SAS Remembered

Today I went to a presentation given by one of the professors/directors of Freshman engineering at Pitt. It was directed at the parents of incoming freshman, but his opening lines about packing them off the first day they arrive got me to thinking about one of the greatest college experiences of my life: Semester at Sea.

Tomorrow, June 16, will mark one year since the day that I boarded the MV Explorer and began my journey around the Mediterranean. I remember the first time I saw the ship in the dock the first day that I arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I thought it was huge!! (Until I got a glimpse of some of the luxury cruise ships that could eat the MV Explorer as a snack)

But anyway, I don't want to make this a list of things that I did since that is already covered in the rest of this blog. I want to make this about the feelings and emotions involved in the whole trip and what has remained engraved in my mind.

I remember the way my room rocked in the waves and just the overall feeling of being in my cabin. Those late-night chats I had with my roomie. The feeling of the breeze on my face and through my hair as we sat on Deck 7 at night and played cards or just talked and stared at the ocean. Cramming the whole student body into the union for pre port meetings and waving our green sheets! Or better yet cramming into Nate and Eric's room for LOTR.Walking along the harbor in Pireaus on our way to the beach the first night and just taking in the sunset and expensive yachts and all of those other amazing views and feelings and moments that are forever ingrained in my brain. [Stumbling back to the ship after that first night on the beach and a bottle of Champagne...]

I think that I took the trip for granted. I didn't do as much as I should have. Called it a night a little to early. Woke up a little too late. Passed on experiences that I shouldn't have.

But you know what, I had the time of my life. I made so many friends that I hope to stay close with throughout my entire life. I had many firsts of my life on that trip. I changed so much on and became more of the person that I want to be. I realized that certain things that I did or ways that I acted before leaving, were childish and weren't getting me anywhere or closer to who I want to become as I grow. I feel that Semester at Sea is a life changing experience and I'm glad that I chose to use it as such.

And no matter how much I dwell on how amazing it was and how I won't ever be able to have that experience again, I have my "new" self. And this annoying need to see the world. Yes, a NEED not a WANT, a NEED. And soon.

But for now, I'm going to just look through my pictures, read my journal, watch all of the Real Sasers of Genius videos, and watch the voyage video and think about all the amazing things that I had a chance to encounter those 67 days. I hope those that just left for the Summer 2010 Voyage have just as an amazing time as I did.

GOOD LUCK AND BON VOYAGE SUMMER 2010!

and to those of you that find this somehow,

I MISS AND LOVE YOU SUMMER 2009 SASERS!