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Tomorrow morning, by 10:00 am, I will be off the ship for good and Semester at Sea will be officially over. I’m in denial, I just can’t believe I spent the last semester traveling around the world. When I applied to the program in February it was just on a whim. It sounded like an awesome experience but never did I think that everything would fall into place so well, that I would actually be going. Then I got accepted (pretty much everyone does), but I refused to get excited, or even talk about it, until I found a way to pay for the voyage. Then I had amazing financial assistance and the next thing I knew I was getting immunizations, applying for visas, and registering for classes. Even a week before I left for the Bahamas, I was so sure something would keep me from this opportunity. But it all worked out. I still can not believe it, man, I could say that over and over. Thanks to everyone back home, this entire voyage was made possible. I can’t thank mom, dad, and Deb enough, really.

I’m over sentimental right now. For the last two days I’ve been near tears more times that I can count. Everyone is gathering email addresses and cell phone numbers, carrying world maps around and having them signed. And each time a friend of mine signs my map and says “See you later,” I can’t help but think that I might not. Many of my conversations with people may be the last. Kimmy, one of my friends from day one, had a heart to heart with me last night, bringing back memories of the Bahamas and how I cheered her up when she was missing home. I felt tears welling up in my eyes as she repeatedly encouraged me to keep in touch.
The girls, Carrie, Kathryn, Anna, Erin, and Janelle, and I have had more time to spend together since classes are finished and there is little to do on the ship. I’ve been trying to soak up every moment we spend together. Two nights ago we picked out a table in the empty dining room on deck 5 and made gingerbread houses out of graham crackers, m and m’s, and other goodies we bought in Hawaii. Afterwards we sat at a table outside, freezing for the cold windy night air and laughing as we listed the things we will miss about Semester at Sea. A dance was going on a deck above us and the song, “Time of Your Life,” by Green Day played in the background. It was one of the many moments of the voyage that I will remember. And then last night we slept outside under the stars. It was cold but the plan was to be miserable together. After two hours we each picked up our sleeping bags and dragged them back to our room.
I’m so excited to get home and see everyone. Really. But the life I’ve had on SAS has been so ideal that nothing can match it. I haven’t thought past December 7 this entire semester and it’s been the best feeling in the world. All too often, back home I plan everything ahead of time and I’m constantly looking to the future, but for 100 days I didn’t. Instead, I lived in the moment. I had some papers to write, tests to study for, and blogs to post, but besides that life was carefree. I wasn’t stressing about anything. Man, I’m going to miss it.
What else will I miss? Well I’m glad you asked! I’ll miss going to sleep and waking up to see a foreign country outside of my porthole. I’ll miss going to global studies each morning at 9:20, just to come back to a made bed and fresh towels in the bathroom. I’ll miss losing an hour of sleep constantly, talking at meals about what we plan to do in the next port, getting up at 7:00 am to use the internet when it’s fast, laying in the sun and attempting to read global studies homework as the wind whips the pages around, the lack of cell phones, hand sanitizer before every meal, getting excited about emails. I’m going to miss knowing that I’ll always feel a breeze if I step outside. And of course, I’ll miss the sunsets. I could go on forever, but I won’t.
Tonight is the convocation ceremony and Janelle is graduating. From there we all plan to exchange music and pictures and enjoy our last night together. I know I’ll be an emotional wreck tomorrow as I hug my friends goodbye, swipe my key card one last time and walk off the ship, attempting to weave through the crowds of people waiting outside with signs. It’s off to the airport from there for an early flight to Chicago. I’ll be home tomorrow night.
Semester at Sea was amazing and I realize I’ve been cheesy and sentimental in this blog. But that’s the way I am. Thanks once again to everyone who helped make the voyage possible and kept in touch with me as I traveled around the world. I can’t wait to see you all.