La Jolla

Here's another retrospective post, because lately my blog and I never seem to be in the same place. This day spent in La Jolla provided some much needed time by the sea. The pedestrian trail along the coast reminded me of the Coastal Walk in Sydney and I wish it was a walk I could take all the time. Each time I visit California, I have to list out reasons in my head for why I shouldn't move there, because the mountains and sea and trees convince me otherwise. I'd love to find my way back to the coast some day, but for now, I'll enjoy short seaside visits like this one.

San Diego

In January, I had the opportunity to attend a TEDx event in San Diego, hosted by Semester at Sea. This was the second TEDx Semester at Sea event, and I was thrilled when I found out the venue was the MV Explorer, the very same vessel which served as my home and campus in Summer 2010. The theme was "Ripples, Waves and Wakes," and each of the speeches had a common theme around taking risks and how one small move can inspire a ripple effect of change. One of the speakers was my talented friend and former shipmate, Charu Sharma. You can watch her speech as well as the others online.

Being back on the ship, brought back a thousand memories. I snuck off to the fourth deck and found my old cabin, 4043, from whose window I used to daydream and count flying fish and dolphins. It was great to reconnect with familiar faces and meet some of the new students who were set to embark on the Spring 2014 voyage the following morning. They were nervous and excited, and all the other same emotions I felt on the eve of my adventure at sea. When they asked for my advice, I told them not to take a single moment for granted, because the semester would be over as soon as it began. I couldn't help but be a little envious of them, for it was this journey that gave me the passion for traveling and learning, and I'd do anything to be able to experience it all over again.

{my passport still proudly displays my SAS student ID sticker}

{coffee & Kerouac for this solo traveler}

{San Diego Botanic Garden}

{Explore. Dream. Discover. -Mark Twain}

{The MV Explorer}

{street art in downtown San Diego}