SEMESTER AT SEA EMBARKATION DAY [01.05.20]
Hello!! Welcome to my travel blog ~Adventures with Abby~. I will be blogging throughout the voyage about my experiences during Semester at Sea! I will post blogs when I have access to wifi, so bare with me. Now, come follow me around the world!
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes." - Marcus Proust
Wow. The day has finally come. My semester at sea is about to begin. I am embarking on the MV World Odyssey to travel the world, and take classes of course. I don’t even know where to begin because if you were speaking to me a year ago right now I would say, “Yeah that’s crazy, I would rather not.” But for those of you who know me understand that anything that involves risk and adventure I am totally down for. Except for cage diving, my roommate is still trying to convince me on that one… I am currently on the bus from San Diego, California to Ensenada, Mexico to board the ship. Because the ship is an international ship, we have to embark from a port outside of the US due to some regulations that I really don’t understand. My parents were able to see the ship yesterday and surprisingly enough, they approved! I didn’t realize how difficult it was going to be to say goodbye to not only my parents but also my besties back home. Until you leave, you never truly realize the blessings that surround you and how often you take them for granted. And if you’re one of those people reading this, you know I already can’t wait to come back and give you all big hugs! For those of you who do not know a lot about what I am going to be doing during the next 106 days, there is a video on the bottom of this page briefly explaining what Semester at Sea is. All I have to say is that there is nothing I can do or say to thank the people who have encouraged me and supported me to be able to follow through with this opportunity. Let me tell you, it was not easy as I have been preparing for many months, but it definitely has been more than worth it.
We just arrived on the MV World Odyssey. Well, we did a few hours ago. After we finally got through what seemed like hundreds of checkpoints, I got to my room and was able to finally breathe. I have an outside double on Deck 5. It is a nice location because there are 9 total Decks and I only have to climb one flight of stairs for most of my classes! But man, this place is beautiful and I can’t believe I get to call this my home the next few months. It is very vintage, classy, and decorated so precisely and with many details. Also, half the writing on the wall is German because it is used during the summer months as a German cruise ship so if you speak German, help a girl out! The people who I share this beautiful ship with are all so genuine and enthusiastic people. I have already met so many great people! They often tell me that I have a funny accent and they also think it’s really cool that I am the only North Dakotan on the voyage. My roommate, her name is Tasia, she’s great. We cliched within seconds and we share so many similar interest, values, and personality traits!! She’s from Chicago and goes to Colorado-Boulder.
We disembarked about 8 hours ago and let me tell you, I thought I could stick this one out but this isn’t anything close to a Carnival cruise. Seasickness is not a myth. I had to whip out the Sea Bands real quick and I think those and seasickness meds will become by best friends in no time. Our room is 5013 and we have it organized strategically and purposefully. Since we have no effective way of communicating to others on the ship, the sticky note communication has already begun. It’s kind of weird and funny because everyone can read other people’s messages because they are stuck on the outside of the door. Definitely something I will have to get used to. Anyways, I am loving it so far. Also, so random, but the best part of the room is the powerful shower head along with the magnetic doors. Very effective in expediting the shower process and hanging décor on the boring walls since tape is not allowed. Worst part of the room – we have a fake Monet painting along with toothbrush holders that don’t fit a toothbrush. Oh well, it’s perfect to us. Time to be rocked to sleep and hope I don’t wake up seasick!
Thanks for reading! Embarkation day was such a surreal and slightly overwhelming experience but it’s already a blur. To think I am literally sailing around the world is insane and amazing all at once. Classes start in two days & I can’t wait to blog the rest of my upcoming adventures! Talk to you later!
& LET THE ADVENTURE CONTINUE – next stop, Hawai'i!!
Very proud of you stepping out of your comfort zone! Life is all about stepping out of your comfort, with risk comes reward, true in business and in life!