More than I ever expected

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Words can hardly describe this first day. The Bahamas and Atlantis Resort were beautiful, but the thoughts of what was to come and the reason why I was really there were hard to suppress, and I wasn’t really trying too. The ocean was gorgeous and the water was the perfect temperature. I would recommend Atlantis for a family vacation, or maybe a honeymoon, but it was pretty commercial feeling. But who cares, I was only there for 1 night out of 101 to come.

My early alphabet name served me well as I was able to board at 8:00am long before the rain came. The Ship is AMAZING. It used to be a cruise ship and still has that feel. The staff is wonderful and seems to be everywhere. (There are 200 of them.) Although I boarded early there wasn’t much going on all day. I met up with some really nice people right off the bat. It is really interesting because you meet people and walk around with them for a bit and then you go and do your own thing then meet up with different people entirely. Like just now I was on the deck typing and then started having a conversation with this guy and then he got up and left. It’s just awesome. Even though there are over 650 students I know by the end I will at least recognize all of them.

The ship departed at 5:00pm. Many people went out on the decks to wave goodbye to the parents and family members scattered along the shore. It was emotional. It was finally beginning to set in that we were embarking on what we had been planning on for so long, the voyage of a lifetime. Although I didn’t know anyone holding signs on board or the people around me, the power of the moment was enough to tie us all together. It was like the movie Love Actually, love really is all around. I wasn’t the only one who was a little misty-eyed. We sailed off into an amazing sunset a sure sign of wonderful things to come.

We’ve just been having some orientation stuff, meet the staff and what not. The introduction of our captain and his officers was another emotional high point for me. He is British and speaks with that kind of accent that just makes you smile. Of course he contends that he is not the one with the accent. His officers bring their smiles and expertise in their fields from all over the globe, not one was from the USA. This was seemingly symbolic of the very nature of this experience, diversity, culture and the doing away with ill-founded expectations, such as mine of the officers being American. Each speaker we heard, from Dean John and Dean _____, expressed their excitement in an indescribable way. It isn’t too often that you share the same excitement as your teachers; they are embarking on the journey of a lifetime as well.

So the ship (yes, it is a ship not a boat. Boats can’t carry other boats, ships can, and they do! We had our first lifeboat drill yesterday!) Anyways, the ship is wonderful. Our cabins are small, but cozy and there is room for my entire 150lbs. of luggage. I still need to carry around my map, because there are lounges, classrooms, snack bars and dining rooms and decks, all over. I’ll post some pictures soon when I get around to it. The internet is really slow and expensive, so I need to use my time wisely.

I am really excited for my classes, which start tomorrow. I met my professors today and the all seem so great. They were hand picked my Dean Beverly for their excellence in teaching and for their international travel experience. If I don’t like my classes, which I highly doubt, I don’t have to worry too much because after just 2 days of class we get 4 days off because we’ll be in Venezuela…on SATURDAY! I think being in Venezuela will make me realize that I really am here and that I am not just on vacation. Well more to come after that experience. I hope you all are doing well.

Until next post, live on….the butterfly traveller (yes, I know there is an extra “L” in there, spelling was never my strong point…it was that “inventive spelling” nonsense I was taught in the 1st grade. I will continue with my incorrect spelling however, to avoid confusion when trying to find my site, as it is spelled wrong there too.)

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