The days have ALREADY been flying by alarmingly fast! We haven’t even yet reached our first port yet; Morocco. Mounting anticipation is slowly consuming the entire ship, as we speed our way through the Atlantic. We were going 20 knots for a few days, and the captain decided we had to slow down in order to not reach Morocco earlier than planned. I believe his original intentions were to get out of the approaching aftermath and storms of Hurricane Irene. It is unbelievable that we have only been on the ship for five days. I feel as if I have known a lot of the people aboard the ship for a lot longer. I know that long-lasting friendships are already making themselves present aboard this ship. After all, there is not much else to do on a ship except hang out with everyone and get to know them better. I’m not saying that there is absolutely nothing to do, since we have a basketball court, volleyball court, fitness room, free weights on the deck, the pool, etc. The scent of tanning oil and ocean water wafts around me while I read my assignments, sprawled in a lounge chair, out on the deck in my bathing suit.. No big deal. Hahahah.

 

But anyway, I have met people from not only around the United States, but also around the world. In one day I have spoken Arabic with someone from Saudi Arabia, Portuguese with a Brazilian and French with a girl from Paris. This ship is a small multi-cultural world in itself, and I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to partake in this amazing adventure. These first few days have been filled with attempts to get used to life on a ship, classes, organizations, etc. All the makings of what feels like freshmen year all over again :P To go more in depth about all that I have been doing; let’s start with life on a ship. First and foremost, seasickness has been running rampant around the ship. I have been fortunate enough to only be experiencing a mild case, which includes being drowsy and having minor headaches. For the most part though, I have been unaffected. Yesterday, I took three naps.. I guess it doesn’t help that my roommate and I have been staying awake until 4 am each night, talking about anything and everything. Her name is Jena, and she is from Wisconsin and goes to school in San Antonio, Texas. I have been lucky with all my roommates that I have had in college; much love to Crazy Jenn and Megan J Also, we have pub night every night on the ship, where everyone is able to buy up to 5 drinks and there is corn hole and just simple socializing that goes on until midnight. There is also the observation deck, deck 8; where you can lay out in your sleeping bag and look at the stars. I have done this numerous times so far too. Another aspect of life currently is the constant rocking of the ship. As the ship tilts, you see everyone walk, or maybe the better word is stagger, from one place to another. You almost have to develop a zigzag pattern of walking in order to stay balanced, otherwise you run into everyone else. I have already seen far too many comical situations of someone taking someone else out as if we were on a rugby pitch, instead of attempting to get from class to class.

Speaking of classes, I have been having a good time in all of them. I only have four classes, and was strongly advised NOT to pick up another course. I now understand why. The courses are so informational, and they truly make you think. I love the aspect that I will actually be using what I learn in classes in each country, in real life situations. I am taking Global Public Health, English as a Global Language, Cultural Geography, and Global Studies. For each class, we have to conduct what are called FDP’s, or faculty directed practica. They are basically field programs in which you accompany your professor to a part of the country that encompasses what you are specifically learning in their course. For example, I am going to be going to the Hassan II Mosque in Morocco for my Cultural Geography class. For my Public Health class, I will be going to many different hospitals and learning different medical practices and approaches in each country. I have two classes each day, and we don’t get weekends off. Instead, each day is divided into A or B day. I have Global Studies and Cultural Geography on A days, and Global English and Global Health on B days. The days just alternate, so A days are every other day just as B days. A typical day consists of me going to breakfast, class in the morning, lunch, doing homework, and then dinner. After dinner, we have various meetings dealing with our deck or “Explorer Seminars” which just pertain to various things such as leadership, culture shock, etc.

 

Today, we had a Service Club meeting, where we discussed several opportunities for service work that we can participate in. The ones I was most interested in were Environmental Sustainability, Health and Wellness, and Human Trafficking. After the service club meeting, Jena and I just did homework and relaxed in our room until Trivia Night. We didn’t take first place, but we had a great time.

Morocco is just around the corner, so many of us have been trying to solidify plans. We arrive on September 3^rd, and are there until the 6^th. On the 3^rd, I will be combing the depths of the Hassan II Mosque along with some others from my Cultural Geography class. We have to dress modestly, and cover our heads with a scarf. I think it is so appropriate that we will be visiting a Muslim country right during Eid! Eid Mubarak to all by the way J After the mosque, I am just going to explore Casablanca. I don’t really have a plan, but that is how most of my trip has turned out anyway. Semester at Sea is Spontaneity for Me :D On the 4^th, we are going to be picked up from the ship at 5:30am for our camel trek, and will make our way to Marrakesh. From Marrakesh, we will hop on our own camels and head into the Zagora Desert, passing the Atlas Mountains. I am so excited to sleep outside in the desert, underneath a sky that isn’t muddled with pollution or skyscrapers. Not to say that the sky in Cleveland or even Marietta is that terrible, but I am sure it will be amazing to be able to see a vast expanse of it for once. Hope all is well with those who are following! I miss you all! And to my sisters of Chi Omega, hope you are having a blast during recruitment!