Hello,
So just got back on the boat from England! It was a splendid time going
to the place where Harry Potter originated. I have to say though I loved
Ireland more. More down to earth people. Top port Galway. People were
more personable it was less big city feeling and I'm more a small
town/smaller city girl. But I will need to come back to hit up a few
more sites as there was not enough time to get to do everything, which I
think is good in a way because then I will have to come back instead of
being like oh I saw it all don't need to go there again. I continually
in my head make plans of what to do after SAS; I can't stop myself from
thinking about going more places & seeing more things. I did hit up a
lot of important sights with some cool people though in England. I
literally the night before England decided to travel with Colleen,
Danielle, & Sarah. (some of the coolest people ever, putting this in
with the hope they see, but they really are cool).
Day 1:
The first day I woke up and we headed on an adventure to Stonehenge. We
got off the boat, walked down a long way through some industry stuff to
get out of the cruise terminal, then on to find an information center
that led us to figure out we needed to catch a bus to get to a place
where we could catch a bus to Stonehenge. (I know kinda complicated, but
it was overall fairly easy). We then walked to the bus station. Caught a
bus to Salisbury (cute little town) where we had lunch at a little
cafe/restaurant called Nuggs. Loved it! I had a cheese toastie (which in
America is equivalent to a grilled cheese) and a Twix milkshake which
was also delicious. Colleen had a Cadbury caramel shake and it was also
delicious from my sip of it. From there we took a tour on a double
Decker bus. We explored Stonehenge & got some pictures and souvenirs. I
got a shirt that says Stonehenge rocks (get it rocks as in actual rocks
or as it is really cool, sorry had to add this even though it is pretty
obvious) and a magnet. From this point on I decided I was going to
collect magnets in every country. I missed getting one in Ireland, but
will find a way to get one on-line or something when I get back home. We
then caught the bus back with a stop at Old Sarum, an old castle on a
hill with a trench built around it. It was cool to see that and how it
was built to wade off intruders. We then hiked back down and caught the
next bus back to Salisbury where we obviously took another bus back to
Southampton where we stayed the night on the ship. It is so great to
sleep in our own bed and get free food (Well more like food I already
paid for, but lets not get started on that discussion. What is important
is I didn't have to pay more).
Day 2
The next morning Colleen and I took the Hogwarts Express to Hogwarts.
Okay we took a bus to Warner Brothers Studios where Harry Potter was
filmed and we took a tour, but for my sake I went to Hogwarts. On the
bus I met Ally (another even more HP fanatic than me) and her, Colleen,
& I shared the back seat of the bus and talked to Kai the tour liason
for SAS the whole time. It was a great bus ride discussing Harry Potter
and people on SAS. Along with all the stupid things some kids do on this
trip. Found out some good gossip and am trying to forget how much money
some people wasted on stupid things like getting wasted every night. I
am not against anyone drinking. I just feel people don't need to do it
every night and that you don't need to drink until intoxication. Well
after the 2 hour bus ride we arrived and from the outside it was just a
large studio like building, but on the inside "secrets were revealed". I
saw the Great Hall and numerous outfits worn by the actors in the films,
and I viewed different rooms and like 1,000+ props from the 8 movies. I
rode a broomstick & got my picture with the London Bridge in the
background. I walked down diagon alley and saw a replica 50 ft Hogwarts
castle, so yes I did go to Hogwarts! I have to say butterbeer was very
delicious. On the way back the bus dropped some of us off near a train
station and from there Colleen and I made our way via the tube (which is
a metro-train) to London after deciding not to go see Platform 9 and 3/4
at Kings Cross since we had to meet Danielle and Sarah. We navigated
(okay Colleen mostly navigated cause I am bad at directions) our way to
the Youth Hostel where we met Sarah & Danielle and preceded to eat at a
little cafe called Gregg's. I had a cheese toastie and amazing lemon
muffin. Over the next 2 days we preceded to eat there at least 5 times.
They just had amazing muffins and free WiFi! Which is a big deal. We
have become pros at finding WiFi in port. After we went to the London
Eye. Got a picture of us all sitting with our arms interlocked looking
at the Eye (We are taking a picture with this pose in every country).
Went & got tickets to see the best view of the city. It was a 30 minute
ride and then we headed back to the hostel. We all went downstairs with
our shower stuff because the light in the bathroom would shut off after
a few minutes and the main door to the bathroom didn't lock. The shower
door and also the toilet door did, but just to be safe we all went
together to block the door & keep the light on. Then it was off to bed.
Day 3
Gonna try to make this short and sweet. Decided to all go with Colleen
to the Paralympics. Ended up with Danielle scalping one and Sarah and I
getting them free from the guards. Met Eugene when we were in the Excel
Center. Watched sitting volleyball, wheelchair fencing, and wheelchair
table tennis. It was an amazing experience. My favorite event was
volleyball because of the crowd. There were little school kids chanting
"GB, GB, GB". I loved the chants and playing finish that song between
matches. Of course 1 Direction came on and we sang our hearts out. "What
makes you beautiful" has become a theme song especially in England for
us. After we left there around 4 o'clock we walked as close to Olympic
Stadium/Park as we could, then tried to find Abbey Road. Found the wrong
Abbey Road (There is more than 1, confusing). Ended up talking in
British accents for a few hours and stopping at King's Cross to get a
picture at platform 9 & 3/4. Sarah asked a worker still in her British
accent "Excuse me, can you direct me to Platform 9 & 3/4". and we found
it! And we also managed to somehow find the actual Abbey Road that the
Beatles walked on and get a picture without getting hit by a car, there
was a few close calls though (can't remember for sure how we ended up
finding it, it was like 5 countries ago, oh ya I now measure time by
countries not days, weeks, or months and since I'm currently writing
this while in Spain it is hard to recall every little detail). Ya we did
some souvenir shopping and got more muffins at Gregg's then went back to
bed at the hostel.
Day 4 (Last Day) (Last Day is generally pretty boring)
Went and saw Buckingham Palace and caught a bus back to Southampton.
Sorry this is so late. Time has been going by so fast. I've been gone
for over a month already! Ahhh! It needs to slow down. There has been
little time between countries to write. Hope everyone back home is well.
And if anyone wants to e-mail me here they can.
Amy
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Ireland
So I spent 4 days and 3 nights in Ireland. I arrived on August 31st
and departed back on the ship on September 3rd. It was an eventful &
unplanned trip. I had no plans going into Ireland except planning to go
with some girls I met named Cindy & Earlene (Met at hotel) & some people
they knew. Luckily one girl had booked a hostel and the hostel had extra
room for our group. The hostel was called the Woodquay Hostel. It was
basic, but the people there were nice.
We decided to go on a tour of the Cliffs of Moher. On the way there
were lots of cows and sheep, which are Ireland's main agriculture. The
tour guide described how agriculture is a big part of Ireland's economy.
I listened to the taxi driver describe the areas we passed. We passed
lots of castles. I find castles so interesting because I just think how
amazing they are today, they must have been so much more ahead of the
time when they were made. I enjoy thinking of the people that used to
live their and what they used to look like (I know I'm weird). We also
passed the Burren which is hills covered with limestone. It was
magnificently beautiful. Along the way we stopped in a little town and
checked out a souvenir shop & were allowed time to eat. At the souvenir
shop I got a bottle opener cap most likely for my dad and 4 little
chocolate & caramel candy treats. So delicious. Then it was back on our
way to the Cliffs. Once we arrived there. The tour guide allowed us like
1 to 1.5 hrs. We first started the uphill climb to get up to the cliffs.
The view was worth the walk. It was magnificent to look down at the
water from so far up above. The tour guide said this place is in debate
for the 8th natural wonder of the world!!!! Wow! I was with Cindy, Anna,
Vanessa, Shelby, & Natalie as we climbed up to the top and ventured on
the path. You could go as close as you like to the edge since their was
no boundaries, but I stayed a good couple feet away cause I wasn't
chancing the edges falling. I got lots of pictures I will have to show
people if they care to see. I know everyone is like I want to see
pictures, but once they realize I took at least 200 photos in the first
country alone I know they will think otherwise. I am planning to make a
powerpoint and show to friends & family if I feel like it after this
whole experience is over. So back to the cliffs after trucking up and
around the many outlets of the cliffs with Vanessa, we decided to make
our way back to the main start point and head to the castle on the other
side. We headed up all the stairs and made it there and went up to the
top of the tiny castle if you can call it that. It wasn't magnificent
like the cliffs, but I enjoyed the chance to say i made it to both sides
and back to the bus on time after sprinting back downhill. The bus also
stopped on the way back for a photo op on some of the limestone rocks
with a beautiful view. I loved this area so much I was hopping from rock
to rock. Then back on the bus for the rest of the trip.
During the trip I enjoyed listening to the tour guide discuss
points of interest and answer some questions the 2 guys sitting in front
of me were asking. I found out a little more about the Irish history and
saw the most beautiful sight I have seen. The tour was definitely worth
the 15 Euros we paid.
Then we went back to Galway to the hostel and relaxed for a bit and
went out later that night to a few pubs. Saw some traditional Irish
dancing and had a sip of Bohmers, which the locals seem to prefer over
the large national chain Guiness (which has its main factory in Dublin).
The second day after much discussion a few girls and I decided to
stay in Galway because there were no places to stay in Dublin because of
the Notre Dame/Army football game going on. We (Shelby, Lauren, Amanda,
Anna, & I) booked the hostel for that night and went out exploring
Galway. We stopped to eat at an Irish restaurant. We walked through a
little farmer's market and I got a delicious cinnamon sugar doughnut and
also bought 2 name necklaces (One for me & one for a friend). We also
stopped at a market and i bought myself a little cheese pizza. We
checked out some shops in the area, but it was starting to rain so we
went back to the hostel early around 5. Shelby & I went with a worker
from the hostel to go to a store to buy Cadda (spelling) rings. Idk,
they were made in Galway and are used to show if someone is in a
relationship or not. If the heart is facing out it means your heart is
available, if it is facing in that means it is taken. It was 18 euro and
definitely the cheapest price you will see for this type of ring. I have
been wearing it everyday since, getting my moneys worth.
The next morning at 645 we got on a bus to Dublin. I slept most of
the way. When we got there Anna, Shelby, & I decided to head back to the
ship to shower. We then grabbed some lunch, It was GRILLED CHEESE! It
was the happiest day of my life! Literally it was! Then headed off with
Ashley, Amanda, Cindy, & Vanessa to do our own walking tour of Dublin.
We saw 2 different parks, Dublin Castle, and at this point today when
I'm writing this I can't even remember what else, but it was a lot. When
I check the picture out that will help me remember. This is why I can't
put off blogging for so long.
The next day once Cindy was up us two headed out to basically the
other side of Dublin. We saw the Guiness factory from outside. It was
huge & smelt like a mix of alcohol & gas. We walked through a beautiful
park/garden and walked a while without shoes in the soft grass. We saw
an Irish famine statue and made it to an old famous jail (name is
slipping mind, thank god i took a ton of pictures). The jail was used to
house many political rebels and other ordinary people whose only crimes
may have been stealing bread since they were starving. The prisoners
were put in a cell and given small meals. When we entered the large
portion of the jail I realized I actually learned something in my
Communications class last semester about history. I was able to pick out
that this jail was built like a panopticon before the tour guide
mentioned it. I wrote a 7 pg paper on panopticons so I feel pretty proud
about picking that out. A panopticon is a way in which a prison is built
so as the prisoners can always be watched but they may or may not be
watched. I found the history behind the jail interesting. A lot of
people were murdered there publically and privately with some being some
very high rebel political leaders. After the tour Cindy & I & another
SASer we ran into took a cab back to the port (Thank God I didn't want
to walk another 45 mins back especially since we needed to be back on
the ship to sail of to our next port).
What I learned: Irish LOVE beer! Ireland is not part of Great
Britain, say that and you will get killed. The Irish realize their past
history and political problems now & a few years ago and are working to
make improvements. They are trying to regain trust in their political
leaders and make their way out of debt. Just from all my classes on ship
especially intro to comparitive politics and global studies I knew a lot
about the country before going into it. I am happy that I was able to
have a sense of Irish politics and the people before entering the
country. Tip: Always be prepared to enter a new country. Don't enter
blindly, know the country's leaders and a little background.
Sorry this was so long I'm trying to catch up on my blogging. Hope
everyone is well, next blog: England!
Amy
and departed back on the ship on September 3rd. It was an eventful &
unplanned trip. I had no plans going into Ireland except planning to go
with some girls I met named Cindy & Earlene (Met at hotel) & some people
they knew. Luckily one girl had booked a hostel and the hostel had extra
room for our group. The hostel was called the Woodquay Hostel. It was
basic, but the people there were nice.
We decided to go on a tour of the Cliffs of Moher. On the way there
were lots of cows and sheep, which are Ireland's main agriculture. The
tour guide described how agriculture is a big part of Ireland's economy.
I listened to the taxi driver describe the areas we passed. We passed
lots of castles. I find castles so interesting because I just think how
amazing they are today, they must have been so much more ahead of the
time when they were made. I enjoy thinking of the people that used to
live their and what they used to look like (I know I'm weird). We also
passed the Burren which is hills covered with limestone. It was
magnificently beautiful. Along the way we stopped in a little town and
checked out a souvenir shop & were allowed time to eat. At the souvenir
shop I got a bottle opener cap most likely for my dad and 4 little
chocolate & caramel candy treats. So delicious. Then it was back on our
way to the Cliffs. Once we arrived there. The tour guide allowed us like
1 to 1.5 hrs. We first started the uphill climb to get up to the cliffs.
The view was worth the walk. It was magnificent to look down at the
water from so far up above. The tour guide said this place is in debate
for the 8th natural wonder of the world!!!! Wow! I was with Cindy, Anna,
Vanessa, Shelby, & Natalie as we climbed up to the top and ventured on
the path. You could go as close as you like to the edge since their was
no boundaries, but I stayed a good couple feet away cause I wasn't
chancing the edges falling. I got lots of pictures I will have to show
people if they care to see. I know everyone is like I want to see
pictures, but once they realize I took at least 200 photos in the first
country alone I know they will think otherwise. I am planning to make a
powerpoint and show to friends & family if I feel like it after this
whole experience is over. So back to the cliffs after trucking up and
around the many outlets of the cliffs with Vanessa, we decided to make
our way back to the main start point and head to the castle on the other
side. We headed up all the stairs and made it there and went up to the
top of the tiny castle if you can call it that. It wasn't magnificent
like the cliffs, but I enjoyed the chance to say i made it to both sides
and back to the bus on time after sprinting back downhill. The bus also
stopped on the way back for a photo op on some of the limestone rocks
with a beautiful view. I loved this area so much I was hopping from rock
to rock. Then back on the bus for the rest of the trip.
During the trip I enjoyed listening to the tour guide discuss
points of interest and answer some questions the 2 guys sitting in front
of me were asking. I found out a little more about the Irish history and
saw the most beautiful sight I have seen. The tour was definitely worth
the 15 Euros we paid.
Then we went back to Galway to the hostel and relaxed for a bit and
went out later that night to a few pubs. Saw some traditional Irish
dancing and had a sip of Bohmers, which the locals seem to prefer over
the large national chain Guiness (which has its main factory in Dublin).
The second day after much discussion a few girls and I decided to
stay in Galway because there were no places to stay in Dublin because of
the Notre Dame/Army football game going on. We (Shelby, Lauren, Amanda,
Anna, & I) booked the hostel for that night and went out exploring
Galway. We stopped to eat at an Irish restaurant. We walked through a
little farmer's market and I got a delicious cinnamon sugar doughnut and
also bought 2 name necklaces (One for me & one for a friend). We also
stopped at a market and i bought myself a little cheese pizza. We
checked out some shops in the area, but it was starting to rain so we
went back to the hostel early around 5. Shelby & I went with a worker
from the hostel to go to a store to buy Cadda (spelling) rings. Idk,
they were made in Galway and are used to show if someone is in a
relationship or not. If the heart is facing out it means your heart is
available, if it is facing in that means it is taken. It was 18 euro and
definitely the cheapest price you will see for this type of ring. I have
been wearing it everyday since, getting my moneys worth.
The next morning at 645 we got on a bus to Dublin. I slept most of
the way. When we got there Anna, Shelby, & I decided to head back to the
ship to shower. We then grabbed some lunch, It was GRILLED CHEESE! It
was the happiest day of my life! Literally it was! Then headed off with
Ashley, Amanda, Cindy, & Vanessa to do our own walking tour of Dublin.
We saw 2 different parks, Dublin Castle, and at this point today when
I'm writing this I can't even remember what else, but it was a lot. When
I check the picture out that will help me remember. This is why I can't
put off blogging for so long.
The next day once Cindy was up us two headed out to basically the
other side of Dublin. We saw the Guiness factory from outside. It was
huge & smelt like a mix of alcohol & gas. We walked through a beautiful
park/garden and walked a while without shoes in the soft grass. We saw
an Irish famine statue and made it to an old famous jail (name is
slipping mind, thank god i took a ton of pictures). The jail was used to
house many political rebels and other ordinary people whose only crimes
may have been stealing bread since they were starving. The prisoners
were put in a cell and given small meals. When we entered the large
portion of the jail I realized I actually learned something in my
Communications class last semester about history. I was able to pick out
that this jail was built like a panopticon before the tour guide
mentioned it. I wrote a 7 pg paper on panopticons so I feel pretty proud
about picking that out. A panopticon is a way in which a prison is built
so as the prisoners can always be watched but they may or may not be
watched. I found the history behind the jail interesting. A lot of
people were murdered there publically and privately with some being some
very high rebel political leaders. After the tour Cindy & I & another
SASer we ran into took a cab back to the port (Thank God I didn't want
to walk another 45 mins back especially since we needed to be back on
the ship to sail of to our next port).
What I learned: Irish LOVE beer! Ireland is not part of Great
Britain, say that and you will get killed. The Irish realize their past
history and political problems now & a few years ago and are working to
make improvements. They are trying to regain trust in their political
leaders and make their way out of debt. Just from all my classes on ship
especially intro to comparitive politics and global studies I knew a lot
about the country before going into it. I am happy that I was able to
have a sense of Irish politics and the people before entering the
country. Tip: Always be prepared to enter a new country. Don't enter
blindly, know the country's leaders and a little background.
Sorry this was so long I'm trying to catch up on my blogging. Hope
everyone is well, next blog: England!
Amy
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Only on SAS
Hey everyone sorry I haven't wrote in a while! So it has been an epic
week here at sea on the MV Explorer. The boat has been pretty rocky, but
I have fortunately not gotten sea sick. I have been a little dizzy at
times, but I think that has come from being hungry. I haven't gotten
sick at all though so thank God for that! I have been eating pretty
regularly, usually small meals of pasta & bread. I have had a few PB & J
and have somehow survived over 11 days without grilled cheese or mac &
cheese. I have only given in twice and got pizza at the snack bar. I am
so glad though that I brought a bunch of snacks that held me over
between meals. I definitely recommend to anyone to bring snacks that can
substitute as meals for this trip! Okay on another note, I have met
quite a few people in this past week. People here are very friendly,
unlike any normal college or high school. So I have made some sort of
plans for when I reach Galway, Ireland tomorrow. I plan to travel
overland with a group of about 8 people. The highlights of the trip
include visiting the Cliffs of Moher (spelling?) and Aran Islands. The
Irish PHD student traveling on the ship with us says that Aran Islands
show the essence of everything Irish in one area. I am excited to view
all of their culture. This should take all of the first day for sure,
I'm not sure where or what we will do next as we have no hostel or hotel
booked yet, but I guess that will all be part of the adventure. We will
have to travel overland to Dublin to meet the ship.
For Global Studies class (mandatory for everyone) I will be doing a
group project with some other girls on the ship. We (Hannah, Meg, Brit,
Danielle, & Colleen) are planning to do our project on love throughout
different countries and how people feel about it around the Atlantic
Rim. At the end of the semester if our project or any team projects are
felt to be really good, they are chosen and put together into a
documentary and will be presented around the country. It would be a
great resume builder to say I participated in this. My other classes are
going wall also. My intro to comparative politics teacher is great! He
actually wrote the book that we are using for the class! (How many ppl
can say that?) So for that class I was paired up with another student
and we will do a presentation on Spain's politics in between Belgium &
Spain ports. The professor also allowed us to make changes to the
syllabus with a class vote so we voted to do journals instead of papers.
He seems very intelligent on the class & dedicated to the subject (well
he did write a whole textbook on it, its currently in its 10edition).
Marine Bio is a little boring at times (but i'm not a science person), I
know it will pick up though and the teacher seems nice and very well
informed on the topic. He has informed us on the wildlife some people
have been seeing in the ocean. I have only seen birds so far, but others
have seen whales a couple times. Even if I don't see any on the ship, I
will get to see them when the class goes whale watching in Spain on the
1st day. Leadership Development has been going well also. All of the
classes require quite a bit of reading, that i have been trying to keep
up with (already behind, but oh well I never read my 1st yr of college
and made it out of there with almost all A's, I should be fine reading
some, skimming, & studying for the tests).
On other notes I have decided to join the Community Service Club and Sea
Olympics clubs on the boat. They both sound interesting and like a great
way to get involved. I have attended the 3 cultural pre-ports they have
had to help prepare students for Ireland, UK(Not England, learned the
difference between the 2), and Belgium. Tonight will be a logistical
pre-port for Ireland.
Most IMPORTANT/AMAZING!
So Only on SAS do you one night meet and listen to an astronaut that has
been to space 5 times and was good friends with Louis Armstrong and the
next very day meet an SAS alumni that was the inventor of Crocs!!!!!!
New key phrase ONLY ON SAS!
Some of you may know of when groups or colleges do problems like UND
problems of other things like that so I have thought of some for SAS:
Drawers slamming open & closed in the middle of the night
Pasta and potatoes (Everyday)
Being unable to walk in a straight line (not like I could b4, but
its harder here lol)
Seasickness (not for me, but for others)
Crossing time zones (already lost 7 hrs of sleep total just from
crossing time zones)
Freezing cold ship (I literally sleep in thermal leggings, sweats,
socks, long sleeve shirt &
sweater everynight)
Freezing cold crossing the Atlantic to Ireland (It will get better
once we start going south & get closer to land)
But overall it has all been going pretty well i have solved most of
these problems by taping drawers and dressing warm and napping
(everyday). Everything & everyone else has been great. Well I better go
gotta read some then eat, logistical pre-port and pack up my back pack
for a 4 day excursion in Ireland! Then we get back on the ship for a day
& then are in the United Kingdom (UK) and then 1 more day on the ship
and then Belgium time!
Today's noon bridge report (Just a little info for you)...
NOON BRIDGE REPORT
Location of ship Lat.53-14N, Long. 014-01.0W
Miles traveled since from last port
1959 NM
Miles to next Port 233 NM (Galway, Ireland)
Avg. speed of ship (since Departure)
11.7 Kts
Speed of Ship 11.7 Kts
Miles traveled since Yesterday's NOON 268 NM
Avg. speed of ship for this leg 11.7 Kts
Temp. of Air 15 deg. C / 59 deg. F
Temp. of Water 15 deg. C / 59 deg. F
Wind Direction & Speed SW-16 Kts
SUNSET 1943 H SUNRISE 0644 H
Fresh Water Consumption 63 gallons/person
Amy
week here at sea on the MV Explorer. The boat has been pretty rocky, but
I have fortunately not gotten sea sick. I have been a little dizzy at
times, but I think that has come from being hungry. I haven't gotten
sick at all though so thank God for that! I have been eating pretty
regularly, usually small meals of pasta & bread. I have had a few PB & J
and have somehow survived over 11 days without grilled cheese or mac &
cheese. I have only given in twice and got pizza at the snack bar. I am
so glad though that I brought a bunch of snacks that held me over
between meals. I definitely recommend to anyone to bring snacks that can
substitute as meals for this trip! Okay on another note, I have met
quite a few people in this past week. People here are very friendly,
unlike any normal college or high school. So I have made some sort of
plans for when I reach Galway, Ireland tomorrow. I plan to travel
overland with a group of about 8 people. The highlights of the trip
include visiting the Cliffs of Moher (spelling?) and Aran Islands. The
Irish PHD student traveling on the ship with us says that Aran Islands
show the essence of everything Irish in one area. I am excited to view
all of their culture. This should take all of the first day for sure,
I'm not sure where or what we will do next as we have no hostel or hotel
booked yet, but I guess that will all be part of the adventure. We will
have to travel overland to Dublin to meet the ship.
For Global Studies class (mandatory for everyone) I will be doing a
group project with some other girls on the ship. We (Hannah, Meg, Brit,
Danielle, & Colleen) are planning to do our project on love throughout
different countries and how people feel about it around the Atlantic
Rim. At the end of the semester if our project or any team projects are
felt to be really good, they are chosen and put together into a
documentary and will be presented around the country. It would be a
great resume builder to say I participated in this. My other classes are
going wall also. My intro to comparative politics teacher is great! He
actually wrote the book that we are using for the class! (How many ppl
can say that?) So for that class I was paired up with another student
and we will do a presentation on Spain's politics in between Belgium &
Spain ports. The professor also allowed us to make changes to the
syllabus with a class vote so we voted to do journals instead of papers.
He seems very intelligent on the class & dedicated to the subject (well
he did write a whole textbook on it, its currently in its 10edition).
Marine Bio is a little boring at times (but i'm not a science person), I
know it will pick up though and the teacher seems nice and very well
informed on the topic. He has informed us on the wildlife some people
have been seeing in the ocean. I have only seen birds so far, but others
have seen whales a couple times. Even if I don't see any on the ship, I
will get to see them when the class goes whale watching in Spain on the
1st day. Leadership Development has been going well also. All of the
classes require quite a bit of reading, that i have been trying to keep
up with (already behind, but oh well I never read my 1st yr of college
and made it out of there with almost all A's, I should be fine reading
some, skimming, & studying for the tests).
On other notes I have decided to join the Community Service Club and Sea
Olympics clubs on the boat. They both sound interesting and like a great
way to get involved. I have attended the 3 cultural pre-ports they have
had to help prepare students for Ireland, UK(Not England, learned the
difference between the 2), and Belgium. Tonight will be a logistical
pre-port for Ireland.
Most IMPORTANT/AMAZING!
So Only on SAS do you one night meet and listen to an astronaut that has
been to space 5 times and was good friends with Louis Armstrong and the
next very day meet an SAS alumni that was the inventor of Crocs!!!!!!
New key phrase ONLY ON SAS!
Some of you may know of when groups or colleges do problems like UND
problems of other things like that so I have thought of some for SAS:
Drawers slamming open & closed in the middle of the night
Pasta and potatoes (Everyday)
Being unable to walk in a straight line (not like I could b4, but
its harder here lol)
Seasickness (not for me, but for others)
Crossing time zones (already lost 7 hrs of sleep total just from
crossing time zones)
Freezing cold ship (I literally sleep in thermal leggings, sweats,
socks, long sleeve shirt &
sweater everynight)
Freezing cold crossing the Atlantic to Ireland (It will get better
once we start going south & get closer to land)
But overall it has all been going pretty well i have solved most of
these problems by taping drawers and dressing warm and napping
(everyday). Everything & everyone else has been great. Well I better go
gotta read some then eat, logistical pre-port and pack up my back pack
for a 4 day excursion in Ireland! Then we get back on the ship for a day
& then are in the United Kingdom (UK) and then 1 more day on the ship
and then Belgium time!
Today's noon bridge report (Just a little info for you)...
NOON BRIDGE REPORT
Location of ship Lat.53-14N, Long. 014-01.0W
Miles traveled since from last port
1959 NM
Miles to next Port 233 NM (Galway, Ireland)
Avg. speed of ship (since Departure)
11.7 Kts
Speed of Ship 11.7 Kts
Miles traveled since Yesterday's NOON 268 NM
Avg. speed of ship for this leg 11.7 Kts
Temp. of Air 15 deg. C / 59 deg. F
Temp. of Water 15 deg. C / 59 deg. F
Wind Direction & Speed SW-16 Kts
SUNSET 1943 H SUNRISE 0644 H
Fresh Water Consumption 63 gallons/person
Amy
Saturday, August 25, 2012
First 2 days on the ship
Hey people who read my blog (hopefully someone does, but if not that's
okay it is really for me)! I am now on a boat! I boarded the ship on
8/23/12 (yesterday). Boarding and security went so fast. People and the
work study kids were so helpful through the whole process. When I
arrived at the port I just had to hand in my passport and yellow fever
card and they gave me an ID card for the ship it acts as a room key and
credit card on the ship. Then I put my bags through security. I kept my
backpack & pacsafe bag (purse) on me and put those through security as i
walked through. everyone got a quick pat down and then it was just show
your ID to a few people and I was walking up the stairs to the ship.
From there they had people directing me where to go to fill out forms/
say quick info on stuff. Then I got to go to my room where my luggage
was delivered to the door! (Who ever said you had to carry it there
lies, you don't). I met my room mate Katherine, she's 18, freshman, and
from Boston. She is really nice as is everyone on the ship. We both
unpacked then explored the ship. There are 7 decks for student access on
the ship. Deck 2 has a medical center & rooms. I live on deck 3 outside
so I have a window looking out on to the ocean! Ya the ocean! Deck 4 has
more rooms. Deck 5 has a dining center and Classroom 9 which I have one
of my classes in. Deck 6 also has a dining room and at both you can also
go outside on the decks and eat. Deck 6 has the other 8 classrooms
including the union where meetings for everyone and Global Studies class
is held. It also has other stuff I am probably forgetting since I get
lost on the ship quite a bit. Deck 7 has the pool and food bar. There
is also a snack bar inside on deck 6. Overall the ship is really nice
including my room which is bigger and has more storage than I thought.
Okay now that I am done describing the ship I can discuss more
interesting things. So far everyone is really nice including teachers
and the deans. Today at breakfast I ate lunch with Laura (a girl I met
at my hotel the day before I left to go to the Dome, a club, for a
pre-departure get together) and her room mate. The one dean, Lisa, came
over and chatted with us over breakfast. I have met a lot of great
people already and all the time I meet more. Once you know one person
then they know someone else you get introduced to its a long cycle of
meeting new people. I even met people while waiting in line to get my
computer set up to do emails and get internet, which is very limited.
It is completely different than high school or regular college in that
everyone is willing to introduce themselves to anyone or talk to
different people. There are a little less than 500 college students on
the ship 70% girls & 30% guys.
On another note, I still don't have any solid plans for any of the ports
in Europe, but I'm sure I will figure it out as I go along.
Amy
okay it is really for me)! I am now on a boat! I boarded the ship on
8/23/12 (yesterday). Boarding and security went so fast. People and the
work study kids were so helpful through the whole process. When I
arrived at the port I just had to hand in my passport and yellow fever
card and they gave me an ID card for the ship it acts as a room key and
credit card on the ship. Then I put my bags through security. I kept my
backpack & pacsafe bag (purse) on me and put those through security as i
walked through. everyone got a quick pat down and then it was just show
your ID to a few people and I was walking up the stairs to the ship.
From there they had people directing me where to go to fill out forms/
say quick info on stuff. Then I got to go to my room where my luggage
was delivered to the door! (Who ever said you had to carry it there
lies, you don't). I met my room mate Katherine, she's 18, freshman, and
from Boston. She is really nice as is everyone on the ship. We both
unpacked then explored the ship. There are 7 decks for student access on
the ship. Deck 2 has a medical center & rooms. I live on deck 3 outside
so I have a window looking out on to the ocean! Ya the ocean! Deck 4 has
more rooms. Deck 5 has a dining center and Classroom 9 which I have one
of my classes in. Deck 6 also has a dining room and at both you can also
go outside on the decks and eat. Deck 6 has the other 8 classrooms
including the union where meetings for everyone and Global Studies class
is held. It also has other stuff I am probably forgetting since I get
lost on the ship quite a bit. Deck 7 has the pool and food bar. There
is also a snack bar inside on deck 6. Overall the ship is really nice
including my room which is bigger and has more storage than I thought.
Okay now that I am done describing the ship I can discuss more
interesting things. So far everyone is really nice including teachers
and the deans. Today at breakfast I ate lunch with Laura (a girl I met
at my hotel the day before I left to go to the Dome, a club, for a
pre-departure get together) and her room mate. The one dean, Lisa, came
over and chatted with us over breakfast. I have met a lot of great
people already and all the time I meet more. Once you know one person
then they know someone else you get introduced to its a long cycle of
meeting new people. I even met people while waiting in line to get my
computer set up to do emails and get internet, which is very limited.
It is completely different than high school or regular college in that
everyone is willing to introduce themselves to anyone or talk to
different people. There are a little less than 500 college students on
the ship 70% girls & 30% guys.
On another note, I still don't have any solid plans for any of the ports
in Europe, but I'm sure I will figure it out as I go along.
Amy
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Halifax, Nova Scotia,
8/20/12
Hey everyone, My mom & I flew out to Halifax on Monday. I got up at 3:45
am MT time and we left Sidney about an hour later to make the drive to
Minot, ND. Our first plane flew out at 11 am. Getting through security
went pretty well. At first though our boarding pass from Minot to
Minneapolis didn't print, but the clerks at the counter figured it out.
We flew to Minneapolis and had to make a quick plane change for our
flight to Toronto. In Toronto we had to get off the plane and head threw
Canadian customs. And then pick up our luggage to be rechecked. We ended
up missing our connecting flight to Halifax because we only had about 45
minutes in between. We got new tickets for a later plane. We arrived in
Halifax around 1130, collected our luggage (which was easy to spot
because both of my xl rolling duffles are bright blue), and then caught
a taxi into Halifax. The airport was 25 miles from downtown Halifax.
8/21/12
Today we checked into the Atlantica Hotel in downtown Halifax. We then
cleaned up in the hotel headed on a walk down to the harbor bay at the
Atlantic Ocean!!! This was super exciting; it made it seem so real that
i will be sailing on this ocean in 2 days! Ahhh! We proceeded to book a
ticket to do the Harbor Hopper tour. I would recommend it to anyone in
Halifax. It is a tour that goes on land and then into the harbor. The
vehicle is amphibious. The tour took us to see downtown Halifax. Most of
the buildings in Halifax have an older feel to them. Seeing ships in the
harbor on the tour made me more excited to see our ship the MV Explorer!
I bought a Halifax magnet at a little shop on the harbor. After the tour
we ate at Split Crow. This was the first restaurant in Halifax to get a
liquor license many years ago. After dinner we made the uphill walk back
to the hotel. My mother complained almost the whole way, even though it
was like a 10-15 minute walk and not too bad. I was so proud of myself
being able to navigate around the town just using a little map! Managed
to make it back to the hotel for a little R & R.
Well until next time,
Amy
8/20/12
Hey everyone, My mom & I flew out to Halifax on Monday. I got up at 3:45
am MT time and we left Sidney about an hour later to make the drive to
Minot, ND. Our first plane flew out at 11 am. Getting through security
went pretty well. At first though our boarding pass from Minot to
Minneapolis didn't print, but the clerks at the counter figured it out.
We flew to Minneapolis and had to make a quick plane change for our
flight to Toronto. In Toronto we had to get off the plane and head threw
Canadian customs. And then pick up our luggage to be rechecked. We ended
up missing our connecting flight to Halifax because we only had about 45
minutes in between. We got new tickets for a later plane. We arrived in
Halifax around 1130, collected our luggage (which was easy to spot
because both of my xl rolling duffles are bright blue), and then caught
a taxi into Halifax. The airport was 25 miles from downtown Halifax.
8/21/12
Today we checked into the Atlantica Hotel in downtown Halifax. We then
cleaned up in the hotel headed on a walk down to the harbor bay at the
Atlantic Ocean!!! This was super exciting; it made it seem so real that
i will be sailing on this ocean in 2 days! Ahhh! We proceeded to book a
ticket to do the Harbor Hopper tour. I would recommend it to anyone in
Halifax. It is a tour that goes on land and then into the harbor. The
vehicle is amphibious. The tour took us to see downtown Halifax. Most of
the buildings in Halifax have an older feel to them. Seeing ships in the
harbor on the tour made me more excited to see our ship the MV Explorer!
I bought a Halifax magnet at a little shop on the harbor. After the tour
we ate at Split Crow. This was the first restaurant in Halifax to get a
liquor license many years ago. After dinner we made the uphill walk back
to the hotel. My mother complained almost the whole way, even though it
was like a 10-15 minute walk and not too bad. I was so proud of myself
being able to navigate around the town just using a little map! Managed
to make it back to the hotel for a little R & R.
Well until next time,
Amy
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor, and catch trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." Mark Twain
I find this quote so inspiring. I don't want to look back at my teenage & college years and realize I missed out on something because I stayed on the normal path and and didn't take chances. I want to take a road less traveled and I mean that both figuratively and literally. This trip is an amazing opportunity that most people don't have and I get to do it!!! I also plan to while abroad visit places that are not as well known (along with some tourist trap places of course). But I hope to be a traveler, not a tourist and see these countries from a traveler's view (if that makes sense).
I find this quote so inspiring. I don't want to look back at my teenage & college years and realize I missed out on something because I stayed on the normal path and and didn't take chances. I want to take a road less traveled and I mean that both figuratively and literally. This trip is an amazing opportunity that most people don't have and I get to do it!!! I also plan to while abroad visit places that are not as well known (along with some tourist trap places of course). But I hope to be a traveler, not a tourist and see these countries from a traveler's view (if that makes sense).
Getting excited with only 4 days left till I leave for Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada where the ship debarks next Wednesday the 23rd! I have recently bought some trips. I purchased 5 service trips through Semester at Sea (SAS) that go to orphanages. I can't wait to meet these children and try to put a smile on their faces. Meeting these kids will let me know how good I had it as a kid. I also bought an Amazon Riverboat Expedition Express trip in Manuas, Brazil. I am really excited for this I stay on the riverboat in a hammock. We travel through the Amazon river, looking at the beautiful scenery, visit the meeting of waters that form the Amazon River, go alligator spotting, have a luau on the beach, explore a local village, take a jungle walk, and most important swim with pink dolphins!!! I also signed up for a scavenger hunt on the first day in Lisbon, Portugal! I decided to venture on the wild side a little and plan some trips outside of SAS. I am planning on doing a Monkey Village trip that involves visiting the Tafi Atome Monkey Village, Wli waterfall, another waterfall, a school, and meeting locals in Ghana. It is through Can Do Land Tours, a company highly recommended by SAS alumni. I have been talking to the owners of the company and they seem so nice and accomodating! I also joined a Camel ride trip in Morrocco that some people in my Fall 2012 SAS facebook group put together. It only costs $200 Euros and is 4 days & 3 nights involving riding camels in the desert & sleeping under the stars (OMG, Amazing). I also am thinking about doing a safari in Capetown through Aquila Game Reserve. People on my facebook group are planning it and it sounds fun. I'm still debating cage diving with sharks, since it scares me to death, but on the otherhand i don't know if i wanna pass up that opportunity. Well that is all for now on my trips. I plan to wing everything else. I know somethings I wanna do, but i will see when i get on the ship.
I have got to say having a Facebook group for our voyage has been the best thing. It reassures me I am not the only one in this situation and has helped answer a lot of my questions. In addition,the Considering SAS facebook group has been great at answering any questions my voyage has. I am starting to feel somewhat ready. Now that i received my credit card & eurail pass today. I have gotten foreign currency & hit up target for school supplies & everything I will need for almost 4 months at sea. All that is left is to pack. I guess i shouldn't say it like that cause it is one of the most important and time taking parts of the trip, but i will begin it tomorrow. Hope everything i need fits!
Well until next time,
Amy
I have got to say having a Facebook group for our voyage has been the best thing. It reassures me I am not the only one in this situation and has helped answer a lot of my questions. In addition,the Considering SAS facebook group has been great at answering any questions my voyage has. I am starting to feel somewhat ready. Now that i received my credit card & eurail pass today. I have gotten foreign currency & hit up target for school supplies & everything I will need for almost 4 months at sea. All that is left is to pack. I guess i shouldn't say it like that cause it is one of the most important and time taking parts of the trip, but i will begin it tomorrow. Hope everything i need fits!
Well until next time,
Amy
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Trying out posting from my email
Hoping this works and it posts to my blog. Tip of the day: Set out
everything you possibly think you need, go through it and ask have i
ever used this/do i REALLY need this if not leave it. Also pack half of
the clothes you think you need.
Amy
everything you possibly think you need, go through it and ask have i
ever used this/do i REALLY need this if not leave it. Also pack half of
the clothes you think you need.
Amy
Preparing for SAS
8/14/12
I have never blogged before so here I go....I can't believe all I have done since I decided to take a trip of a lifetime with Semester at Sea (SAS). From applying back in February (i think) to all the paperwork including scholarships, forms, passports, visas and so much more. It has been an interesting journey getting to this one week away point, but it will be worth it when the voyage begins. I have literally spent so much time researching the places I'm going & what I wanna do there. I have so far booked a few SAS trips & a few independent trips. I have loved the opportunity to research trips & discuss plans with alumni & my fellow fall 2012 future classmates. Joining the facebook group for my voyage has been one of the best things to help me prepare. Alumni's advice has also had a great impact on helping me prepare for the trip.
I am so excited; it is hard to explain it in words. I have literally cried tears of joy when thinking of this trip! It is really my motivation for everything. I used it to get me through last semester & working all summer. Just knowing that this trip is coming has been very inspirational to all I do.
Well for now this is all for my first post, still trying to figure all this blogging stuff out. Now i just need to figure out how to use my email to send blogs since i have very limited internet on the ship.
Amy
I have never blogged before so here I go....I can't believe all I have done since I decided to take a trip of a lifetime with Semester at Sea (SAS). From applying back in February (i think) to all the paperwork including scholarships, forms, passports, visas and so much more. It has been an interesting journey getting to this one week away point, but it will be worth it when the voyage begins. I have literally spent so much time researching the places I'm going & what I wanna do there. I have so far booked a few SAS trips & a few independent trips. I have loved the opportunity to research trips & discuss plans with alumni & my fellow fall 2012 future classmates. Joining the facebook group for my voyage has been one of the best things to help me prepare. Alumni's advice has also had a great impact on helping me prepare for the trip.
I am so excited; it is hard to explain it in words. I have literally cried tears of joy when thinking of this trip! It is really my motivation for everything. I used it to get me through last semester & working all summer. Just knowing that this trip is coming has been very inspirational to all I do.
Well for now this is all for my first post, still trying to figure all this blogging stuff out. Now i just need to figure out how to use my email to send blogs since i have very limited internet on the ship.
Amy
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