Sunday, December 30, 2012
Official SAS Spring 13 Blog
Here's the link to the official Semester at Sea blog for the Spring 2013 voyage. They usually update it with events that are going on on the ship as well as field programs that students go on. Sometimes there are pictures, sometimes there are videos, and sometimes there are student stories.
Check it out while I'm gone! I've been following it for a couple years and it's actually quite interesting.
http://www.semesteratsea.org/voyage-blogs/spring-2013/
9 days until takeoff, 6 until San Diego!!!
Check it out while I'm gone! I've been following it for a couple years and it's actually quite interesting.
http://www.semesteratsea.org/voyage-blogs/spring-2013/
9 days until takeoff, 6 until San Diego!!!
Monday, December 24, 2012
Fellow Voyagers
Consider checking out some of the blogs below. These are some fellow students who I will be traveling around the world with!
Katelyn Campbell and Sam Jensen: http://samandkatiesas.blogspot.com/
Emily Kathe: http://www.emileekatze.com/sea/
Jo Jordan: http://odd-strained-shapes.tumblr.com/
Kaitlynn Lagman: http://ramblingsofaglobalcitizen.blogspot.com/
Mariechen Puchert: http://barefootmeds.wordpress.com
Braden Herndon: http://bradenherndon.wordpress.com/
Christine Madsen: http://whalewalk.wordpress.com
Sophie Shufro: http://travelblargh.tumblr.com/
Cassandra J Cole http://cassandratravelstheworld.blogspot.com/
Heather Clausen http://imonaboat2013.tumblr.com/
Pabitra Khanal http://aroundtheglobewithpk.tumblr.com/
Kevin Pelaez http://themetricsystematsea.tumblr.com
Jessica Wallet http://jessseastheworld.wordpress.com/
Rachel Bassett http://seawhatisee.wordpress.com/
Carly Campbell http://carlyatsea.tumblr.com/
Alix Grossman http://onceuponaship.wordpress.com/
Maddie Hodges http://hodgepodge-at-sea.tumblr.com/
Tory Warner http://alternativegrandtour.wordpress.com/
Conor Murphy http://aroundtheworldwithconor.tumblr.com/
Taylor Smith http://aroundtheworldin106days.wordpress.com
Kelsey Howell http://adventuring101.blogspot.com
Tess Vanderhoof http://tess-abroad.tumblr.com/
Dana Drakehttp://dmd327.tumblr.com
Jessica Strickler: http://arewethereyetsas2013.blogspot.com/
Amanda Paulson: http://helloworlditsamanda.blogspot.com/
Lesley Wright http://lesleyywrightt.wordpress.com/
Emily Juhnke: http://sp13voyagearoundtheworld.blogspot.com/
Courtney Rockwood: http://courtneyatsea.wordpress.com/
Colleen Chapman: http://colleenc-atsea.tumblr.com/
Tyler Hallmark: http://www.journalearth.com/
Erica McCarthy: ericaaroundtheworld.wordpress.com
Janelle Williams: http://janelleatsea.tumblr.com
Sydney Porter http://sailthroughroughwaters.tumblr.com/
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Tick Tock
It's December 12 (12/12/12 for all you wish makers out there). Which means that...oh...in less than a month, I will set off on my voyage of journeying around the world. At this time next month, I'll be somewhere on the MV Explorer, doing classwork, talking to people, eating potatoes and pasta. A lot of what I normally do at home. Except I'll be on a ship. Traveling around the world.
Yesterday concluded the fall quarter of my sophomore year of college, and my first quarter at Fairhaven. This has by far been the best quarter so far, and I can't wait to make the next two quarters even better! I don't think it's really settled in that I'm going yet. It's always been something that was so far off in the distance, that now that it's creeping up on me, it still doesn't feel like it's just around the corner. Which it totally is.
I've signed up for quite a bit of trips. More than I think I originally intended to, but these are trips that I've had my eye on ever since I knew SAS existed. Home stays, service visits, and even a little bit of adventurous trips thrown in there. I'll be traveling around Beijing for about 4 days (and even tobogganing down the Great Wall!), I'm going to be traveling to the Mekong Delta in Vietnam and doing a home stay there (during Tet, no less), I'll be feeding monks at a monastery in Burma, riding a Snake Boat in India (I'm still not entirely sure what this is...), doing a cultural cooking class in South Africa, visiting the slave dungeons in Ghana, and possibly hiking up to Berber villages in Morocco. And that's just one thing for each port, and I'm doing multiple day trips in a couple of them.
I'm trying to decide what I'm most excited for at this point, and I really can't say. When I think I've decided on a favorite trip, I remember another one and the process of attempting to pick out a favorite excursion starts all over again.
Winter break has officially started, which, if this were any other normal break would mean relaxing, watching too much TV, reading here and there, and just generally being lazy. But since this is the break before SAS, that means I'll be crazy busy with last minute paperwork, getting everything I could possibly want or need for the 4 months I'll be gone, and finally...packing.
If there are any other SASers out there reading this, I wish you well with getting ready, and I'll see you on the ship in less than a month!!
Yesterday concluded the fall quarter of my sophomore year of college, and my first quarter at Fairhaven. This has by far been the best quarter so far, and I can't wait to make the next two quarters even better! I don't think it's really settled in that I'm going yet. It's always been something that was so far off in the distance, that now that it's creeping up on me, it still doesn't feel like it's just around the corner. Which it totally is.
I've signed up for quite a bit of trips. More than I think I originally intended to, but these are trips that I've had my eye on ever since I knew SAS existed. Home stays, service visits, and even a little bit of adventurous trips thrown in there. I'll be traveling around Beijing for about 4 days (and even tobogganing down the Great Wall!), I'm going to be traveling to the Mekong Delta in Vietnam and doing a home stay there (during Tet, no less), I'll be feeding monks at a monastery in Burma, riding a Snake Boat in India (I'm still not entirely sure what this is...), doing a cultural cooking class in South Africa, visiting the slave dungeons in Ghana, and possibly hiking up to Berber villages in Morocco. And that's just one thing for each port, and I'm doing multiple day trips in a couple of them.
I'm trying to decide what I'm most excited for at this point, and I really can't say. When I think I've decided on a favorite trip, I remember another one and the process of attempting to pick out a favorite excursion starts all over again.
Winter break has officially started, which, if this were any other normal break would mean relaxing, watching too much TV, reading here and there, and just generally being lazy. But since this is the break before SAS, that means I'll be crazy busy with last minute paperwork, getting everything I could possibly want or need for the 4 months I'll be gone, and finally...packing.
If there are any other SASers out there reading this, I wish you well with getting ready, and I'll see you on the ship in less than a month!!
Monday, October 15, 2012
From Dream to Reality...
As of Saturday, it's official. Semester at Sea and I have defined our relationship. Status: officially happening.
What does one do when a dream becomes a reality? When fives years of excitement, pining, anxiousness, and a myriad of other emotions finally reach the same conclusion? I don't really know.
Friday is when SAS released their final financial aid contribution to each student. I was disappointed to see that the Alumni scholarship that I spent weeks on didn't earn me a pretty penny at all. Not even a penny, actually. It was so anticlimactic to open my MyVoyage page (an account I've been dying to have since I was 15) and see that nothing (nada, zip, zero) had changed.
But my parents, being the blessing of support that they are, have decided that this adventure is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that doesn't have a price tag, although the literal tag is enough to make any sane individual question their sanity. So that's where I'm at. It's happening.
I'm registered for classes. One may think that the hard part is over, but oh no, you don't know Semester at Sea (or WWU, for that matter) like I do.
I still have to get solid answers out of the financial aid department, which I thought would be easiest thing of the whole debacle, but it's turning out to be the hardest. I'm still going to be applying for outside funding, visas (which is a whole process in itself), not to mention the list of 549 other items that must be completed before I leave. And of course, I must prepare emotionally as well.
The idea of being away from home for 4 months is daunting. The longest I have gone without contact with my parents was the month I spent in Kenya, where it was literally impossible to get ahold of them. So as I travel the world by ship, where I will have my electronics readily available, I wonder if that will make homesickness better or worse? Come January 9, all will be revealed.
I don't even know if anyone is going to read this. My parents are the only ones who have been with me on this journey, right from the very beginning when the idea of Semester at Sea was a distant dream that I scoffed at the idea of.
On May 3 I visited the open ship in San Diego. I was early, eagerly waiting in Timitz square for my tour to begin. A staff member walked up to me and started talking. After back and forth conversation about Semester at Sea, she told me "It'll work out, I can feel it." So all I have left to say is this: To the stranger that believed in my dream without even knowing me, thank you. You're right. It's working out.
What does one do when a dream becomes a reality? When fives years of excitement, pining, anxiousness, and a myriad of other emotions finally reach the same conclusion? I don't really know.
Friday is when SAS released their final financial aid contribution to each student. I was disappointed to see that the Alumni scholarship that I spent weeks on didn't earn me a pretty penny at all. Not even a penny, actually. It was so anticlimactic to open my MyVoyage page (an account I've been dying to have since I was 15) and see that nothing (nada, zip, zero) had changed.
But my parents, being the blessing of support that they are, have decided that this adventure is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that doesn't have a price tag, although the literal tag is enough to make any sane individual question their sanity. So that's where I'm at. It's happening.
I'm registered for classes. One may think that the hard part is over, but oh no, you don't know Semester at Sea (or WWU, for that matter) like I do.
I still have to get solid answers out of the financial aid department, which I thought would be easiest thing of the whole debacle, but it's turning out to be the hardest. I'm still going to be applying for outside funding, visas (which is a whole process in itself), not to mention the list of 549 other items that must be completed before I leave. And of course, I must prepare emotionally as well.
The idea of being away from home for 4 months is daunting. The longest I have gone without contact with my parents was the month I spent in Kenya, where it was literally impossible to get ahold of them. So as I travel the world by ship, where I will have my electronics readily available, I wonder if that will make homesickness better or worse? Come January 9, all will be revealed.
I don't even know if anyone is going to read this. My parents are the only ones who have been with me on this journey, right from the very beginning when the idea of Semester at Sea was a distant dream that I scoffed at the idea of.
On May 3 I visited the open ship in San Diego. I was early, eagerly waiting in Timitz square for my tour to begin. A staff member walked up to me and started talking. After back and forth conversation about Semester at Sea, she told me "It'll work out, I can feel it." So all I have left to say is this: To the stranger that believed in my dream without even knowing me, thank you. You're right. It's working out.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Dreams vs. Reality
As of yesterday, it is officially 6 months until the MV Explorer will leave from Ensenada (or is it San Diego? That part is still confusing...), and hopefully I'll be on it. I first set my sights on Spring 2013 when I was just beginning my senior year of high school. Everything seemed so far away, it was still late 2011, I hadn't even graduated or passed my senior boards, I hadn't even finished my first semester of the year. I thought I had all the time in the world to get things ready for Spring 2013. But now it's 6 MONTHS until the voyage leaves, which gives me about 3 months to get all the funding together. It's hard to push myself to fundraise and write letters and fill out scholarships when it all seems like an impossible dream. After all, is it really possible for me to get the amount of money I need? I had renewed hope when I logged onto my account to find that $3000 had been knocked off the overall cost, which I was able to manage by endless research and stalking a past participant whose blog I had followed during her voyage. But now that I think about it, that is just a very, VERY, small amount of the overall cost...
I keep telling myself that nothing is going to happen unless I try, so that's all there's left to do. Generally speaking, people weren't very supportive of my trip to Kenya, so I don't think I'll even try to rally people to support this amazing journey, which, if I'm being honest, is their loss.
So here it goes. If I write it down then it HAS to happen. After all, that worked with Voldemort in Harry Potter, so it must work in real life. I SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I WILL TRY MY ABSOLUTE HARDEST TO MAKE SEMESTER AT SEA HAPPEN. As Yoda once said, do or do not, there is no try. Is that enough fantasy references for one day? I think so. But really, I promise to try to dedicate at least 1 hour (preferably 2) a day looking for scholarships and other sources of funding.
The end. Fin. Ciao. Adios.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Ch-ch-changes
It's been a month since I've officially posted anything, but boy the ball has NOT stopped rolling. Since the last update, I've visited the ship in San Diego, met with my school's study abroad office, officially paid my deposit, and am a confirmed participant who will be living somewhere on Deck 3 (if all goes as planned). The more information that is released by SAS about Spring 2013, the better it keeps on getting. Turns out there's going to be a tester program called Unreasonable at Sea during the S13 voyage, where some of the world's upcoming and leading entrepreneurs will be traveling with us on the MV Exploring, working with students on tacking some of the worlds biggest problems by coming up with sustainable and creative ideas.
Win.
The application process between SAS and Western was a bit of a hassle, but now comes all the paperwork...and finding the funding. I thought about robbing a bank for awhile, but I don't think I have the chops to pull it off. But it would make for a really good story when someone asks "So, how did you come up with money for SAS?" In all seriousness, my summer will be spent working (hopefully), filling out scholarships and receiving them (hopefully), as well as (hopefully) winning the cash prize from the Monopoly game at Hagen. And possibly robbing a bank.
In other completely related news, looks like S13 is leaving from Ensenada, Mexico now! Kinda puts a dent in the roadtripping plans, but it could still work out. It's my goal to say that I traveled the world and didn't fly on a plane. Of course I'll have to fly home from Barcelona, but I'm not gonna count that one. Unless I never return...
Win.
The application process between SAS and Western was a bit of a hassle, but now comes all the paperwork...and finding the funding. I thought about robbing a bank for awhile, but I don't think I have the chops to pull it off. But it would make for a really good story when someone asks "So, how did you come up with money for SAS?" In all seriousness, my summer will be spent working (hopefully), filling out scholarships and receiving them (hopefully), as well as (hopefully) winning the cash prize from the Monopoly game at Hagen. And possibly robbing a bank.
In other completely related news, looks like S13 is leaving from Ensenada, Mexico now! Kinda puts a dent in the roadtripping plans, but it could still work out. It's my goal to say that I traveled the world and didn't fly on a plane. Of course I'll have to fly home from Barcelona, but I'm not gonna count that one. Unless I never return...
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
A Fake Acceptance...
It's been a while since I've updated last, mostly because it seems like I've made a lot of progress without actually having made progress. Yeah, figure that one out. I woke up one morning and found an acceptance email from Semester at Sea! I was over the moon of course, until I continued checking my email and found another one sent a couple minutes later that said I was kinda accepted. It's almost like an oxymoron. Accepted, as long as my school approves me. Which of course means that I haven't been approved by my school yet.
But on to more exciting news, the Spring 2012 voyage returns tomorrow! And I'm going to San Diego the day after tomorrow the tour the M.V Explorer. Say you were a yoga fanatic, practiced if almost your entire life, it's part of your daily schedule...part of who you are. Me seeing the M.V Explorer is like a yoga fanatic going to do yoga at an ashram in India for a couple months. Yup, I'm that excited.
But on to more exciting news, the Spring 2012 voyage returns tomorrow! And I'm going to San Diego the day after tomorrow the tour the M.V Explorer. Say you were a yoga fanatic, practiced if almost your entire life, it's part of your daily schedule...part of who you are. Me seeing the M.V Explorer is like a yoga fanatic going to do yoga at an ashram in India for a couple months. Yup, I'm that excited.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
$1.10
Today I spent $1.10.
On what, you may ask?
Well that is a very good question.
On my Semester at Sea application of course!
I'm happy to announce that I have officially sent in everything required by SAS (and more) to be considered a full and complete application. HURRAY! After about two years of researching, emailing representatives, reading blogs of past participants, emailing said participants, and basically everything else under the sun and over the ocean, I have finally (FINALLY!) sent in my application.
And so the process (finally) begins...
If this doesn't inspire me to start fundraising, I don't know what will. An acceptance letter will inspire, no doubt, but now that I've finally got the ball rolling, I need to keep it rolling. I still can't believe it's been two plus years since I first looked into SAS. At first I was convinced that I was going to do a gap year Fall 2011. But as time went on, I realized that it wasn't really a possibility, so I moved my sites to Spring 2012. I kept researching, but I got caught up in all my other high school requirements that that voyage slipped through my hands as well. So then I decided on Fall 2012. Whoever said the the third times a charm obviously hasn't planned for SAS. I started planning my voyage for 2012 before they even had an itinerary out. When the itinerary finally was released, it was disappointing to find that the around the world voyage was replaced with what they titled "Atlantic Exploration"--visiting more developed countries and South America.
Since one of the major reasons I want to participate in SAS revolves around me being able to visit third world/developing nations, Fall 2012 didn't exactly appeal to me in the same way. So, I decided on Spring 2013. At this point in time, I was a senior in high school, and Spring 2013 wasn't even close to being released.
But now here we are, February 2012, and there's less than a year until Spring 2013 departs from California. And the cherry on top of it all?! An actual real cherry, no sarcastic behavior going on here. Spring 2013 debarks in Barcelona! Which means I'll be able to relive my Flamenco glory days and possibly visit Paris, which I've been wanting to do for years.
Let's hope everything is fine with the application process and fundraising. Spring 2014 just doesn't have the same ring to it...
On what, you may ask?
Well that is a very good question.
On my Semester at Sea application of course!
I'm happy to announce that I have officially sent in everything required by SAS (and more) to be considered a full and complete application. HURRAY! After about two years of researching, emailing representatives, reading blogs of past participants, emailing said participants, and basically everything else under the sun and over the ocean, I have finally (FINALLY!) sent in my application.
And so the process (finally) begins...
If this doesn't inspire me to start fundraising, I don't know what will. An acceptance letter will inspire, no doubt, but now that I've finally got the ball rolling, I need to keep it rolling. I still can't believe it's been two plus years since I first looked into SAS. At first I was convinced that I was going to do a gap year Fall 2011. But as time went on, I realized that it wasn't really a possibility, so I moved my sites to Spring 2012. I kept researching, but I got caught up in all my other high school requirements that that voyage slipped through my hands as well. So then I decided on Fall 2012. Whoever said the the third times a charm obviously hasn't planned for SAS. I started planning my voyage for 2012 before they even had an itinerary out. When the itinerary finally was released, it was disappointing to find that the around the world voyage was replaced with what they titled "Atlantic Exploration"--visiting more developed countries and South America.
Since one of the major reasons I want to participate in SAS revolves around me being able to visit third world/developing nations, Fall 2012 didn't exactly appeal to me in the same way. So, I decided on Spring 2013. At this point in time, I was a senior in high school, and Spring 2013 wasn't even close to being released.
But now here we are, February 2012, and there's less than a year until Spring 2013 departs from California. And the cherry on top of it all?! An actual real cherry, no sarcastic behavior going on here. Spring 2013 debarks in Barcelona! Which means I'll be able to relive my Flamenco glory days and possibly visit Paris, which I've been wanting to do for years.
Let's hope everything is fine with the application process and fundraising. Spring 2014 just doesn't have the same ring to it...
Friday, January 27, 2012
H2O
Description for an SAS class that sounds totally, amazingly, awesomely like it was made for me.
"Water is the Earths most precious resource. This course introduces students interested in sustainable international development and global issues to one of the major challenges we face today: how to provide safe drinking water to 1 billion people and adequate sanitation to 2.6 billion people who currently lack these basic services? Students will learn the fundamentals of water quality, water borne diseases, and the basic principles of water and wastewater treatment. Our focus will be on how to select appropriate and sustainable technologies for water and sanitation in developing countries."Learning about water rights and the fight for clean water WHILE traveling the world? Sounds like a dream come true to me!
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Testing 1,2,3
Just seeing if I can update my blog from my email.
Sorry for the lack of interesting blogness.
My shoes point out my destiny
So here's a little fun fact...
I have a pair of shoes that are from the brand SAS! They're the self titled "Jesus Sandals" that I bought for my high school trip to Spain/Italy, which were then stolen in Italy, and then re-bought for my trip to D.C, which then came back safe and sound in my luggage.
I plan on bringing them with me Spring 2013! My SAS shoes for SAS.
Seems like a perfect fit, don't you think?
I have a pair of shoes that are from the brand SAS! They're the self titled "Jesus Sandals" that I bought for my high school trip to Spain/Italy, which were then stolen in Italy, and then re-bought for my trip to D.C, which then came back safe and sound in my luggage.
I plan on bringing them with me Spring 2013! My SAS shoes for SAS.
Seems like a perfect fit, don't you think?
Perfect is the watch word
- EMBARK: San Diego, CA, USA
- Hilo, Hawaii
- Yokohama, Japan
- Kobe, Japan
- Shanghai, China
- Hong Kong
- Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Singapore
- Penang, Malaysia
- Cochin, India
- Port Louis, Mauritius
- Cape Town, South Africa
- Tema (Accra), Ghana
- Casablanca, Morocco
- DEBARK: Barcelona, Spain
Why I decided to join the blogosphere...
1) Because I've always wanted to.
2) Because I finally (semi) figured it out.
3) Because I'm at home sick and don't know what else to do...
But mostly because I want to go on a Semester at Sea, and this seems like the best way to inspire myself. For those of you who don't know me, I've been researching Semester at Sea since I was a junior in high school, aka for the last 2 years. I think I know everything there is to know. I've read past blogs, I've emailed representatives, I've even emailed past participants! All that's left to do is actually go on a voyage, which I'm hoping to do Spring 2013.
There's just a small problem...
A rather large one, actually.
Approximately $30,000.
I've done the first big step. I've applied. Well, almost. I'm in the midst of applying. Just need to finish up a few things and send in some transcripts.
So here's my plan. Write letters. Letters, letters, letters. Possibly more letters than Noah wrote to Allie. Letters to past particpants. Letters to family (although that didn't work out too well last time...). Letters to government officials who support studying abroad. Letters, letters, letters.
It's just hard to figure out where to start.
But perhaps the greatest inspiration I have is not even something concrete, not even something like a memory or a web page (although semesteratsea.org has become one of my top 10 websites). It's imagining the words "Welcome to the Spring 2013 voyage of Semester at Sea. The world is your campus."
How cool is that? Going to bed one night and waking up in another country? Then going to bed and doing that FOURTEEN times over. Yeah, it's worth it.
2) Because I finally (semi) figured it out.
3) Because I'm at home sick and don't know what else to do...
But mostly because I want to go on a Semester at Sea, and this seems like the best way to inspire myself. For those of you who don't know me, I've been researching Semester at Sea since I was a junior in high school, aka for the last 2 years. I think I know everything there is to know. I've read past blogs, I've emailed representatives, I've even emailed past participants! All that's left to do is actually go on a voyage, which I'm hoping to do Spring 2013.
There's just a small problem...
A rather large one, actually.
Approximately $30,000.
I've done the first big step. I've applied. Well, almost. I'm in the midst of applying. Just need to finish up a few things and send in some transcripts.
So here's my plan. Write letters. Letters, letters, letters. Possibly more letters than Noah wrote to Allie. Letters to past particpants. Letters to family (although that didn't work out too well last time...). Letters to government officials who support studying abroad. Letters, letters, letters.
It's just hard to figure out where to start.
But perhaps the greatest inspiration I have is not even something concrete, not even something like a memory or a web page (although semesteratsea.org has become one of my top 10 websites). It's imagining the words "Welcome to the Spring 2013 voyage of Semester at Sea. The world is your campus."
How cool is that? Going to bed one night and waking up in another country? Then going to bed and doing that FOURTEEN times over. Yeah, it's worth it.
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