As I sit here in the LAX airport MANY emotions are running through this thing I call my brain. I am overwhelmed with the fact that in a few hours I will be bombarded with 700 other college age students who are themselves going crazy with excitement of the upcoming departure on a trip around the world. As for myself, I am not quite sure what to think. I am: 1, completely in awe over the fact that I get to even do this 2, nervous about the numerous unknowns 3, excited to meet SO many new people from around the world and finally in a daze over the fact that I am on my way around the world.
Now I’m in Miami… and it still isn’t real.
I am meeting up with a fellow SASer tonight once I arrive in Nassau. I am really excited about that. It is a real blessing that we were introduced (over facebook) by a mutual friend. I look forward to getting to know her more over these next few months.
So, if any of you are wondering how the whole packing situation worked… Here’s the story: I had one gigantic bag (I decided to see if I could zip myself up in it and it worked!!). I didn’t want to take 2 because that would just be a drag. However, when airlines (not mentioning any names – RED, WHITE, and BLUE) are in the mix, travelling is bound to be a drag in some way. I was able to fit everything I needed into one bag BUT, it was clearly over 50 lbs, I’m thinking closer to 80… HA! So, I had to split everything up between 2 bags, which isn’t really that bad, I will just combine them all before I get on the ship tomorrow (AH! TOMORROW!).
Other than that I don’t think anything else is on my mind to share.
I hope this post finds you all well! When most of you read this I will more than likely be on the open seas!!! Crazyness!!
love love love
Cherie
Monday, January 28, 2008
More Pictures
Out to dinner with (from right to left) Chelsea, Charlie, Tyler, Caleb, Libby, Katrina, Amanda, and me.
In El Capitol (the Senate)
Senate building
Old San Juan
The Beach...
Me in Old San Juan at the beach!Pictures - days 1-6
The group in front of El Capitol...
No comment....
El Moro... with huge cannon balls...
Me and Katrina at the rainforest.
Welcome recetion at a local university!
This is only a portion of the luggage... its not all mine either :)
Leaving Nassau
The Atlantis.... so pretty
The rentals... HA!
Pulling into Puerto Rico... beautiful sun rise!!Sunday, January 27, 2008
Im off!!!
WOW! Today is now the 5th day of my voyage and it has been amazing so far! First of all I want to apologize for not being prompt in updating this and not adding pictures. I am currently at in internet cafe in San Juan, Puerto Rico and am not able to upload my personal pictures. But, never fear, I have taken around 200 so far so you will see them in due time.
Now, onto my voyage so far - We left Nassau, Bahamas on Wednesday around 5pm (actually its 1700 hours because we have to go by military time now... meh). Ship life is not too bad. My roommate is great and we get along very well. I felt sea sick the first night but ever since I have been fine... I have pretty much gotten used to the constant rocking and humming of the engine - I get rocked to sleep every night :) I had my first day of classes on Friday and we pulled into port (Puerto Rico) on Saturday morning. We got up early (6am) to see the sunrise and watch us pull into port - It was B-E-A-utiful! Yesterday a group of us walked around Old San Juan and toured the fort "El Moro" - it was amazing! Then me and another friend had a SAS trip to El Yunke rainforest for a hike there. We, as you may have guessed, walked through the rainforest and then went swimming by a huge waterfall.... AH, it was great! After we got back from that I had to quickly get ready for a welcome reception that a local university put on for us. It was a nice time to see and talk to local students. Today, we went around San Juan again and then laid at the beach for a while.
Overall, I have had an amazing time! I can't even begin to discribe this amazing journey. I am so glad that I can share this with you and I hope you enjoy it as well!
I will (hopefully) be uploading some pictures tomorrow but for now I will have to go. My time at the cafe is running down!
Brazil, here I come!!! :)
Now, onto my voyage so far - We left Nassau, Bahamas on Wednesday around 5pm (actually its 1700 hours because we have to go by military time now... meh). Ship life is not too bad. My roommate is great and we get along very well. I felt sea sick the first night but ever since I have been fine... I have pretty much gotten used to the constant rocking and humming of the engine - I get rocked to sleep every night :) I had my first day of classes on Friday and we pulled into port (Puerto Rico) on Saturday morning. We got up early (6am) to see the sunrise and watch us pull into port - It was B-E-A-utiful! Yesterday a group of us walked around Old San Juan and toured the fort "El Moro" - it was amazing! Then me and another friend had a SAS trip to El Yunke rainforest for a hike there. We, as you may have guessed, walked through the rainforest and then went swimming by a huge waterfall.... AH, it was great! After we got back from that I had to quickly get ready for a welcome reception that a local university put on for us. It was a nice time to see and talk to local students. Today, we went around San Juan again and then laid at the beach for a while.
Overall, I have had an amazing time! I can't even begin to discribe this amazing journey. I am so glad that I can share this with you and I hope you enjoy it as well!
I will (hopefully) be uploading some pictures tomorrow but for now I will have to go. My time at the cafe is running down!
Brazil, here I come!!! :)
Saturday, January 19, 2008
3 days to go...
The time to leave is coming quicker than expected considering that I still have to get some things and fit EVERYTHING in one (yep, you heard right, one bag for 3.5 months) That's like a girls worst nightmare! But nonetheless it will happen even if its 2 minutes before we leave the house. (If you can't tell, I tend to be a tad late minute.)
Everything is pretty much in order... I received my passport with the Chinese, Indian, and Brazilian visas, got poked for the 4th time for meningitis, and am in the process of actually putting clothes into my bag.
My journey will begin on Monday. My mom, my dad, my brother, and myself will drive down to LAX and stay the night at a hotel down there in order to catch our EARLY flight to Miami and then on to Nassau. We should arrive by mid afternoon on Tuesday so I will be able to meet up with other SASers that evening. I have to check in on the ship at 8:30am on Wednesday and then set sail for Puerto Rico at 5:00pm. From there... Bring on the world! :)
Here is what the rest of the voyage will look like:
January 23rd, 2008 - May 9th, 2008
Nassau, Bahamas
Depart: Wednesday, 23 January, 1700 (times are listed in military time)
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Arrive: Saturday, 26 January, 0800
Depart: Monday, 28 January, 2300
Salvador, Brazil
Arrive: Tuesday, 05 February, 0700
Depart: Saturday, 09 February, 2300
Cape Town, South Africa
Arrive: Tuesday, 19 February, 0800
Depart: Sunday, 24 February, 2300
Port Louis, Mauritius
Arrive: Saturday, 01 March, 0800
Depart: Tuesday, 04 March, 2300
Chennai, India
Arrive: Tuesday, 11 March, 0800
Depart: Saturday, 15 March, 2300
Penang, Malaysia
Arrive: Wednesday, 19 March, 0800
Depart: Sunday, 23 March, 2300
(Stop in Singapore for Bunker)
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Arrive: Thursday, 27 March, 0800
Depart: Tuesday, 01 April, 0600
(On-Ship Time is Monday, 31 March at 2300)
Hong Kong
Arrive: Thursday, 03 April, 0800
Depart: Friday, 04 April, 2200
Shanghai, China
Arrive: Monday, 07 April, 0800
Depart: Tuesday, 08 April, 2300
Kobe, Japan
Arrive: Friday, 11 April, 0800
Depart: Monday, 14 April, 2300
(Cross International dateline, add one day)
Honolulu, Hawaii
Arrive: Tuesday, 22 April, 0600
Depart: Tuesday, 22 April, 2400
Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Arrive: Saturday, 03 May, 0800
Depart: Sunday, 04 May, 2300
Transit Panama Canal
Arrive/Depart: Tuesday 06, May
Miami, Florida
Arrive: Friday, 09 May, 0800
1 ship
700 students
110 days
4 continents
13 countries
Around the world.
Everything is pretty much in order... I received my passport with the Chinese, Indian, and Brazilian visas, got poked for the 4th time for meningitis, and am in the process of actually putting clothes into my bag.
My journey will begin on Monday. My mom, my dad, my brother, and myself will drive down to LAX and stay the night at a hotel down there in order to catch our EARLY flight to Miami and then on to Nassau. We should arrive by mid afternoon on Tuesday so I will be able to meet up with other SASers that evening. I have to check in on the ship at 8:30am on Wednesday and then set sail for Puerto Rico at 5:00pm. From there... Bring on the world! :)
Here is what the rest of the voyage will look like:
January 23rd, 2008 - May 9th, 2008
Nassau, Bahamas
Depart: Wednesday, 23 January, 1700 (times are listed in military time)
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Arrive: Saturday, 26 January, 0800
Depart: Monday, 28 January, 2300
Salvador, Brazil
Arrive: Tuesday, 05 February, 0700
Depart: Saturday, 09 February, 2300
Cape Town, South Africa
Arrive: Tuesday, 19 February, 0800
Depart: Sunday, 24 February, 2300
Port Louis, Mauritius
Arrive: Saturday, 01 March, 0800
Depart: Tuesday, 04 March, 2300
Chennai, India
Arrive: Tuesday, 11 March, 0800
Depart: Saturday, 15 March, 2300
Penang, Malaysia
Arrive: Wednesday, 19 March, 0800
Depart: Sunday, 23 March, 2300
(Stop in Singapore for Bunker)
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Arrive: Thursday, 27 March, 0800
Depart: Tuesday, 01 April, 0600
(On-Ship Time is Monday, 31 March at 2300)
Hong Kong
Arrive: Thursday, 03 April, 0800
Depart: Friday, 04 April, 2200
Shanghai, China
Arrive: Monday, 07 April, 0800
Depart: Tuesday, 08 April, 2300
Kobe, Japan
Arrive: Friday, 11 April, 0800
Depart: Monday, 14 April, 2300
(Cross International dateline, add one day)
Honolulu, Hawaii
Arrive: Tuesday, 22 April, 0600
Depart: Tuesday, 22 April, 2400
Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Arrive: Saturday, 03 May, 0800
Depart: Sunday, 04 May, 2300
Transit Panama Canal
Arrive/Depart: Tuesday 06, May
Miami, Florida
Arrive: Friday, 09 May, 0800
1 ship
700 students
110 days
4 continents
13 countries
Around the world.
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