The storm before Japan

One would think that since we are so close to our destination… JAPAN, that it would be a smooth ride. WRONG! It was the biggest storm we have hit yet. They canceled the later classes because of the rockiness. At dinner chairs were flipping over and sliding across the floor even though there were people sitting in them! Everyone was taking videos and dodging furniture. I went down to my cabin to check things out and our dresser came unattached from the wall and fell over with our stuff everywhere! In the bathroom my roommates shampoo bottle exploded all over the shower (this made an extremely slippery shower for us in the morning). This storm was insane; the waves were hitting the windows of the 6^th Deck! And deck 5 doors were leaking badly. They locked all the doors so no one could outside and it was the first time I was taken to the ground. The pressure the waves put on your body were so strong it felt like there were weights on your shoulders but when the boat went up you could practically fly. I was caught in the middle of these two pressures and they took me down the stairs face first. Don’t worry it didn’t hurt at all and some say I went down pretty gracefully. When I hit the floor it was the funniest thing ever and it took some other kids down to their knees with laughter. Lets just say that last night was so much fun and such an experience. Thank God I didn’t feel sick!

            In other news I and now in Japan! I am about to be so culture shocked and I have never been so excited. I am in Japan and I don’t have jet lag...how cool!  

PS. I just found out that it was the biggest storm since 2005, So crazy! They had to repaint parts of the ship! 

Into the Future I go

I just lost an entire day of my life. Very interesting. Yesterday was the Sunday the 20^th but now it is Tuesday the 22^nd!  I am officially in the future.  The storms are coming and last night was the first of it! I about rolled out of bed and my roommate and I both woke up in terror. The ship is actually heading into a perfect storm, which is a little freaky; I hope my “no sea sickness” lasts! It is about to get very exciting! I washed my clothes in the sink for the first time and that was an interesting experience. It takes a while for everything to dry. Classes are still great and I am continuing to meet new people everyday. 

Aloha

First stop… Hawaii!

Aloha! I made it to my first port! Hilo Hawaii. I had my first field lab; it was for my art class. We went to a place called coconut island and were drawing all day. That part of my day was not so exciting but when it ended the fun began. I met up with a few of my new friends and we went downtown to find something to fill our bellies. We went to a place called puka puka, a tiny restaurant that had about 3 tables and we filled the whole place. We were all telling stories to get to know each other better and we couldn’t stop laughing the entire time! But then again I haven’t stopped laughing since I got on the ship. I am telling you, I am going to have killer abs after this trip. It is getting to the point where my stomach is so sore from laughing but I just keep doing it. After our wonderful dinner we walked down the street to an alcohol free bar called the Kava Bar. The drink they served was made out of kava root. They serve it to you in a coconut shell and it tastes like mud water. The reason why we were drinking it was because of the fun ritual that went with it. Before you drink you have to clap once, splash some on the floor, some over your shoulder, then drink the whole thing slam it down and clap twice. It was a very joyful place and the locals had great stories to tell. One of the locals we met was a musician that ended up helping us find our way to rainbow falls. Not to sound silly but it was so calming and a great place for all of us to relax at the end of the day. When it was time to sleep we all walked back to the ship and had ice cream along the way. It ended up being a great decision to sleep on the ship because many people got in a ton of trouble in Hawaii when they stayed in the hotels, and now they might be getting bumped off the ship. Instead of focusing on a cultural experience all they wanted to do was get intoxicated, which was very unfortunate. To me this trip is about learning and experiencing everything I possibly can in the time I have. I want to remember everything I do rather than not remembering because of a few drinks.

The second day in Hawaii everyone went to the farmers market where we tried odd looking fruits, natural drinks, interesting foods, and met interesting people. While we were eating our way through the market a bird decided to take a poo on my shoulder. It was pretty nasty but we all laughed. Apparently getting pooped on by a bird gives you good luck.
After the market we went to Richerdson beach, black sand and lava rocks everywhere. I saw three massive sea turtles but silly me forgot to bring my camera to where we were and I did not get any documentation. The beach was packed with Semester at sea kids all climbing the rocks and swimming in the ocean. It was a good entry port for the start of the trip, but I was having so much fun I forgot to go to the store to pick up some items for our long journey to japan.

Since our time was so short in Hawaii I never fully regained my land legs. The whole time I felt like I was rocking back and forth, but I am back at sea now and loving life. My ocean campus is the best place for me.  

Day 4 and 5

Its not a boat it’s a ship, its not a not a journey it’s a voyage, its not a cruise it’s a university.

A lot has happened in these two days that it is hard to keep up with. Day 4 (Jan. 12^th) I had my second two classes. Theory and practice of persuasion and intro to drawing, I swear the professors get cooler and cooler. It is amazing how I have already learned so much and we haven’t even gotten to our first port yet! I find myself sitting in on other classes and joining their activities and it is a blast. I got to do a bridge tour. For those of you who do not know what that is, it is the upper bow of the ship where all the navigation, steering, GPS, and controls happen. I got to meet and take pictures with the captain and it was really awesome!

Day 5 for me is definitely one to remember. Not necessarily the classes, but the lecture I sat in on at the end of the day. The unreasonable at sea is sailing with us on this voyage, an organization trying to solve world problems. It goes way more in depth than that and their projects are absolutely amazing. During that lecture we had Hunter Lovins speak. She has done incredible things throughout her life and she is a “hero of the year” for Time Magazine and has published 13 books. I have been meditating with this amazing woman everyday and I had no idea. I thought it would take a while for me to see a change in myself though out this voyage, but I have now realized that my mid-set is already starting to shift. It is very interesting to think about, if I already feel a little changed and it is only day five, what will I become in 100 more days.
 I think everyone tells you it is a life changing experience not because of the physical trip but because the people you meet along the way and hearing view points you have never been exposed to before. Its about the stories you hear and the information you gain. What I really enjoyed about Hunter was the fact that she is hopeful. She knows so many things about topics that can bring you into a dark hole but she finds optimism and remains hopeful of the world and what we can become as individuals working together. Listening and joining in on conversations is the biggest way to grow on this journey.  Everyone on this voyage has something very unique to offer. And every person has a story that you never would have thought. As a way of expanding my comfort zone I have been sitting at different tables every night meeting as many people as possible. This action would never be socially acceptable back at school but here it is welcome with open arms and people want you to sit with them. I am having the best time of my life! 

Day 2 and 3

I get up at 6:20 every morning to meditate with a group of people lead by an Indian man. After meditation breakfast opens up and our group is the first one in line. The second day at sea was orientation which took forever and they told us about ten ways how we could get kicked off. The swells are getting pretty big and it is hilarious watching everyone walk around. We haven't gotten our sea legs yet, we all walk in zigzags and I have gotten to know the walls pretty well on a few occasions. That night we had what was called involvement symposium where we were able to check out all the clubs and activities that will be on the ship. Yes mom I did sign up for my extended family. The second night there was a little storm and all the drawers were opening and slamming closed and all our belongings were flying across the room.

Day 3 January 11^th classes started! My first class was Consumer Behavior and I finally met some people from North Carolina! It was so fun meeting my professor as he was swaying back and forth trying to keep his balance and steer clear of the door that had a mind of its own.  I have an 8am and a 2:15 or 14:15 (we use military time on the ship) so I have a large gap on my “A day” classes. In this time I ate, sat outside, met new people, wondered the ship, and tried not to fall down. The second class was Water for the world, which is my largest class. I know that it is the biggest because it is a lens class (a special name for a limited amount of classes that each student had to choose).  We meet in the front of the ship in the student union, which is the most rocky- it really puts your sea tolerance to the test. The captain said we are experiencing 12-18 ft. swells, and although it is very rocky and hard to stand it does not seem like they are that large, so don’t worry I feel very safe! Overall I think the two classes I have had thus far are going to be great! I am excited to meet my next two professors tomorrow.

            E-mail me is you haven’t already done so or I will not be able to contact you!    erica.delaney.sp13@semesteratsea.org.   Sorry for the lack of photos, the whole uploading thing doesn’t work so well and it also takes up some of my precious Internet time. (They surprised us with 2 FREE hours of internet time.)

This is goodbye for now from the middle of the deep blue sea.