And so it Begins... The BAHAMAS

First, welcome. 

Thanks for tuning in and reading by blog. I feel very privileged to be given the opportunity to take part in Semester-at-Sea, and hope that I can somehow pass along the experience to anyone interested. That being said, please, communicate with me! I h

ave email all during the voyage, and by either emailing me

 directly or commenting on the blog, we can talk- I'd love to hear from you.

For those unsure, Semester at Sea (henceforth 'SAS') is a 108-day long program run by the Institute for Shipboard Education. Tomorrow... no wait, today, I'll board the MV Explorer along with 700 other students and circumnavigate the globe. We stop for 3-7 days in 12 different countries, taking classes while at sea. The full itinerary is to your right ======>, as are some links. Click around!

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Nassau

On Friday, 1/16, Mom, Dad and I took off from Newark, NJ to Nassau, Bahamas. This would be the first of my many stops around the world. My experience in the Bahamas was great, but it wasn't without stress. Like many SASers, I came alone. Completely alone. I know a few people from home at the University of Maryland, but just their names. I, along with most others, shared that common sense of loneliness and wondering if I'll make good friends. I put myself out there, though, and have met a bunch of great, great, like-minded people. We have hung out at Atlantis, and downtown Nassau in a touristy-bar affec

tionately known as "Senor Frogs"

The city of Nassau is great. It's not much for culture-lovers (90% of the country's GDP is tourism, mostly from the US), but is full of wonderful people. Bahamians are as friendly and genuine as they come. From the taxi drivers to the guy cleaning your table, they are always interested in conversation and interaction. It's wonderful.

Atlantis, the resort that we are staying at is just a few 

minutes off of downtown, is truly a dream. It's full of beautiful architecture, winding paths and bridges and lagoons and pools galore. One attrac

tion, the Mayan-Temple boasts a 100 foot straight-drop water-slide that includes, at the bottom, a trip through a shark tank. Don't worry too much, you're safely in a tube within the tank, and, as I found out later, the sharks are vegetarians (!?).

While I came here nervous and unsure, not having had to meet new people for awhile, I leave- and begin my voyage excited and confident. It's a beautiful thing, meeting new people, putting yourself out there, giving everyone the benefit of the doubt. I try to remember that every time I shake someone new's hand- and it happens a LO

T around here. Nonetheless, I've made a good group of friends that I think will serve me well for the beginning of the voyage.

This morning, at 9:40am I'm due at the Explorer. I'll formally check-in to the voyage, unpack, and meet my roommate. Hopefully, I'll get off and meet mom and dad once more for lunch, then re-board, and kiss land goodbye for 10 days. At 1700 (5pm) we cast off, and sail east, due for our first port-of-call, Cadiz, Spain. The voyage of Discovery that is Semester at Sea is finally here. After months of planning and thousands of hours spent wondering, it turns to reality- at 9:40am.

Best to all in the US, and sorry to my fellow Ravens fans after a disappointing loss this evening.

Talk to you from the ship tomorrow.

Greg