Everything Deserves a Memory: Finals, Alumni & Goodbyes

After our departure from Morocco there was a mad study rush for our classes. Namely the Global Studies course which I hadn't the slightest clue what was going on in. The night before our final I had gone to Abby's room to hopefully get some group studying in which turned into an almost complete fail as around 1am delirium set in and we made a bunch of videos of us attempting to study but in almost all of them we get extremely sidetracked. It was fun to TRY and study with them but it was also pointless as we were all getting tired and frustrated. 9am the next morning taking the test I was surprised that I was a lot more prepared for it than I had thought I was and ended up walking out of that course with a better grade that I thought I would get. My Anthropology final was next on my list of worries, but I knew I had most of the stuff I needed to know down. I did however screw myself over and lose about 20 points on a question that I knew like the back of my hand. I must have been distracted or something cause it cost me an entire letter grade. Even the teacher looked at me puzzled and I couldn't do anything other than shake my head. I knew that I was going to miss Professor Ehlers though. She made a potentially boring topic so much fun and easy to learn. The fact that she MADE us pay attention was also a helpful kick in the butt. My theater class with Drew was hard to say goodbye to. I don't think I could have taken my first theater class with a better professor than that. Everyone on the ship wanted to learn from him - he was just that engaging. I'm incredibly fortunate to have been in one of his classes. Being in "school" taking these courses over the summer was perhaps the most fun I've ever had in my academic career. Not necessarily because of the travel but because of the teachers. They made me want to learn and do well in their subjects. To this day (nearly 6months after the start) they are missed.

Dr. Ehlers - Cultural Anthropology

Myself, Drew Kahn - Theater, Denise

Following the end of finals we were officially Alumni of Semester at Sea to which we began to prepare for the Alumni Ball. A week or so before Chrissy had asked me to "be her prom date" to which I laughed and excitedly agreed to. She was perhaps the worst (but hottest) prom date I'd ever had. But I still had so much fun. It was nice to sit with my favorite people from the summer and have a nice dinner with everyone all dressed up. We talked about things we'd done, things we'd wished we'd done, things we never thought we would do and how we would all find each other again in the future to have a new grand-scale adventure. It was incredibly sad to begin to think that only 2 days from then, we would be in Boston and have to say goodbye to one another without knowing when the next time we would see each other. But it wasn't time for that yet. We focused on the now, instead of the later so we could enjoy what time we had left on the ship we had called home for the past two & a half months.

My prom date & I danced the night away

Chrissy, Danielle, Christine, Myself, Sylvie, Denise

We continued on into the night celebrating the end of finals and the incredible journey we had all just partaken in. It was as if it was the last hoorah before reaching the states. We were suspended in a state of non-reality, out on the Atlantic ocean as the Semester at Sea Summer 2011 Voyage and that was all. After the late seating dinner, everyone was out on the pool deck dancing on a rocking ship in high heels was among one of the main challenges for the night. Alex then once again performed his Whitney lip sync for us all toward the end of the night. It was amazing to see everyone surrounding him singing along and dancing with the music. It was definitely one of the most memorable nights on the ship.

The final day before reaching the states was a time of intense nostalgia. From remembering meeting Denise at LAX, searching for Abby in the Bahama's airport, my 21st in Ibiza, Bungee Jumping in Bulgria, food poisoning in Morocco and a lifetimes worth of memories on the MV Explorer. Hundreds of us rushed around the ship getting people to sign our maps with the promises of see you soons. I spent the last night with Abby, Chrissy & Denise in Abby's cabin - we had a slumber party and woke up at 5am to watch the sunrise with the rest of the ship as we approached the Boston Harbor. Sad sighs enveloped us all as we stood at the stern of the ship together for the last time. From after breakfast until we disembarked the ship was a hellish rush around to say bye to those getting off first and catching flights and final signatures needed on maps. All in all this was such an incredible experience that is ridiculously hard to sum up in words (especially with a blog that has been lacking). But though it's taken me some time to complete the sum of what Semester at Sea has been it has given me the opportunity to think back and remember what it meant, and how I carry it all with me now, how I still have promises to see people soon, whenever soon may be and to keep traveling and learning.