If I didn't love Semester At Sea enough before this morning, I certainly do now.
Jill and I awoke at the crack of dawn to try Yoga. That's right, yoga. There's something about this community that just makes you want to leave your comfort zone a bit... and so I did... and loved it! I was only corrected by the instructor once, and I have to say, I looked pretty sexy in the Down-Dog pose. Just sayin.
After some breakfast to cool down, I attended a lecture on the enrollment issues facing SAS and how we as active alums can help. I told the story of how I was actively discouraged by my study abroad office from participating in SAS, an experience which would soon become the cornerstone of my collegiate education. Board members swapped tactics and explained new strategies to try and increase enrollment in such difficult economic times.
My afternoon was spent doing what I love the MV for so much... just relaxing. I sat outside, I sat inside, I took a shower, I took a nap, I read my book, I sat next to strangers, started conversations and networked with new friends. Overall, a wonderful time as always.
At 3, Heather invited me to the faculty-staff lounge to partake in a wine tasting with many of the SAS board of trustee members. We sampled 11 different reds' and whites', and we may or may not have used the spit-bucket for its intended purpose (we drank a bit more than we should have) It was really good wine, though, and I learned the ins-and-outs of sipping, slurping, smelling (the "bouquet"). Tons of fun.
Tonight was the Reunion Voyage's concluding dinner, aptly called the Captain's dinner. We all got dressed up nice and had an amazing time all together. It was Win, Jill, Heather and Heather's mom's three friends from her voyage in the 1970s. We shared more wine and even more stories. It's incredible how the SAS experience transcends so many years... all in all, it's much the same.
The night was spent partying with my 700 new friends whom I already share so much in common with. The ship has been rocking severely all day, so dancing to the live music out on the back of deck 7 was hilarious. Jill and I at one point stopped dancing to just watch everyone tilt with the ship's motion... 10 feet port... 10 feet starboard. It brought back many memories of the evenings on the aft of the ship around the world.
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You can't go on a Semester at Sea voyage without changing. It's impossible. This 5 day hop is no exception. Before, I looked at my experience with awe and sadness, wishing that I could somehow transport myself back in time to those wonderful 108 days in the Spring of 2009. Having not seen the ship since disembarkation in Ft. Lauderdale last May, it was re-mystified... I wondered how it was that I managed to experience such incredible times.
Now, as I leave tomorrow, I don't look back anymore at my experiences. They are over, but they are far from finished shaping who I am. In May, just before the end of our voyage Les said "you don't know it yet, but the voyage has just begun." I didn't believe him. I most certainly do now. I spent the past week learning about how SAS continues long before arriving home your first time... it's what you do with your experiences that matter.
Over the past 5 days on the ship and the past 11 days in San Diego, I've become so much closer to my fellow voyagers who may have been just "peripheral friends" while sailing with them. I've felt a re-ignition of the flame within me to make my life bigger than I had previously imagined. SAS shows students the world, and I refuse to accept it as a one-time trip.
So, tomorrow, as I disembark the MVX, I look forward, not back. I won't cry or sob as I walk the gangway stairs this time, but smile... because I know I'll be back soon. More so, I know that the things I experienced on the ship will continue to dictate who I am in this world... and in that way, the voyage truly never ends.
Talk to you all from land. Again.
Best always,
Greg
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