From my travel journal

Pre-note: If you want me to respond to you, you have to email me. I will not be able to check the comments while out at sea, and I'll be very limited to internet in most ports - I'm guessing. bcdavis@semesteratsea.net - I'd love to hear from you!

Thursday, September 3 – Atlantic
22:51 pm
Tonight we had a mandatory culture pre-port meeting for Spain! The whole Union was laughing - it was really a good time. I recorded some of it, and I can’t wait to put all these memories together to look back at someday or share with my loved ones! Tomorrow is the logistical pre-port meeting. It will definitely be very helpful, I’m sure. We lose yet another hour tonight. I don’t know about everyone else, but I have really no sense of time - but it’s not that bad. Currently, I’m wishing I knew Spanish - for obviously reasons.
I’ve discovered (by stealing it from Andy) a nice spot on Deck 5 where not a lot of people go, that I can lay out and read. It’s a lovely spot for a nap, too! 
Everyone is so nice and happy on the ship. There are definitely some kids on here that aren’t very respectful to others, and are treating this semester as a party - or trying as hard as they can to. It’s pretty sad, actually. They can’t wait to drink on “pub nights” - when I haven’t even had a sip of alcohol on this ship. I tried to read by the pool the other day, like I would at the beach, and this girl came over and blared her speakers to the point the music sounded terrible. I had to leave.
Every day I meet someone new, talk to someone new - it’s great. I love it. I’ve had one of the lifelong learners sit down and eat lunch with me. I also think it’s wonderful that there’s families on this trip - it must be so cool for those children!

"But there is one priceless thing I brought back from my trip around the world, one that cost no money and on which I paid no customs duty: humility, a humility born from watching other peoples, other races, struggling bravely and hoping humbly for the simplest things in life."   
Félix Martí-Ibáñez, Spanish-born American