Semester at Sea – Fall 2017, Thank You.

I am typing this blog as the MV World Odyssey is less than 200 nautical miles from our last stop, San Diego. So many emotions and thoughts are racing through my sleep-deprived head and I can only but try to make sense of it all as time passes. 5,000 pounds of consumed peanut butter and …

Dumplings up the Wazoo – China

Our ship had some prime parking in China. I woke up in the morning to the postcard skyline of Shanghai, finally seeing skyscrapers punctuated by the city’s famous Pearl Tower. Our morning started with some loud announcements over the speaker hustling us off the ship, while shoving cereal into our mouths, with threats that the …

Myanmar

I am struggling to put into words the experiences and knowledge I gained from my time in Myanmar. It is really hard for me to explain the time I had in this port because, honestly, it has been my favorite thus far, but the atrocities that have been occurring only a few hours north of …

Dance Parties, Trivia, and 50 Million Gal. of Sweat – Vietnam & Cambodia

I would have never imagined that this would be a sentence I'd write, but after Cambodia, I have seen enough temples and pagodas to last a lifetime. The vast number of ancient buildings in these past few countries is incredible. Climbing them, learning about their historical and religious significance, and being in awe of the …

Drinking My Weight in Masala Tea – India Adventures

As someone who is easily disturbed by germs and uncleanliness, the few days of preparation for India was mildly worrying. Leading up to this port, there were many stories of everything that could possibly go wrong (TD, the millions of diseases from mosquitoes, theft, drugs, scams, etc.), so during preport, I sat in my seat …

The US from Across the Ocean

I will preface this blog by saying it is a break from my usual posts and I am not one to share political views on social media. This is not what I am trying to do in this blog, but rather try to express the view we have of the US from across the ocean …

Sick in South Africa

It is in South Africa that the immensity of this trip and the vastness of the world really hit me. Having arrived a few days after Ghana into the metropolitan city of Cape Town, the shock of being in a city that “felt like home” was almost everyone’s first impression - we completely underestimated the …

I’m never Ghana get tired of these puns

The first sense that is awakened upon arriving in Ghana is smell. Almost immediately the distinctive smell that can only be described as fish, earth, [sewage], and, Ghana, begins the assault that is your senses in this wonderful country. My first few seconds of stepping onto the African Continent for the first time were moments …

Spain in a Nutshell (Ft. Gaudi)

Spain is a beautiful country bound in the past and every moment I try to describe turns me into a storyteller. After living on a ship for six days for the first time in my life, stepping into another country was one of the most surreal experiences (I was swaying for a few hours). Right …

Sleepy Animals, Sailboats, and no English

We have finally made it to Germany! After almost 18 hours of travel, Lindsey and I have arrived in Bremerhaven with no more than a bruise from my backpack that weighs more than it should. Dragging almost 100 pounds of my life with me was quite the experience – making me wonder how I am …