Rockin'

       I have officially spent 24 hours on my ship, the MV Explorer! To say the least, crossing the Atlantic Ocean is much choppier that a cruise up to Alaska! If you sit in a chair you will constantly see people swaying as they walk down the hallways. I am already am a clumsy person and when that is added to a rocking ship, it results in me constantly falling into the walls, chairs and tables. I would not be surprised if I am covered in bruises by the time I make it back to Oregon. Besides the rocking, the boat is fabulous. We have over 530 students from 14 countries, but majority are from America. 

        I love everything about this program so far, but here are some of my highlights. I've become good friends with two girls that go to school in Boulder, CO. I first met them in the Bahamas as we floated in the blue water. We met up later and now spend the majority of our time together. I also love the atmosphere on the ship, everyone is eager to make friends and it is a very welcoming and fun environment. Lastly, I love the sunshine! Our classes start on Tuesday, in between all of our meetings today we would lay on the deck and chat with people. It is the best environment I could have asked for.

            I love fun facts, so here are some that I learned today:

                        -We have to call the MV Explorer a ship, not a cruise- apparently there is a huge difference and it offends the captain when you use the latter term.

                        -Our captain is from England and has a great accent. He has been navigating ships for nearly 40 years.

                        -This is not a trip, it is a voyage.

                        -Each hall has a Residence Director (RD) and unlike the dorms at UO, these RDs all have a master’s degree.

                        -I've met three Pi Beta Phi’s so far!

                        -We have completed 1 out of 9 days of our Atlantic Ocean crossing.

This voyage is wonderful so far! I'll give you another update later on this week.