BAHIA-BRASIL
Cape Town, SOUTH AFRICA , Arrive Mar. 2 (send mail by Feb. 16)
John T. Rennie & Sons
PO Box 702, 1 Thibault House
8000 Cape Town, SOUTH AFRICA
Port Louis, MAURITIUS, Arrive Mar. 15 (send mail by Mar. 1)
Ireland Blyth Limited
1 Queen Street, P.O. Box 53
Port Louis, MAURITIUS
Chennai, INDIA, Arrive Mar. 25 (send mail by Mar. 11)
J.M. Baxi & CO. 52 Rajaji Salai
Chennai-600 001, INDIA
Penang, MALAYSIA, Arrive Apr. 2 (send by Mar. 19)
Inchcape Shipping Services SDN
4th Floor Unit 4B
Wisma Saw Chong Thuah
39-c, Pengkalan Weld
10300 Penang, MALAYSIA
Ho Chi Minh City, VIETNAM , Arrive Apr. 9 (send mail by Mar. 26)
General Forwarding & Agency
5th Floor Osic Building
8 Nguyen Hue Avenue
D. 1, Ho Chi Minh City, VIETNAM
HONG KONG Arrive Apr. 17 (send mail by Apr. 3)
Inchcape Shipping Services (HK) Ltd.
Units 1802-1805, 18th Floor
N° 3 Lockhart Road
Wanchai, HONG KONG-CHINA
Qindao, CHINA, Arrive Apr. 21 (send mail by Apr. 7)
Penavico Qingdao
21 Wuxia Road
Quingdao, 266002, P.R. CHINA
Kobe, JAPAN, Arrive Apr. 25 (send mail by Apr. 11)
Inchcape Shipping Services
Kenryu Bldg II, Room 303
6, Kaigan-dori, Chuo-ku
Kobe-shi, Hyogo-Ken 650-0024, JAPAN
Honolulu, USA, Arrive May 7 (send mail by Apr. 23)
Inchcape Shipping Services Gentry Pacific Center
260 North Numitz Hwy, Suite 103
HONOLULU, Hawaii 96817, USA
You can try emailing me at drew_adelman@hotmail.com, but my internet time will be severely limited, so you may not get a timely response. Your best bet is to send me something the old fashion way... Elvis stamps and all. The address info is below.
The U.S. Post Office recommends sending international mail AT LEAST two weeks in advance. Please keep in mind that mail service in other countries may vary. WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND that letters be sent via AIRMAIL only and that you DO NOT SEND PACKAGES. In many cases, packages are held up in customs or the local post office and excessive duty is charged. Many times packages are not received by the intended recipient onboard. We also recommend that you do not enclose currency in the mail. The port agent in each country will make every possible effort to deliver mail to the ship however, the Institute for Shipboard Education will not assume responsibility for any undelivered or lost mail.
TO SEND MAIL TO DREW PLEASE ADDRESS IT AS FOLLOWS:
Drew Adelman C/O: MV Explorer
Arrival Date
Port Agent Address
San Juan, PUERTO RICO, Arrive Feb. 7 (send mail by Jan. 24)
Cruise Plus Service & Sales
Fernandez Juncos Avenue
San Juan, PUERTO RICO, 00909
Salvador, BRAZIL, Arrive Feb. 17 (send mail by Feb. 3)
Oceanus Agencia Maritima
Av. Estados Unidos, 397, Room 601-604
40018-900 Salvador, BAHIA-BRASIL
Cape Town, SOUTH AFRICA , Arrive Mar. 2 (send mail by Feb. 16)
John T. Rennie & Sons
PO Box 702, 1 Thibault House
8000 Cape Town, SOUTH AFRICA
Port Louis, MAURITIUS, Arrive Mar. 15 (send mail by Mar. 1)
Ireland Blyth Limited
1 Queen Street, P.O. Box 53
Port Louis, MAURITIUS
Chennai, INDIA, Arrive Mar. 25 (send mail by Mar. 11)
J.M. Baxi & CO. 52 Rajaji Salai
Chennai-600 001, INDIA
Penang, MALAYSIA, Arrive Apr. 2 (send by Mar. 19)
Inchcape Shipping Services SDN
4th Floor Unit 4B
Wisma Saw Chong Thuah
39-c, Pengkalan Weld
10300 Penang, MALAYSIA
Ho Chi Minh City, VIETNAM , Arrive Apr. 9 (send mail by Mar. 26)
General Forwarding & Agency
5th Floor Osic Building
8 Nguyen Hue Avenue
D. 1, Ho Chi Minh City, VIETNAM
HONG KONG Arrive Apr. 17 (send mail by Apr. 3)
Inchcape Shipping Services (HK) Ltd.
Units 1802-1805, 18th Floor
N° 3 Lockhart Road
Wanchai, HONG KONG-CHINA
Qindao, CHINA, Arrive Apr. 21 (send mail by Apr. 7)
Penavico Qingdao
21 Wuxia Road
Quingdao, 266002, P.R. CHINA
Kobe, JAPAN, Arrive Apr. 25 (send mail by Apr. 11)
Inchcape Shipping Services
Kenryu Bldg II, Room 303
6, Kaigan-dori, Chuo-ku
Kobe-shi, Hyogo-Ken 650-0024, JAPAN
Honolulu, USA, Arrive May 7 (send mail by Apr. 23)
Inchcape Shipping Services Gentry Pacific Center
260 North Numitz Hwy, Suite 103
HONOLULU, Hawaii 96817, USA
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Happy 30th Birthday to ME!!!
Happy Birthday to ME!! Today I turned 30 years young. It really crept up on me. It's almost funny how unprepared I was for my own birthday. One would think that on such a big birthday occassion as this, I would be ready to celebrate and make a big deal out of the event. The truth is, it surprised the hell out of me. I made no real plans other than dinner with my sister & brother-in-law. No parties, no gifts... no real celebration of any kind. But I am not at all bummed out. I will be celebrating for teh next 3 1/2 months as I travel around the world. I'm going to think of Semester at Sea as my birthday present.
In a sense, I did get a gift in the mail today. I got notification from Semester at Sea that I got all of the trips I applied for. I am SOO stoked b/c I was really specific and careful about the trips I selected. So now I know I am going to be checking out Rio for Carnival, going on a tented safari in South Africa's Kwazulu-Natal Game Reserve, visiting Cambodia & Angkor Wat when I visit Vietnam, and checking out some awesome sites in Puerto Rico. How lucky am I?!?! Now I can start planning my sky diving adventure in Cape Town. That's my real 30-year old present.
I'm only 5 days away from boarding a plane and beginning my journey. I can't believe the time has almost arrived. I've spent the last few weeks obsessing about all the details and worrying about so many aspects of the trip. Somehow, this past weekend, I stopped freaking out about everything. I'm juuuust about ready to go. All the stomache butterflies must have crept out my bellybutton while I slept, b/c I'm starting to feel pretty zen about everything.
My dining room table is practically breaking under the weight of all the things I need to somehow fit into my luggage. I am going to start praying to the travel Gods to help me get everything to the Bahamas. Heck, if it can snow in Arizona (as it did in Tucson two days ago) then I am sure that I'll get all my chonies to Nassau!!
Love to you all!
-D
In a sense, I did get a gift in the mail today. I got notification from Semester at Sea that I got all of the trips I applied for. I am SOO stoked b/c I was really specific and careful about the trips I selected. So now I know I am going to be checking out Rio for Carnival, going on a tented safari in South Africa's Kwazulu-Natal Game Reserve, visiting Cambodia & Angkor Wat when I visit Vietnam, and checking out some awesome sites in Puerto Rico. How lucky am I?!?! Now I can start planning my sky diving adventure in Cape Town. That's my real 30-year old present.
I'm only 5 days away from boarding a plane and beginning my journey. I can't believe the time has almost arrived. I've spent the last few weeks obsessing about all the details and worrying about so many aspects of the trip. Somehow, this past weekend, I stopped freaking out about everything. I'm juuuust about ready to go. All the stomache butterflies must have crept out my bellybutton while I slept, b/c I'm starting to feel pretty zen about everything.
My dining room table is practically breaking under the weight of all the things I need to somehow fit into my luggage. I am going to start praying to the travel Gods to help me get everything to the Bahamas. Heck, if it can snow in Arizona (as it did in Tucson two days ago) then I am sure that I'll get all my chonies to Nassau!!
Love to you all!
-D
Saturday, January 6, 2007
23 days..... OMG!
Happy New Year. Welcome 2007!!!
T-minus 23 days until I leave for the big voyage. Oh... My.... GOD!!!
I can't believe it's almost here. Three months ago, when I got the news, I was SO ready to get on the ship and DO this. Now that the reality is so close at hand, there feels like a million details that need to be handled before I'll be mentally prepared to leave. I guess it will all work itself out. (Do I have a choice?). At least the small things are falling into place. I am now the proud owner of a lovely pair of olive green Crocs (thanks Laura & CR for the suggestion and Stacy for the Xmas gift) and a rockin' pair of Merrells (thanks Leigh for the idea & Julie/Reed for the gift). I have a money belt, and sea sickness bracelets, and well... a lot of "stuff." Now if I can only figure out where to purchase some peace of mind (and a side order of sanity, please?).
I repeat: Oh..... My...... GOD!
T-minus 23 days until I leave for the big voyage. Oh... My.... GOD!!!
I can't believe it's almost here. Three months ago, when I got the news, I was SO ready to get on the ship and DO this. Now that the reality is so close at hand, there feels like a million details that need to be handled before I'll be mentally prepared to leave. I guess it will all work itself out. (Do I have a choice?). At least the small things are falling into place. I am now the proud owner of a lovely pair of olive green Crocs (thanks Laura & CR for the suggestion and Stacy for the Xmas gift) and a rockin' pair of Merrells (thanks Leigh for the idea & Julie/Reed for the gift). I have a money belt, and sea sickness bracelets, and well... a lot of "stuff." Now if I can only figure out where to purchase some peace of mind (and a side order of sanity, please?).
I repeat: Oh..... My...... GOD!
Sunday, December 31, 2006
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