In one of my copies of Northanger Abbey, on page 10, Jane Austen wrote the following: “If adventures will not befall a young lady in her own village, she must seek them abroad.” I don’t think it would come as a surprise to anyone for me to say I absolutely love Jane, and consider her to be one of my best friends, so when she gives me advice I try to take it. Which is why, last semester, I decided the lack of adventure in Williamsburg meant it was time for me to go elsewhere for a little while. Don’t get me wrong - W&M is one of my favorite places on the planet, and I am incredibly proud to be a member of the Tribe family. But Williamsburg... let’s just say after three years of tri corner hats and canon fire, I was in need of a new adventure. So I’m spending the summer before my senior year saving money, applying for visas, and stressing about how to pack four months worth of clothing into two bags - because next semester I will be on the Semester at Sea Fall 2013 voyage.
First of all: HUGE shout out to my NKE big Elizabeth for telling me about SAS, and for answering the thousands of questions I’ve had. And another shout out to my parents for supporting my decision to take part in this program - you guys are the best.
Now, about Semester at Sea. The program, run through the University of Virginia, takes a few hundred students, faculty, and staff around the world on a renovated cruise ship several times a year. My particular voyage will take this route:
Embark in Southampton, England
- Saint Petersburg, Russia
- Hamburg, Germany
- Antwerp, Belgium
- Le Havre, France
- Dublin, Ireland
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Cadiz, Spain
- Casablanca, Morocco
- Tema, Ghana
- Takoradi, Ghana
- Cape Town, South Africa
- Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Salvador, Brazil
- Havana, Cuba
Debark in Fort Lauderdale
We’ll spend a few days in every city, and attend classes when we’re on the ship (more information about all of that to come).
In preparation, I’ve been researching each city, trying to decide what things I want to spend my time doing. And every time I check out one of Rick Steves’ guidebooks from the library, my excitement grows exponentially. Only 63 days until I leave! Not that I’m counting...there’s an app for that. In the meantime, I’ve booked a spot at a London hostel for a few days before I board the ship! And bought a ticket to Warner Brothers’ Harry Potter studio...TWAMP status.
For those of you who are interested, more information about Semester at Sea, the MV Explorer, and my voyage can be found here: http://www.semesteratsea.org/. Or just ask me because I’ve basically got that website memorized.
