do you want to go to the seaside?

Currently I am completely avoiding studying for my history exam... which is tomorrow... but this is of course on my mind way more than silly history. (Don't worry, i'm actually pretty well prepared for the exam i think/hope and will get back to studying soonish)

So I guess it is time for a formalish introduction!
For those who do not already know, i am participating in a summer study abroad program through Semester at Sea. This program is through the Institute for Shipboard Education and the University of Virginia. Basically in my case, i will be living on a cruise ship that they have transformed into a floating school complete with cabins (dorms) and classrooms. A good friend of mine from school, Kyle, is also going on the same voyage as i am, which should be really fun.

During the 10 week voyage (June 15th- August 21st), We will visit 7 countries. Starting in Halifax, Nova Scotia, we will travel to Spain, Italy, Croatia, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, and Morocco before returning to Norfolk, Virginia.

Here is a list of the ports we sail to:
June 15th: Halifax, Nova Scotia (port of departure)
June 24th-27th: Barcelona, Spain
June 29th-July 2nd: Civitavecchia, Italy
July 3rd-5th: Naples, Italy
July 8th-11th: Dubrovnik, Croatia
July 14th-18th: Piraeus, Greece
July 20th-24th: Istanbul, Turkey
July 27th-31st: Alexandria, Egypt
August 7th-10th: Casablanca, Morocco
August 21st: Norfolk, Virginia (back in the USA)

While at sea, i will be taking classes along with the other students on the ship. My courses for this summer are Global Studies (required for all voyagers), Global Music, and History of Art I (Pre-Renaissance Era). (kyle is actually in Global Studies and Art History with me)

Upon arrival at port, we are pretty much allowed to go as we please as long as we are back on the ship in time to leave port. we can choose to return to the ship for meals and even to sleep, or we can travel the rest of the country and stay in hostels, hotels, or wherever else we want if we so desire. It is an amazing amount of freedom. If we are feeling less adventurous while at port, Semester at Sea (SAS) also offers many field trips that we can participate in. however we have been advised by many that have gone on SAS before that most of the things SAS offers we can do on our own for much cheaper.
People have been discussing different itinerary ideas on facebook for months now, and it seems like we will most likely make the majority of our plans once on the ship. They advise us to make a list of places we want to see and things we would like to do, even phone numbers and locations of places to stay before getting on the ship. then once we get on the ship, hopefully we will make lots of new friends that have similar interests and ideas of where to go so we can do some awesome things but keep it relatively cost effective.



Started packing up my room in good ol' kelly house the other day, and i think that is when the reality hit me-- i am freaking studying abroad soon! in one month and almost 15 days i am going to be on a ship sailing the sea for about ten weeks. and in those ten weeks i am going to get to experience so many new things that i am sure will be absolutely spectacular. i told my dad today that i am going to have to start making a list of all the new things i do. and i'm sure it will be epically long. i mean, lets start it now:
-- travel on a cruise ship
-- travel out of the country
-- travel across an ocean
-- use a passport (i know it seems trivial, but it really is a new experience)
-- go to multiple countries where i do not speak the native language
-- stay in a hostel
-- travel by train
while the last two are not guaranteed as of right now, i am sure they will happen multiple times on the voyage.

basically, i am really really really excited for this trip. now i unfortunately need to get back to studying. totally lame, i know. how can anyone expect me to study for exams when i have all of these crazy plans on my mind?!?!!! i will fill you in on more details soon!

:)

only because nina told me to....

nina thinks im stupid. but i still love her. even if she smells like poo every once and a while.