...until I depart for Nassau (August 27th)! I only know this because I have a countdown clock on Google. Good old Google is useful for something I suppose. Ah, already I am off topic! Seriously, I am starting to go absolutely stir crazy. Knowing that I have 52 days until departure (August 29th) is bitter sweet really. On the one hand, I am well past the 2 month mark, but on the other hand, I am so far away from the one month hump. My emotions are mixed as well. One minute I am more excited than I have ever been and than the next minute, I am frustrated beyond belief! The amount of paperwork that I have seen in the past few months from SAS rivals the amount of paperwork I received before beginning my application process to college. I must say though, Semester at Sea has been extremely organized and reliable. So far it's been smooth sailing (no pun intended). I've known for (hold on, I have to count on my fingers for this one) almost the length of a full-term pregnancy now that I was and am going on this trip! An entire 9 months! Now I look back on the past two semesters and don't have to wonder why I didn't do as well as I should have. I was distracted beyond belief. I can't tell you how many nights I stayed up well past midnight searching the internet for SAS, Semester at Sea, Institute for Shipboard Education, SASF08, SAS Alumni, SAS hints and tips, Semester at Sea packing lists...etc etc etc. I must have conducted thousands of SAS related searches in the last 9 months, and you know what? I'm still finding new information, new pictures, new blogs from past alumni. It's STILL overwhelming and incredibly distracting!
As I sit here now, I have all SAS related windows open on my computer. SAS current voyage, SAS F07 MSN group, SAS F08 Facebook group (this has been my lifeline to all my peers and probably the greatest godsend I could have stumbled upon...thank you Facebook). It's become an addiction really. I think I think about this trip more than is healthy, but hey, who really cares anyway? Probably my mom figuring I don't stop talking about SAS this SAS that all day. "Oh! I just remembered, I should pick up a compression sack" or "Oh! I have to mail in an updated transcript!" or "Crap! I forgot to get my Medical History Update form filled out when I was at the Doctor last week!" are just a few of the many SAS related comments I've made in the past few days.
It seems that crunch time is starting to set in. I received my pre-departure field trip booklet the other day and that in itself is completely and utterly overwhelming. I know that I want to do a majority of my trips independently, but there are a couple that I am most definitely doing through SAS. Because I am an outdoor adventure junky, the Lencois trip in Brazil peaked my interest. Who wouldn't want to spend 4 days in the Diamond Highlands of Brazil, hiking and sweating, and getting dirty...and then sliding down a natural rock face that has formed into a slide into crystal clear rivers? Okay, maybe there's quite a few people who would prefer not to sweat and get dirty, but hell, I live for that kind of stuff.
As I flip through the pages in the field excursion packets, I wish that we had more time in all these places. Unfortunately that won't happen, but a girl can dream right? I have Brazil covered, and when in Namibia, I'm going to go completely Indy travel. The SAS trips look awesome, but there's none that peak my interest enough to plan way in advance for. I'll probably do sand boarding, a desert 4x4 overnight tour, and maybe kayaking on the bay. Other than that, I'll let the wind guide me. As for South Africa...that is a completely different story! Yes, I would love to take a 4 day safari in Kruger, BUT I don't feel like paying $1500 OR using up 4 out of 6 days in Cape Town. Therefore, I will (hopefully) be taking part in an overnight jeep and horseback safari that is 2 hours from CT at the Aquila Reserve. In addition to this, I want to bungee jump, climb Table Mountain, take a wine tour or two through the winelands, and maybe just get lost for a while and meander back to the ship.
I don't have too much of a plan for India or Malaysia right now, but I am most definitely doing the Phenm Phen and Angkor Wat trip to Cambodia from Viet Nam. This has to be taken through Sas, but it's less than a grand and I have a feeling it will be worth every penny spent. As for China, there are so many things to do and see but I think I will get to Xi'an and Shanghai. Japan will be done independently as well and I will probably buy a rail pass so I can travel around the country whenever and where ever my friends and I want to go. It's a shame we only get a day in Honolulu, but it's awesome that we'll be on American soil for Thanksgiving. Pig roast anyone? Costa Rica is going to be an awesome time too...even if we're there for a very short amount of time (2 days I believe).
Speaking of all these countries...I got my shots the other day. They weren't that bad really, but I got a Polio booster, Hep A, Typhoid, and Yellow Fever (2 in each arm) and then four hours later, I had blood taken at a second doctors appointment. I felt like a walking pincushion! I was slightly worried that getting all those shots would be dangerous, but my doctor reassured me that 4 shots at once was nothing compared to travellers who go into the heart of Africa for extended periods of time. 6 or 7 shots are typical for them! No thanks! Thankfully, I didn't have any nasty side effects. Just two sore arms for 48 hours. No biggy.
I'm almost done buying things that I need so all I have left to do is pack really. I'll probably pack all my clothes in one duffel and all my "stuff" in my other duffel. Space saver bags are going to be my best friends by the time I leave. I have about 8 of them ranging from small to large so I should be set. I've travelled overseas enough now to know what I really need and what I really don't need. Plus, it helps that I'll have access to buy toiletries and things like that so I don't have to load up on 3 and a half months worth of supplies while packing. That alone will save like 20 pounds in my luggage! Maybe I'll just pack snacks in place of unneeded items :) Well, I believe that's it for now. If I think of anything else exciting, I'll be sure to post!
-Amanda
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Seeing is Believing
Yesterday, my dream became one step closer to the reality that is taking place 83 days from now. I not only saw the m/v Explorer, but I stepped foot onto it. I walked the gangway which I will be walking again in August. I sat in the Union on the swivel chairs where I will be taking my Religion, Politics, and Society core course. I walked the halls and went up and down the stairs and read the poems that were etched in glass against the walls of the staircases. I touched the magnetic metal walls of an outside double cabin, daydreaming about touching them again in less than three months and sticking my world map onto it. I even said "wow" at the showers in our cabins because they are about 6 inches longer than I thought. I've been on cruises before and these are actually pretty roomy for cabin showers. Needless to say, I felt like it was all a dream.
I signed up for the June 7th open ship event being held in NYC as soon as I heard about it through an SAS email. I couldn't believe that the m/v Explorer had never docked in NYC nor has a SAS vessel been in NYC for over 30 years. 30 years! That's a long time. Part of me wishes that we would just sail from NYC, but I can't complain about flying down to Nassau, Bahamas. Speaking of Nassau, I met up with Ben Aitchison and Greg Sides yesterday on the ship. They're both awesome. I also saw quite a few other familiar faces among the crowd yesterday. I wonder how long it will take and how easy it will be to meet new people and make friends on the ship. I really have no worries in that department because I know everyone will be in the same boat (no pun intended). I just hope drama stays to a minimum...I don't know if I could deal with 108 days of a drama-infested ship. I guess I'll just have to hang out with the guys and steer clear of the girls when that begins to happen. Guys are (most of the time) far less dramatic than girls are. Thank god.
But anywho, I was getting a little off topic there. I can't believe I have to wait another 80+ days til I can step foot on the Explorer again. Every day, SAS becomes a little more real. Especially when I had to write out and sign a check that was double the amount of money I have (or had at this point) in savings. Thank god for loans. I wouldn't be able to do this trip if it wasn't for loans and family members who see the bigger picture of Semester at Sea. I've said it before and I'll be the first to say it again. This trip is going to be the trip of a lifetime and I don't care how much it ends up costing. I'll have years to pay back the loans and once I'm done with that, the memories I've made while at sea will live with me forever. Money is money, this opportunity is priceless.
I think that's it for now, but I'll post if anything new or exciting pops up.
I signed up for the June 7th open ship event being held in NYC as soon as I heard about it through an SAS email. I couldn't believe that the m/v Explorer had never docked in NYC nor has a SAS vessel been in NYC for over 30 years. 30 years! That's a long time. Part of me wishes that we would just sail from NYC, but I can't complain about flying down to Nassau, Bahamas. Speaking of Nassau, I met up with Ben Aitchison and Greg Sides yesterday on the ship. They're both awesome. I also saw quite a few other familiar faces among the crowd yesterday. I wonder how long it will take and how easy it will be to meet new people and make friends on the ship. I really have no worries in that department because I know everyone will be in the same boat (no pun intended). I just hope drama stays to a minimum...I don't know if I could deal with 108 days of a drama-infested ship. I guess I'll just have to hang out with the guys and steer clear of the girls when that begins to happen. Guys are (most of the time) far less dramatic than girls are. Thank god.
But anywho, I was getting a little off topic there. I can't believe I have to wait another 80+ days til I can step foot on the Explorer again. Every day, SAS becomes a little more real. Especially when I had to write out and sign a check that was double the amount of money I have (or had at this point) in savings. Thank god for loans. I wouldn't be able to do this trip if it wasn't for loans and family members who see the bigger picture of Semester at Sea. I've said it before and I'll be the first to say it again. This trip is going to be the trip of a lifetime and I don't care how much it ends up costing. I'll have years to pay back the loans and once I'm done with that, the memories I've made while at sea will live with me forever. Money is money, this opportunity is priceless.
I think that's it for now, but I'll post if anything new or exciting pops up.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Going home...
I know this entry isn't very SAS related, but...I'm going home tomorrow! I'm officially done with my sophomore year of college at 9am tomorrow morning. All my exams are finished, but I still have a paper to submit. I just packed up most of my room when I should probably have taken a nap figuring I pulled my first all-nighter last night. Suprisingly though, I'm not that tired. Yes, I can definitely tell that I didn't get 8 or more hours of sleep, but I don't feel like I only took a 2 hour nap. I'm going to try to last without taking a nap til tonight so I can get a good nights sleep later. I have a few more things to do before my dad gets into town but other than that, I'm pretty much set.
Oh! Actually, I do have some SAS related news. I have finally finished all my paperwork for my International Programs office here at CNU. Between CNU paperwork and SAS paperwork, I have filled out more packets these past few months than in my entire life. I've heard rumors that it just gets worse as it gets closer to sailing. I have some awsesome news! Because I sent in my $1000 deposit all the way back in October of '07, when they raised the price of the trip $1520, they credited my account with that money. I guess you can say I've received a total of $4520 in financial aid from SAS alone. I don't have the exact $ figure of how much I owe out-of-pocket at the end of May, but it's something ridiculously lower than I first imagined. Less than $4,000 I believe. (That includes all my federal financial aid, money in the bank, and scholarships). That $4000 is being paid with a loan that I applied for and hopefully will receive. Now, I just have to keep pushing for sponsor money. I would love to get a few thousand more dollars. I'd be set!
Well, I wish I could keep writing, but I really should be working on that paper. God knows I could write about Semester at Sea for hours...
p.s. 112 days til departure
Oh! Actually, I do have some SAS related news. I have finally finished all my paperwork for my International Programs office here at CNU. Between CNU paperwork and SAS paperwork, I have filled out more packets these past few months than in my entire life. I've heard rumors that it just gets worse as it gets closer to sailing. I have some awsesome news! Because I sent in my $1000 deposit all the way back in October of '07, when they raised the price of the trip $1520, they credited my account with that money. I guess you can say I've received a total of $4520 in financial aid from SAS alone. I don't have the exact $ figure of how much I owe out-of-pocket at the end of May, but it's something ridiculously lower than I first imagined. Less than $4,000 I believe. (That includes all my federal financial aid, money in the bank, and scholarships). That $4000 is being paid with a loan that I applied for and hopefully will receive. Now, I just have to keep pushing for sponsor money. I would love to get a few thousand more dollars. I'd be set!
Well, I wish I could keep writing, but I really should be working on that paper. God knows I could write about Semester at Sea for hours...
p.s. 112 days til departure
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Financial Aid
Well, I finally heard back from Semester at Sea regarding my scholarship! I received an email from Ryan Roth around 5pm today saying that I can check my MyVoyage account to see if I received aid. I was a little aprehensive about looking because I was afraid that I wasn't going to have received anything. But, I did. 3,000$ actually. I was hoping for around 5k but I'll take 3k. That's 3,000$ less than I have to pay out of pocket now. I still have tons of things that I need to do to get everything in line...like apply for a loan, finish getting my signatures for the classes I'd like to take, filing out the online China and India Visa applications, getting my shots and vaccinations, all that good jazz...It's starting to come together slowly but surely though.
I've run a spreadsheet for all my potential costs associated with Semester at Sea and I'm looking at roughly 30,000$. That's A LOT of money. My mom has been working hard on getting addresses and such for me to send sponsorship packets out. She received a reply from one company saying that they're not in the position right now to give donations so I hope that this isn't a trend. I really would like to hope/think that there are good people out there who wouldn't mind sponsoring me. 50$-100$ really isn't that much money for a company to sponsor me with. I'd like to think that in a few years time, if I received a letter from a student asking for help to travel, I would generously give back. What goes around comes around. I just have to keep hoping that I've done enough good to receive good in return. We shall see...I'll keep this updated as the weeks start to peel away. I have 120 days til I leave! It's getting much closer! I can't wait!
I've run a spreadsheet for all my potential costs associated with Semester at Sea and I'm looking at roughly 30,000$. That's A LOT of money. My mom has been working hard on getting addresses and such for me to send sponsorship packets out. She received a reply from one company saying that they're not in the position right now to give donations so I hope that this isn't a trend. I really would like to hope/think that there are good people out there who wouldn't mind sponsoring me. 50$-100$ really isn't that much money for a company to sponsor me with. I'd like to think that in a few years time, if I received a letter from a student asking for help to travel, I would generously give back. What goes around comes around. I just have to keep hoping that I've done enough good to receive good in return. We shall see...I'll keep this updated as the weeks start to peel away. I have 120 days til I leave! It's getting much closer! I can't wait!
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