So much to do, so little time...

In exactly two weeks I will be on my way to the Bahamas to start my spring semester aboard MV Explorer, my new home for the next 100 days as I circumnavigate the globe. It's hard to believe it is coming up so quickly. Right now I am just a big ball of emotions. I am excited, scared, happy, sad, nervous, anxious, stressed... and the list goes on. I know that I have no idea what I am about to get myself in to. This semester will challenge me in ways I never thought possible. It will open my eyes to things I never saw before. It will change not only the way I view the world, but also myself and who I am as a person. This both excites me and scares me to death!

I leave for the Bahamas on the 31st of January. I'm hoping to take some time and relax with my mom and dad during this calm before the storm.

The next stops are:
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Salvador, Brazil
Cape Town, South Africa
Port Louis, Mauritius
Chennai, India
Penang, Malaysia
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Hong Kong
Qingdao, China
Kobe, Japan
Honolulu, Hawaii
San Diego, Cali

Some of the major things I am excited for are sky diving and cage diving with the great white sharks in South Africa, spending 3 days traveling down the Amazon River, catching a little Carnival action in Salvador, many many service visits in South African and India, visiting South Africa's townships, staying overnight in a Dalit village in India, learning from Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu as he sails with us during our voyage, seeing the Great Wall, going back to my favorite Udon restaurant in Japan (!!!! so excited), making new friends, learning as much as I can, and living it up during this once in a lifetime experience.

Sometimes I forget that I will be taking classes (whoops!). For those who are interested, I am taking a world religions course, global studies, a western civilization course, and a world music course. I doubt, however, this is how most of the learning will take place. :)

I will post later on how to mail me during the voyage. I will try to update this blog as much as possible during my trips, but I can not say how often that will be since internet time is expensive!

For now, I still have TONS of things still left on my list to check off. Wish me luck!

Laura