I am sorry that I have not been able to write any blog posts recently. Life on board the ship is a lot busier than I originally imagined. I will try and work on posting more frequent entries in the future. This post is about my first few days on the MV Explorer and about adjusting to my new life. I hope that you enjoy it! Feel free to E-mail me if you would like to know more about my experience because my blogs are usually written at bare minimum. I hope all of you are doing well!
1) Embarkation Day!
The day I stepped onboard the MV Explorer is a day I will always remember. It was the start of a new chapter and journey of my life. I took a shuttle to the Port of Southampton from Heathrow Airport at around 8:30AM. It was pretty gray outside and it was sprinkling. I stood in line, went through security and headed to the Gangway. Seeing the ship for the first time was a special moment as well. I looked up at this ship and thought, "Here is my new home!" I was so excited to get inside and see everything. Then I walked up the gangway and left my old life behind. I opened my mind to all of the possibilities and hopes for the journey. I felt like I was already becoming a different individual and throughout the first week I felt so many changes occur. I took one last look at the port and stepped over the threshold. When i first walked in, there were tons of staff and faculty greeting us and guiding us towards check in. It was a quick process and before I knew it I was headed to my cabin. When I got to my cabin I was relieved to see my shipped luggage outside the door. I was not prepared for the surprise behind the door. Before traveling on the ship I heard previous students comment on the small size of the cabins. However, when I got inside my cabin I was excited to see how much storage and space there was. By the time I finished unpacking everything had its own place. There are plenty of drawers and we have a fridge and TV. The bathroom is also a good size- I thought it would be tiny. My room is in the middle of the ship so we do not hear the engines or anything. We also have a large square window that overlooks the ocean. I think the cabin is beautiful! After a while I heard the door open and then I got to meet my roommate for the first time. We instantly connected and are really close now. It made the whole process so much easier. After unpacking our stuff we went to lunch in the dining hall. Food on the ship is buffet style but there is so much variety. There is always a meat, a fish, pasta, salad and potatoes. They also always have PB and J. I love the PB and J station because they have hotel pans full of PB and one full of Jelly. I was super shocked about the staff as well. I did not know what to expect but I was unprepared for the service they offer. They help you carry your plates, bring you drinks, clear your plates and always have smiles on their faces. Later in the day I also met my cabin steward, Crispen, and he is super awesome and friendly. The ship itself is beautiful and unique. There are photos all around the ship from past voyages. There is a campus store, a library, a student union, classrooms, medical center, workout center, pool deck, snack bars and even a spa! One of my favorite places on the ship is Deck 6 aft, where there is an outdoor dining space. I have definitely taken advantage of the nice weather to eat outside and soak up some rays. After spending the afternoon unpacking we had the chance to see the ship pull away from the dock. Because it is the 50th anniversary voyage, they had us grab some bubbles to blow as we began to sail away. It was really a special moment. Some of the parents had traveled to London and were there to see us off. They waved for a long time as the ship slowly began to leave. I turned around after a while and said to myself, "well, here we go..." I will never forget that moment with all the students onboard, blowing bubbles, saying goodbye, and turning their eyes to the ocean, ready to have the experience of a lifetime. The evening was spent at our Sea Meetings. We are the Bering Sea and I think we have a good chance of winning the Sea Olympics which happen later in the voyage. Our color is kelly green. We basically went over the logistics and rules of the ship. It was not the most exciting but it was needed and allowed us to get some good insight. I went to bed at around 11pm since Orientation was the very next day at 9AM. I know I say that this day was special a lot, but it really was. I was ready when we left the dock, ready for an adventure and open to change.
2) Orientation Day
On Sunday we spent the entire day at Orientation. It began at around 9AM and lasted until around 4PM. There were a lot of speeches and a lot of rules laid out on the table. I learned a lot about what it means to be on Semester at Sea. Many of the staff said "Welcome to the time of your life!" Everyone is super friendly and ready to help if needed. In the afternoon we got to hear Captain Jeremy speak about safety in regards to the actual ship. On embarkation day we had a life boat drill. We have to do one every 30 days just to make sure we all know what to do in an emergency. One thing I gleaned from orientation is that what they captain says, goes. He is the law on the ship. The faculty have some power but the ultimate decision goes to the Captain. On the ship we are subject to maritime law, so it is important that we know the rules of both SAS and the ship. My favorite segment was the last one... field programs. It made me even more excited to get to our first port. Since we finished at 4pm I had the chance to take a nap and unwind from the day. Later in the evening was the activity fair. I signed up to be a part of several clubs but the whole experience was hectic. Just imaging 500+ students in a small area trying to hear about all the different clubs and trying to find their way to a sign up sheet. Orientation Day was a bit tiring but it made me even more excited for the voyage. The ocean was calm for the most part but many people, including me, are still trying to get our sea legs. The main talk of the day was about the first day of classes. I was super excited but also nervous to start class. It was a good day and I looked forward to my first day of school on a floating campus!
3) First Day of School (Part One)
My first class on A days begins at 10:50. However, breakfast is from 7AM to 8:30 AM every day. On the first day of school I woke up at 7:30 and headed to breakfast. I met up with some other people and discussed our expectations and class schedules. After a quick bite I headed to the campus store. The line was super long but since I had time I figured I would wait. It took about 40 minutes before I got in but it was worth it. I loaded up on SAS gear and got a much needed pair of flip flops... I left mine at the hotel in London. Unfortunately they did not have any sunglasses... Both pairs broke in the same manner upon arrival in London... they were in separate bags. Hopefully I will be able to purchase some in our first port. Anyway, I went a little crazy but I will definitely use everything I bought. After the bookstore I prepared for my first class, which was Anthropology of Food. That class will probably be my favorite out of all four. The first class was great and I really like my professor. She really encouraged us to talk to her and get to know her. She also has a lot of stories about previous voyages. This will be her 5th voyage on Semester at Sea. After this class I went to lunch and then spent the afternoon reading for that class. At 3:40pm I went to my Cross Cultural Psychology class in the Student Union. This class had a lot more students as it is a global lens course. I am looking forward to this course as well. The professor seems pretty interesting. The rest of my first day was spent reading my assignments and attending a seminar about traveling and how to make the most of it. They discussed how to be a traveler rather than a tourist. It was great to hear the faculty give their input. Another fun thing about the ship are the announcements. There is a two tone sound and then the announcements are given at noon and at 6pm. Today I thought a lot about my journey ahead. I felt a tiny bit homesick but at the same time I separated myself a little. It felt like I was living two lives. You definitely feel that way once you step on the ship. You realize that you are in for the long haul and you acknowledge that you will be a different person when you return from the voyage. My first day was a lot of fun and I spent the evening preparing for my next first day of school.
4) First Day of School (Part Two)
That wasn't a typo when I said that I had two first days. On the ship we have A days and B days and our classes are in block schedules. Today, on the first B day, I had class at 9:25AM in Introduction to Anthropology. I had the same professor as I did yesterday and I feel that both of her classes will be very enriching. What better way to learn about culture than through Anthropology? Right after that class I had Stress: Work, Technology, and Life. It was an alright class but not one of my favorites. I hope that it gets better because my first field lab is in that class. We will be going to WHO in Belgium. In Intro to Anthropology we will be going to an education center in South Africa. I am super excited for that as well! My second first day went pretty well overall. I was finished with class at noon so I had the whole afternoon to nap and read for classes. It was definitely a great day because of that. Even though I love my A days I think I like my B days because I am done so early... even if I have to start a little earlier in the day. While on the voyage we have slowly been moving our clocks forward. I heard that by the time we get to Russia we will have moved our clocks forward three hours. I am glad they are having us do it in chunks. The rest of Europe will be nice because we will fall back a few hours.
5) Pre-port Meetings
Before every port there are two meetings. The first is two nights before we make port and it is the cultural pre-port. These meetings go over cultural norms and discuss issues that are going on in the country. We had the opportunity to hear a speech from Dimitri who was visiting the ship. He is from Russia so he was asked to do the meeting. Apparently one of the faculty asked him to write a schedule for the event but he said that he wanted to do it the Russian way. The meeting went pretty well for the most part. He talked a lot about the culture, the history and the dress. The most amusing part of pre-port was when he was kind of arguing with a Russian student about where a photo on the powerpoint was located. It was funny for sure and all in good fun. During the presentation he asked a professor to talk about the architecture.. unfortunately the professor was not well versed in Russian architecture so some comedy followed that. I definitely enjoyed it. On the night before we port, we all meet in the union for the Logistical Pre-port, which obviously goes over the nitty gritty of safety and numbers to call in an emergency. We also get our Green Sheets which list these numbers as well as information about the field programs and information about the country. Also, I had to attend an hour long safety meeting before logistical which went over issues that have occurred in the past and how to avoid getting hurt. I definitely value these meetings because they prepare you for what lies ahead in a short amount of time. We also get to hear from Dr. Dave, who lets us know about medical things. Above all else though, the only thing on your mind is that tomorrow you will be in a different country, and you are beyond excited. I didn't sleep much that night just because I kept coming to that realization. It is a giddy kind of excitement after having been at sea. Even though we have only been gone for five days it feels like a lifetime! Time goes so slow and so fast at the same time on the ship. I cannot wait to experience Russia!
I am thinking of all of you and sending you my love! Have a great week!
-Jessica
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