Auction Day!

Today is Nov. 27^th…tomorrow will be Nov. 27^th. We cross the international dateline tonight and even though we gain a day, we’ll still be losing sleep…yay! 

Today we have our shipboard auction.  Basically, it gives people the chance to bid on items and give back to the shipboard community.  Items donated range from magnets to houses in Mexico.  I am involved in the auction by helping be a spotter in the actual auction as well as being there during the silent auction to answer questions and keep an eye on things.  It’s amazing to see the number of items that were donated and will be really excited to see how much money we are able to raise for the drive.

It’s also crunch time on the ship, classes are ending and finals are coming up.  Everyone is working on papers and projects and getting things organized and figuring out how the hell we’re going to get the stuff we’ve bought home.  It’s hard to believe that we’re all going to be home so soon. I’m excited to go home but also a little apprehensive.  It’s going to be weird not having the feeling that you’re always walking up or down hill because of the movement of the waves.  Running up the stairs and going to grab the railing but missing because you took an extra step or two the other direction because a wave made you misstep…I think I might miss that a little bit. Not to mention having to time going up and down stairs so you don’t either face plant or end up feeling like you’re climbing a mountain.  

We have about 6 days until Hawaii, 4 days in Hawaii and then 6 and a half days until San Diego. I can’t believe it’s all coming to an end so quickly! However, I am excited to keep up all the connections that I have made and to visit people.  Hawaii will also be a fun port because of everything that people are planning.  The first day I am planning on going skydiving which should be exciting and scary as hell. We get to go tandem; well we have to go tandem which is a bit of a relief. 

It’s going to be odd going to Hawaii because it’s not an international port. It was odd to think that after Japan we wouldn’t be going to another international port.  Going to Hawaii will be fun, there are a lot of people on the ship that have already been there, and I’ll be hanging out with a mixture of them. Some people that have and others that haven’t.  I’m excited about the people I’ll be spending my time with, especially because it is my last port and I want to be able to spend some time with them before I go home.  It’s going to be odd going to a tropical island after having fall in Japan and winter in China.  It will be nice to have one final warm spell before going back to winter, although I can’t wait to go skiing! We watched Warren Miller’s Wintervention Movie which is a documentary about skiing and boarding in different parts of the world. It was even cooler because one of the girls on the ship is in the movie and she goes skiing in Alaska and New Zealand, and has gone all over the world.  It was cool to sit and talk with her about what she’s done and what she has coming up.  I am looking forward to seeing snow and the movie got me super pumped up.  It’s going to be nice to experience seasons since we’ve basically had just summer for the past few months with the exception of 6 days of winter in China and 4 of fall in Japan. 

Now, it’s time to write papers and eat lunch and work at the auction and classes…o yay!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

So it’s technically not thanksgiving yet in the U.S. but right now on the ship it is. Yay! I know I have not posted in a while. Asia was amazing. I had so much fun there and just learned a lot.  China and Japan were both so different. I got to meet many new people from around the world while in the countries. I will be posting more about them soon. It’s crunch time on the ship right now. This is our last week of  classes and then Hawaii, then finals, then home!!! It’s a weird feeling to think that this journey will be over in just a few short weeks. As we reach the end, and it is Thanksgiving, here’s a list of a few things I’m thankful for:

My family-without them, I wouldn’t be here. Thanks to their support, this journey is something that I have truly enjoyed and because of how my parents raised me, it’s not difficult to say that I have a greater appreciation for this trip than some of the people that I have met and that I have learned a whole lot more about the importance of family.

My friends from home-many of my friends have made conscious efforts to keep in touch with me; it’s nice to know that they will still be there when I get home and that I can always count on them for support. Also, for Corri and Maricel, the two of them have helped me out so much when it comes to keeping in touch with people at home.  They have posted blogs, passed on messages and even given me messages.  This has proven helpful especially when the internet is slow, or I have no way of getting in touch with others from home except through them. 

Everyone from home that has given me support in anyway- I’ve said this several times before, but I love hearing about how people are reading the blog and enjoy what they are reading.  This voyage would not be possible were it not for many of you.  The support you have shown me is absolutely fantastic.  Every time I go to a new place, or have a new experience, I think of how excited I am to share my pictures and stories (and believe me, there’re a lot). 

My ship family- this includes so many people.  From the friends I’ve made on the ship, to my ship mom and brothers/sisters, to everyone from work, to professors.  Its amazing the people that I’ve met in just a few short months and making plans already to visit.  With friends planning on coming to NY to visit to us planning visits to New Orleans, California, New Hampshire, a return trip to Singapore and even a visit to Nepal.  It’s going to be tough going back to “real life” and not seeing people from the ship every day.  

the life that I have been blessed with- When he speaks to us, Desmond Tutu reminds us that we are young and we have a whole life ahead of us and to take advantage of every opportunity we can.  In one instance he told us to “Dream! Dream the impossible dreams!” He forced us to think of everything we have been given and the opportunities that are right in front of us.  From him, I have learned to put things into perspective.  I have been building up a sort of ladder throughout my life of who I am and how I see things.  This voyage has increased it many times.  I have understood just how small the world is and that we need to realize our responsibility to others and ourselves.  True happiness comes from within and we need to be sure that we let ourselves show to others.  Hiding will only get us so far and the truth will win out.  A shirt I bought in South Africa says, “History depends on who wrote it.” This is such a true statement.  We read about certain things in history, but until we stop and listen to those that lived it and saw it, what we see will be a sort of opaque version.  This has occurred in many forms for me on this voyage.  One of the most prominent ways was when I went to Robben Island and spent that time with Coach. I learned that Robben Island is not simply the place where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned but that so much more occurred there. Other times, this occurred was when I have with a group of people both from the ship and the topic of 9/11 has come up.  Many people on the ship are from other parts of the U.S. and even other parts of the world.  A lot of what these people have learned has come from the media or friends of friends in a sense.  When I have talked to them about how I was affected by 9/11 especially being so close to Manhattan, they often ask what it was like being a 6^th grader and what I felt and went though.  I am grateful that I live in a country where we are encouraged to be open about our experiences and what we feel and our opinions and we can speak our minds.  In some of the countries I have gone to, this is not allowed to happen and there are strict restrictions places on the media and freedom of speech.  

This voyage has been out of this world. I am so grateful for every opportunity that I have been given and it has taught me to have no regrets and to take risks.  I have learned to “do something that scares me every day”… well almost every day. I have done so much that I don’t think I would normally have done at home, I have a greater sense of resolve and I am stronger than I was before.  I am excited to try new things and take greater opportunities and really go for it.  I am working on business plans to work with companies in South Africa and around the world and I have made friends from around the world.  i am so thankful for everyone that I have met and everything that I have had the chance to do and am excited to see what else is in store in the future and have learned to “Dream!!! Dream the impossible dreams!!!”

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!! Love you all!!! Can’t wait to see everyone in just a few weeks!!!!