In Spring of 2014, one of my college suite-mates had the opportunity to do a study abroad program called Semester at Sea. I had heard of SAS before, but I never took the time to really find

out the details. Having returned only a few months ago, my suitemate excitedly told me and my friends about her experiences with the program, and my interest peaked. Seeing the way her eyes lit up when she told us photo albums and told us stories of her adventures, I knew it was something that was meant for me.

So on a whim, I decided to apply. The process required basic personal information, a few official documents from my college, including transcript, and a personal essay. A few months later I found out I was accepted, and the possibility of me going was suddenly real. If everything works out, I’ll be setting sail in just under six months.

Now that this dream is becoming a reality, I thought I’d tell you all a little bit about it so maybe you can share in my excitement.

Semester at Sea is a semester long voyage “around the world.” Traveling by ship, students spend four months traveling to several different countries, many of which I personally would never have the opportunity to visit anytime in the foreseeable future. This particular voyage includes these destinations:

102 Days, 15 Cities, 11 Countries

• Embark: San Diego, CA, United States1
• Honolulu, Hawaii, United States 2
• Yokohama, Japan
• Kobe, Japan
• Shanghai, China
• Hong Kong, China
• Ho Chi Minh City, Việt Nam
• Rangoon, Burma

• Cochin, India
• Port Louis, Mauritius 3
• Cape Town, South Africa
• Takoradi, Ghana
• Tema (Accra), Ghana
• Casablanca, Morocco
• Debark: Southampton (London), England

We will have a certain amount of time at each location, generally between 4 and 7 days. Once the ship has docked, the other students and I will be able to make our own agendas, and spend time exploring whatever country we are visiting. We will have the option to come back to the ship each night for food/sleep, or we can spend the whole time on land wherever we choose. When my friend was in Ghana, she arranged a home-stay, and lived with a family for a couple days in their village.

In each location there are different “outings” that you can sign up for through the program. These can be somewhat pricey, but some are worth the additional costly. These may including riding elephants through the jungle, or trekking through the desert with camels and sleeping under the stars. Or, if students choose, they can make their own itinerary, as long as they return to the ship by the designated time and day. There are also service opportunities, such as visiting an orphanage or helping build homes.

While on the ship in between locations, I will take up to 15 credits worth of classes, which will be transferred to my school when the semester ends. To my delight, they are offering many classes that will fulfill requirements for my major and minors. A couple that I am interested in include “Writing the World in Poetry” and “Drawing at Sea.”

As a Journalism major with minors in creative writing and photography, this is quite literally the opportunity of a lifetime. I will get a firsthand look at cultures I know virtually nothing about. I plan to travel when I am older, but there is no guarantee I will ever have the time or money to, say, spend a week Vietnam. Not to mention I would not have the increased safety of traveling through a school related program. I will get to spend time in places I have always wanted to visit, like India and Japan, as well as countries I am rather ignorant of, such as Burma.

My intention is to document my journey in great detail, through photography, journals, and this blog. These experiences will stay with me for the rest of my life. Perhaps one day I can write a novel about the semester I spent traveling the world! Perhaps it will inspire me in ways I can’t even imagine. As an adventurer with a passion for writing, art, and learning about different cultures, this program is an incredible opportunity for me.

I believe this program will help me in many ways. I am always craving new experiences, but I don’t always make an effort to seek them out. This will challenge me emotionally, mentally, and most likely physically, and hopefully (cliche as it may be) help me grow as a person. The truth is, I am utterly terrified to embark on such a journey. Going to college 40 minutes away from home was a big enough transition. When I think about spending a semester at sea, I am filled with a mixture of overwhelming excitement and fear. I have never been so far away for such a long period of, and I have never been on a boat for longer than an afternoon. If everything works out, my  room-mate will also be doing the program next spring. Having one of my best friends share the experience with me will not only be amazing, but significantly reduce my anxiety. If we can save up enough money, we plan to spend some time traveling around Europe when the program ends, before flying home. If I am lucky, I can even visit my friends in France! My roomie and I are already joking that in each other’s wedding toasts, we can talk about the time we traveled the world together.

The only problem I am facing is the cost of the program. Although I am officially accepted, I am not guaranteed a cabin space until I put down a $1000 deposit, which I am currently saving towards by working a couple summer jobs. At that point I can apply for financial aid and scholarships. Even if I am awarded the money needed to participate, I will also need to save up a few thousand dollars for things like special programs, food, and transportation for when I am actually in the countries. Anything will help, so I am including the link to my GoFundMe if anyone feels like contributing.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and learn about something I am unbelievably excited to be a part of. I hope you’ll follow my journey and be inspired like I was!

Link to the Semester at Sea voyage- http://www.semesteratsea.org/voyages/spring-2016/

Link to help reach my financial goals! http://www.gofundme.com/saslaney