Still sailing the Atlantic

Sunday, August 30 – Atlantic
0:51 am
Today was tough. We had orientation all day, and some of the speakers... well, let’s just say they should of picked other people or that I’m glad that they won’t be my teachers. SNOOZEFEST! I got to talk to one of my Deans today! How cool is that? Just passing by in the hallway. Also, Jackie and I are part of the Sargasso Sea (they split the ship up into different “seas”) and our color is gray/silver! (The Sargasso Sea is where the Bermuda Triangle is.) Overall, it was a boring day - but I really love this! I love all of it. Classes start today- in 8 1/2 hours! And we lost an hour!

First day on the ship!

Friday, August 28 – Atlantic
22:19 pm
I’M ON A SHIP!
 To begin, I’ll let you know there is FAR too much that has happened for me to write. As you can see from my current location, I am sailing on the ocean blue! And before I go any further about today, I’d like to mention last night!

Some guys from the trip called some clubs in Halifax ahead of time and planned a SAS night at The Dome! It was a blast! We met a bunch of SASers, and drinks were $2.50 - so naturally, I had my first (and second and third) legal drink! People actually recognized me from Facebook - kind of weird, right? Met Minh Vo in person, from Facebook and this really rad chick Vicki (who I’m going to be really good friends with).
Continuing on with today...
I’ll give you a slight run down and highlights:

Getting on the ship was rather easy, the walk to the port kind of sucked with two heavy bags on wheels and a backpack. Within minutes, I made my first friend (on the ship) Ryan! Jackie and I made it to our room around the same time, and unpacked. There’s actually some extra room and the rooms aren’t that small. Lifeboat drill, set sail, etc. Met up with Vicki - and ran into Ryan- and the four of us (Jackie included) hit up the gym! It’s nice working out and glancing out the window at the deep blue sea. Immediately after that we had our first meal on the ship - which was delicious - AND I ate vegetables. Toured the ship, some meeting, set up my email - and now I’m here in my room. During the meeting, our dean referenced “I’m on a boat” and asked T-Pain to come down to the front (joking, but some people thought he was serious). My books, along with Jackie’s, did not make it to our rooms - so, we’ll see how that plays out.

ALSO, we were moved up to the 4th floor, instead of the 2nd - because of... SWINE FLU. They’re leaving the 2nd floor open for anyone who gets Swine Flu and that’s where they will be QUARANTINED. Hopefully, none of us will be a “they”. 

The reality of this trip has come to me in waves. It catches me off guard, and has made me almost want to cry. Most of the time, I just go about my day and don’t think twice about it - and then it hits me... THIS IS MY DREAM, I AM LIVING MY DREAM. Living your dream feels a lot like a dream.
I am very emotional today. Tonight, I think, it will be difficult to sleep. I miss everyone tremendously, and it's definitely starting to sink in. & I just remembered the cards my parents left for me. It's very sweet and made me cry. I'll see you all soon.

Please all email me at bcdavis@semesteratsea.net

more from my travel journal

Continued Wednesday, August 26 - Halifax
4:33 pm
Travis, Jackie and I spent the day exploring Halifax. Kalvin and Tyler-dad would really love this place - a lot of the bars and restaurants have silly names. But Kal should wait until he’s 19, so he can drink legally! I almost bought some flower seeds for mom, but realized that it might be illegal to take back home - sorry! We’re rooming with another SASer, and the four of us are going to get dinner tonight!

Thursday, August 27 – Halifax
4:42 pm
Today is perfect out. The sun is shinning, no clouds in the sky, and it is 70 degrees. A great last day in Halifax! It feels like Florida’s not-summers!

18:35 pm
I switched to a 24 hour time, because that’s what we will be using on the ship. Jackie and I sent out postcards today, and toured the Citadel. We got a lovely tour, and learned a lot! I love how green it is here. We plan on going out to The Dome, a club in Halifax, tonight to meet up with some other Semester at Sea participants! It should be a good time and it’s a free cover! The ship is already docked, and I get to board around 9am TOMORROW! The ship is only about a 10 minute walk from our hostel, too! It hardly feels real, and I can’t believe it’s here already!

From my travel journal

Semester at sea Fall 2009
The 100th voyage!
Tuesday, August 25 – Over Florida
2:42 pm
Currently, Jackie and I are flying over Florida. I have a mixture of feelings. I have butterflies. I’m very excited. And I’m very sad, because I know I will miss everyone back home so much. Bryent, Bridget and my parents saw me off, which was so meaningful to me. My parents wrote me a letter which made me cry. By the end of this day, I will have finally left the country for the first time ever. I can’t believe it’s happening.

Wednesday, August 26 – Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
1:02 am
Jackie and I got into Halifax around eleven, and got to our hostel around 12:15. Along the way we ran into four students going on Semester at Sea - one of which, Travis, was staying at our hostel. Travis, Jackie and I just got back from a local Irish pub, where I was actually legal to drink at - but didn’t and just got a water. I can’t seem to get on the internet, but I’ll figure it out tomorrow. I also can’t seem to get a hold of Bryent and it has me a little worried. The weather tonight has been beautiful! On the way back from the pub I had to wear a jacket! A Jacket in August! By the way, our hostel is actually not bad. It’s very clean, and everyone is pretty much my age that I’ve seen. I’ll see how I feel about it tomorrow, after I have actually slept in the bed and experienced it a bit more. I can’t wait until Friday, when I don’t have to live out of suitcases anymore.

10:20 am
I slept okay last night. Like I said before, the hostel isn’t bad. Jackie and I are planning on exploring today. I’m also considering converting a lot of dollars into foreign money, as well as shopping for shampoo and stuff! I just stopped in to share this video my dad made for Jackie and I: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-9nB-NU1i4 I love it. I think it’s great! I also found a bunch of cards in my luggage from my parents. I love them! I miss everyone already. Go figure.

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    There is only 11 short days left until Jackie and I board our flight to Halifax and begin our adventure! There isn't much left for me to do. I just need to pack, and buy a few essential things (I'm going to buy things like shampoo in Halifax, to avoid explosion all over my clothes). I'm finishing up my final week at work on Sunday, and then I'll have a week off to do whatever I want! I'll probably spend this time packing and hanging out with a few friends and one really great boyfriend. 

    Speaking of great boyfriend, we booked our flights to return to Tampa from San Diego on December 16th. We also booked a pretty nice hotel for a good deal in downtown San Diego for a few days! It should be a really nice return trip!

    I'm really excited for this trip! My DREAMS are going to come true! I'm really excited for a week from today when all my friends, my parents and their pals go out to The Castle for my last time! Travis, one of my friends, purchased two white sailor hats (one for me and one for Jackie) and a party pack of 12 neon sailor hats for everyone to wear! I'm also very excited for the Bon Voyage party that my parents put together (Thanks so much mom and Tyler-dad! I appreciate it a lot!) on the 22nd! 

   :D It's so soon. I can taste it!