11 days at sea... not so bad.

The last stretch of the voyage is probably the longest time we spend at sea. 11 days at sea sounds a bit much and can appear to be daunting but I have to say that we have been so busy that it hasn’t even crossed my mind that we haven’t set foot on land. I think that everyone is realizing that the end is near and the time we have together is dwindling. Although the students are in class and working on school work I can tell that the evening times are being well spent with other time consuming things, such as just hanging out, reconnecting, getting to know new people, and doing some last minute journaling – like I am doing right now. I think it is interesting because we get so caught up wanting to journal about the port cities that we forget to journal about the day to day experiences we have on the ship. Although I would like to say that life is pretty normal on the ship – but really? How “normal” can it be being on a ship with the same 700 people (and depending on your community, seeing the same 20 some odd people) everyday for 104 days. Beyond the work load and usual meetings and such, I have to say the events on the ship have been a blast and memorable. In particular, the Shipboard Auction and the Talent Show have been my highlights while being at sea. The Alumni Auction is held each year and coordinated by the Alumni Coordinator. There are 2 parts to this event… first there is a silent auction where people can roam around and bid on the various items up for bidding. All items in the live and silent auction are donated by the current community members on board. There were some very cool items from snack from around the world to a bracelet that was made with coins from every port city we visited. The reason the auction was so memorable for me was also because the committee asked me to be an Auctioneer. I had never been an Auctioneer or have ever seen a live auction before but got the concept… I got to auction off 7 awesome items… including a few nice vacations, a Captain Crunch cereal box signed by the Captain and his staff as well as raising the U.S. flags for both Hawaii and San Diego. Raising the flags means that anyone can pull the flags up on the ship on the top deck as we sailed into the port. Each time we enter a port we raise that country’s flag and I guess it is symbolic and fun to do both the first time we can raise the country’s flag in Hawaii and then in San Diego because all the parents, families, and friends who come to San Diego see you dong it. It was definitely a fun experience to be an auctioneer and I will never forget it. The other main event was our Talent Show... it was awesome to see so many talented students show their best. I guess, for those who know me... there was a rumor that was spread that I could do a little dancing... so after some thought, I said... why not!? and so I connected with two students who were doing a small hip hop number and wanted to see if I could jump in... after 2 rehearsals... at 3am... and coaxing Brittany, our photographer who is also an awesome dancer... I decided to participate... but it was a surprise for everyone... so we choreographed a surprise entrance for me and Brittany and it was a great experience... I realized that I still do like to dance... not sure if my body was fully ready for it since I am still sore from a 50 second routine and my knee is making a weird cracking noise, but it was well worth it... and just to surprise students... it was a treat. Now it is all about doing a study breaks, catching up with people before the voyage closes... but we still have one more port to hit... we stop in Honolulu but can't get off... its just for customs and immigration and fueling and then we head over to the Hilo... that should be fun since I have never been to the big island... I heard theres not much there but volcanos and the Big Island Candy Factory but I am sure it will be nice to be on land and also try to get to the Kona side where they have more of a visitor appeal and attractions. I am also thinking about what to do and in what order when I hit San Diego... I think it might be nice to just relax somewhere in SD and then make my way up to L.A.... but we'll see... it seems so close but so far away that I have time to think... but again, the days go by quick... I just want to make sure I soak in every minute I have while also thinking about the transition back to "real life". The hardest thing is being at sea and getting used to ship life... I am used to my cabin and the space as well as the cyclical schedule... not only that but the community life on board... some cant stand the close quarters but I really dont mind it... it actually lends itself to great connections and conversations... but then again at certain points of the voyage I did want and need a space of my own - which is hard to find... anyway... enough ranting... more to come... Hawaii... and heading home and my final thoughts...