I've Got Chills...

June 22:

Today I got to eat lunch with Captain Kingston. The Captain is an interesting fellow from England, who enjoys a good game of tennis-- on his Nintendo Wii. The other students and I chatted with him about pirates, storms, and his favorite places to visit. He told us, "One thing about people at sea-- we are like Peter Pan. We never grow up." In many ways this is true. He is waited on during every meal, and like a child almost everything is done for him, including laundry, cooking, and cleaning. I noticed a boyish twinkle in his old blue eyes, and I realized he must be right about the Peter Pan syndrome; he certainly had an adventurous spirit.

June 23:

This afternoon, we passed through the Strait of Gibraltar, or "Gates of Hercules." I went up to the 7th Deck forward to watch as the ship cruised into Mediterranean waters. On port side I could see the faint blue outline of Spain and on the starboard side was Morocco. As we got closer, the land became more visible and I was able to notice geographical differences between Europe and Northern Africa. The winds were fierce and unrelenting, and even though I wore a cardigan, I could feel goose bumps all over. I couldn't tell if it was from the chill or the chills.

Today:

We are in Barcelona. More to follow...

Just a Sketch of My Day.

Today I:

• took a tour of the Bridge. I got to wear the Captain's hat and "steer the ship," though it was really on auto pilot. 
• watched a documentary on JK Rowling and interviewed a circus clown in my entrepreneurship class.
• went to a travel sketching seminar. It was obvious that Bonnie & I were the only non-art majors and I was rather embarrassed when everyone had to share their sketches at the end of the hour.
• helped a tipsy professor find her way back to the faculty lounge.
• got assigned a project group and country for my 20 page marketing paper on shaving products in the Mediterranean. 
• enjoyed one of the first warm days by studying on the top deck.

Everyday at 1200 and 1730, we get announcements on the intercom system from one of the funniest staff members. The 1730 announcements usually include a "special question of the day" which was overheard on the ship during the day. Here are a few that have been reported so far:

• Is lobster so expensive because it's extinct?
• Where is the Leaning Tower of Pisa?
• What do they have at the Picasso Museum?

There will be more to come, I'm sure.

Old Man and the Sea

Today I saw land for the first time in five days! Early this morning we passed the Azores Islands. Here's an interesting fact from my international marketing professor: the Azores Islands are inhabited by Portuguese fishermen, and the ancestors of many Rhode Islanders came from here. Who knew?

In my entrepreneurship class I'm learning all about creativity and the practice of acute observation. There's so much that can be learned about the world we live in by simply opening up our eyes, taking a leisurely walk, or having a conversation with a stranger. In order to illustrate this point, Dr. Litz told us a really cool story about his first SAS voyage in Fall 2001.

The ship was docked in Cuba and it was one of his last days there. An older gentleman walked up to him, handed him a folded piece of paper and said, "If you're looking for something fun to take your daughters to, you should go here." After the man walked away, he unfolded the paper to reveal a name, an address, and one sentence: "Here lives the old man from Hemingway's Old Man and the Sea." So the next day my professor, his wife, and two daughters drove to the address and had a 15 minute conversation with the old man, who said he knew Ernest Hemingway personally. About a month after Dr. Litz returned from the voyage, he discovered a news article that said the old man that inspired the literary classic had passed away. He was 102 years old.

I wish I could include pictures with these posts, but I am sending them by email and the pictures would have to be about the size of a postage stamp to be under the data limit. I might be able to add a few when I'm in port, but no promises. Send me an email to lhrichardson@semesteratsea.net-- I am able to check this everyday and I would love to hear from you! It's been refreshing but weird going an entire week without Google, email from TCU, news headlines, phone calls, text messages, and facebook. Only four more days until we dock in Barcelona!

Shipboard Culture.

Looking out my window from the top bunk, I have the most gorgeous view of the Atlantic Ocean. Being on this ship has reminded me of how much I love the sea. I could never get tired of watching the waves as they steadily rock and spill over beautiful, blue water. I am captivated by the way the sun's reflection glimmers on the surface.

I've finally got my sea legs, and I didn't experience motion sickness-- knock on wood. Two mornings ago we woke up to very rough waters. Our dresser drawers were opening and closing on their own and walking down the staircase was a challenge. But the waters have since calmed, and today I noticed signs of life that I hadn't seen in a while-- sea gulls, seaweed, and about 6 dolphins jumping right outside of our window! We've lost an hour of sleep each night, slowly passing through time zones. This paired with my 8 a.m. class and my distaste for the dining hall coffee makes for a sleepy morning.

The culture onboard a floating campus is unlike any other I have ever encountered. Everything is within walking distance and I see my professors and their families everywhere I go.  I am enjoying my Entrepreneurship and International Marketing classes a lot, and have learned so much already from the first three sessions. Going to class on Saturdays and Sundays is a weird feeling, but I have begun to lose track of time altogether. In fact, we are on military time, so that was something new I had to get used to also. Finding the motivation to study is difficult when I'm surrounded by numerous distractions including the top deck, fun social events, and windows everywhere I look.  I didn't include boys on this list because the student population is 75% female. Our meals are basically a carbohydrates feast. Every lunch and dinner we are served bread, pasta, and potatoes of some form or another. Not to mention the trays of desserts they bring out at 10:00 p.m. every night-- what are they trying to do to me? Well I'm off to read, study for tomorrow's Mediterranean map quiz, and help Katie celebrate her birthday.

Turning 20 in Canada

We arrived in Halifax on Sunday at around 7:30 p.m. Our connecting flight was supposed to get there at 4:33 p.m. so we experienced a few delays and mishaps along the way. We were originally delayed because our plane was late. Then it rained. Then the flight staff discovered there was weight issues with the airplane. After they scanned my boarding pass, they waved an arm in Bonnie's face and said, "Alright that makes 40. Sorry ma'am, you'll have to wait. She's the last one." I turned around, panicked, and looked at Bonnie, but they shut the door behind me. I started to freak out! They just had to let us fly together. The next flight to Halifax didn't leave until 9:40 a.m. the next day.

After a long wait, they finally let the rest of the passengers board, and Bonnie was able to join me on what had to be one of the scariest flights I've ever flown. But the long delays led to new friendships. There were about 10 other SAS girls on our flight, and we really bonded during the hours we spent in Terminal F.

Walking through Halifax on Sunday night reminded me of a ghost town. The streets were almost empty and many businesses were closed or shutting down. My new friends and I ended up at an overpriced American restaurant called Boston Pizza, but we were starving and it was the only place open at 10:00 p.m. The next day we explored the streets and the harbor boardwalk. I made the mistake of ordering a quesadilla in a coffee shop called The Wired Monk. Who orders a quesadilla in Canada? I should have known better. There are some things you just can't imitate-- and good Tex Mex is one of them. I actually never tried any native dish. On separate occasions, I had 2 bagels with peanut butter and 2 slices of Hawaiian pizza (with real Canadian Bacon in my defense.) Traveling lesson learned-- stick with what they know & grow.Later that night I went out to celebrate my 20th birthday. There were SAS kids all over the city. We ended up in a pub called Cheers that was hosting a karaoke night. We sang Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" on a stage covered in blue leopard print carpet & the entire crowd sang along. It was a great birthday!

Halifax is an artsy town with an interesting military history. It's filled with sailboats, lighthouses, art galleries, cute shops, and lots of places to eat. This Nova Scotia city surprised me and exceeded my expectations. The weather was beautiful and the people friendly. The streets are clean and the crime rate low. I would definitely go back. And next time I'll order the seafood.

A Few Hours

This post concludes my countdown to the long-awaited study abroad trip! I'm still awake and finishing last-minute chores. Packing for a 68 day trip is challenging! I think I may have over packed, but it's way too late to fix that now. I'm not used to the meticulous work that goes into rolling  clothes and neatly organizing them into Ziploc and Space Saver bags. I've always been the kind of girl who throws clothes and shoes into a suitcase the night before and sits on top of her luggage in the morning so it will close shut.

Well even though I began packing two weeks ago, I'm still up past midnight on the morning of my flight, filled with nervous energy. Mom and I have to leave the house around 4:30 a.m. so that I make it to the airport in time for my early flight to Canada. My mind is flooded with thoughts of the Mediterranean Sea, warm sunshine, and the endless possibilities ahead.