YouTube

People have posted some pretty amazing videos in the Facebook group so far and here are the two that have made me most excited. LESS THAN 3 WEEKS! :)

Overview of all the countries

Fall '11 Lipdub

Last of the Fall 2011s

So this is it. It's my last night in my apartment in the UV, 99% of my belongings shipped up in the car and making its way up the East Coast. I can't believe the semester's finally done. I honestly think this, overall, was one of the most stressful yet, besides the fact that I watched too much TV Trashy. I can't believe I'll be in my last exam in 12 hours, home in 20 or so. I'm so grateful for the semester, keeping in touch with old friends and making some great new ones. The living situation worked out fantastically, bar a few late night screaming fights and garlic salt. I just really can't express how thankful I am for the great time I've had. But with all great things, they must come to an end. Goodbye to: weird twin mattress pad on a full sized bed that was actually really comfortable, ridiculous weird roommates, terrible appliances, annoying TAs, learning about the role of the woman/mulatto/music in every piece of literature read, unnecessary busy work of summarizing chapters, temperamental shuttles, Wireless Canes, football season, my favorite seniors (crying.), lovely amounts of privacy and unlimited internet access. Hello becoming cultured, meeting new people, trying new things, adventures, seasickness, sunburns, hiking, no communication with the outside world, reevaluating priorities, "finding myself", learning new languages, giving up sweets and soda, seeing real animals up close, roughing it, taking more meds and getting more shots than I could ever imagine. So here it comes. My wanderlust is reaching its peak, it's actually happening, and I can barely control my excitement at this point.

Speak after I'm done with finals and home! Happy Holidays everyone and may we have a white (ish...) Christmas! :)

This is All That!

Absolutely nothing to do with SAS. This is where I decide to use this for my own personal use... this is too funny not to share with people. I found this from A's Facebook, posted by the older sister L. HI-LAR-I-OUS. I love the 90s. Also: I had not one BUT TWO cheerleading dances to Will Smith rap songs (holla Men in Black and Wild Wild West [Wiki-wiki-Wild Wild West, Jim West, desperado/rough rider, man you don't want nada/none of this six gun in this running this/something something, look it's like I told ya....oh.] May the 90s rest in peace, and come back soon. May you never forget the magic of Keenan and Kel, (real) Disney princesses, gibberish, DCOMS or Pokemon.


from Ten Things 90s Kids Will Have to Explain to Their Children

1. Topanga was at some point in human history considered not only a legitimate first name for a human being, but the kind of name that would inspire in malleable teenage boys a life-long infatuation. Topanga, in our day, was leading lady name-material. Topanga (pronounced Tah-payne-ga, for those who will have only ever seen in it written down) is the name of the quintessential girl-next-door who will live, along with Feeney, in our hearts forever.

2. At some point, we carried around little plastic eggs with tiny screens on them — in these screens lived our hearts, our pets, our raison d’etre, our very own Tamagotchi. We loved them, we listened to their tiny electronic screams of malnourishment, and we occasionally forgot to pick up their poop for long enough that they died a tortured, poop-filled death. They were perhaps our first foray into the life-consuming world of electronics and self-absorption, later to be fully manifested by Facebook.

3. The black Power Ranger was black and the yellow Power Ranger was Asian because…we were so completely ahead of our time and beyond the capacity to even think in terms of something as inconsequential as race that… uh… I don’t know. Casting directors were racist in the nineties.

4. Long before he was spending his days foisting his mediocre children on us, Will Smith was actually the perfect human specimen. He also undoubtedly holds some world record for saving the world the most times while simultaneously delivering flawless catchphrases and giving cool guy nods to the camera. The Men In Black rap song, at the time, was created and received by the public without the slightest trace of irony. Really. He wasthat good.

5. In some inevitable shift of the time-space continuum in which James Cameron continues to rob humanity of all that is good and sacred in this world, Fern Gully will be known as that movie that ripped off Avatar. It will be up to us to crusade for what is right. It is up to us to explain that Fern Gully was not only a predecessor to Avatar, but far better, in that it contained both Tim Curry as a singing pile of molasses and Robin Williams rapping about animal testing in the pharmaceutical industry. (As a side note, if you have not recently listened to the full lyrics of the “Batty Rap,” I recommend you do, as they are horrifying.)

6. A neighborhood boy who completely disregards your family and puts a ladder directly under the teenage girl’s window to climb up at his discretion is not only acceptable, it’s charming. It’s the kind of stuff that would make said family take the ladder boy under their wing and into their heart. The nineties were a simpler time, one where we didn’t have to worry about things like breaking and entering. Clarissa today would have steel bars on the inside of her window and her father would continually remind her that the next-door boy with his ladder and his touchy hands have no place in his household.

7. Though on the surface, they are the exact same thing in every conceivable way, whether you liked The Backstreet Boys or N*SYNC said more about your character than all of the terrible macaroni art you could ever make for your child psychologist. Essentially, liking *NSYNC meant you liked Justin Timberlake, as he was clearly the Seabiscuit in that race from the get-go. You even liked him with his terrible, icy-blond mini-fro. Liking the Backstreet Boys gave you a bit more of a cultured palate, as there was no clear Diana in those Supremes. Nick was kind of the wholesome, if northern-Florida-redneck safe choice (save for his humiliating younger brother, Aaron). Brian was the shy, sensitive type. AJ was the hottt, dangerous meth addict. Kevin Richardson was mute with sexy, sculpted facial hair. No one liked Howie. Choosing between the two groups was like choosing between two beloved children, but once that line was crossed–there was no going back.

8. “I wanna really really really wanna zig a zig ahh,” has a meaning, and all true nineties kids know it, but we must never share it. Like the Illuminati, it must remain between us, the keyholders. With great power comes great responsibility.

9. Lisa Frank is not the name of a woman, it is the name of a movement, a culture, a way of living. It is a theory, a concept, a belief in something greater than yourself. It is the belief that all girls are entitled to dolphins covered with rainbows, jewel-encrusted frogs, and unicorns in acid-trip colors hugging each other. It is the ideology that no notebook is complete until it literally hurts your eyes to look at from so much color saturation. It is the hope that no school supply, no matter how insignificant, will be left un-bedazzled. It is the knowledge that your eraser cap, and that of your granddaughter’s, and her granddaughter’s after her, will not be some boring little nub–it will be a diamond covered with butterflies in a rainbow of colors. It is the dream of a better tomorrow.

10. Incredibly depressing women in Indiana covered in cats and glass figurines they buy at The Hallmark Store used to troll the web 1.0 to invest thousands of dollars in tiny stuffed animals filled with plastic beans. That happened. Beanie Babies were not just significant, they were the first example most of us had of envy, greed, and wrath. If someone messed up that little heart-shaped Ty tag, so help you God, that was the end of whatever contact you had with that monster of a human being. That tag-less Beanie Baby was now trash, and you had to deal with the consequence. It was at that moment, that de-valued Beanie Baby moment, that most of us accepted the truth… we’ll never have nice things.

CRAZY PERSON.

It's official. I'm a crazy person. My insane need to have everything mapped out is legitimate now. Shoutout to this girl, B, in the group. I copied her format but it's perfect. I like her already, we both like the song Danza Kuduro (aka MY FAVORITE.) So obviously, FDPs are up. I know this isn't going to be my actual schedule, still have to run it by the parents. But it's basically everything I want to do. I can't really find ones for Chem or for PLIR blahblah whichever I'm taking. I need 2 more for Chem and one for Genocide. We'll see how that works out. Now to finish off hell week- yaaaaay!

The Giving of Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving everybody. Or ¡Feliz día de acción de gracias! I still don't understand why that's just... so literal. It's amusing. Like popcorn is palomitas. Amusing. But...

Although this day always makes me feel so great about what I have in life, today was exceptional. Keeping this trip in mind, it was amazing to spend time with my family. I look forward to spending time with them (almost) more than I do to the food. A lot of people asked me about it, some nervous whether or not I'd be home for Christmas. And I will be. Christmas Eve is only a month away (!!!!!!!!!!! YAYAYAYAYAY IT'S OFFICIALLY CHRISTMAS SEASON) and I'm excited to get back together and have some time before getting on the ship.

I'm just so thankful for this opportunity I have. Speaking with my cousin, P, about his extended time on a boat... I'm just so happy we won't be at sea for more than a week at a time. I could NEVER imagine being on it for two months! But this will really be a trip of a life time. Love it or hate it, I'll never forget it.

The rest of this weekend will be amazing. J's coming down from da stixxxx to celebrate the 21zt (I tried with the backwards S...) and I can't wait to be reunited. I don't think I could have asked for a better Thanksgiving weekend. Family and friends are what's important and nothing made it more prevalent in my mind than this weekend. Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Insomnia II

Insomnia blog posts, as do all things, get sweeter with time. This is my second one in less than a month. It is 4:13 in the morning on November 19. I have semiformal tonight. Looks like it's going to be rough to rally for this one. I have absolutely no idea why I can't sleep, I've been up since 9:15 am actually doing stuff, not just sitting in bed watching tv (all day) like usual. So cheers to unnecessary sleep distractions.

I keep checking Facebook and my newest obsession: Pinterest. I can't stop pinning things. It's taking my obsessive late night panic attacks about the future and weddings and houses to a whole new level. I've already planned like 12 different weddings for myself, just through Pinterest, and at least that many houses/rooms/kitchens/yards. Whatever, I'm cool with it. And I have no idea how I'm going to survive on this whole 200 minutes of internet thing...

I've started to pack up for the semester and I'll be shipping out some of my stuff tomorrow morning! Hard to believe how fast this semester went by. It was a lot of fun and am sad, mostly, to be leaving everyone, and the Gables, behind. Now starts the 5th move of a majority (albeit very, very small) of my belongings since May. Packing may be my least favorite thing, ever. Other than peanut butter and lobsters and the dark (I'm really rational). Packing for SAS is going to be even more difficult, as I've heard people say "Bring everything you need and half of what you want". If any of you have ever seen the way I pack for 2 months of sleep away camp (it's mostly clothes, bedding, and towels, guys. Just to reiterate what I say every time I leave. good thing bedding/towels are provided...), you'll understand how difficult it's going to be that if I forget something, I just can't go pick it up.

The final FDP list is supposed to go up on Wednesday (11/23), two days later than scheduled. We then sign up on the 29th. This is getting all too real. I have travel medicine and normal doctor appointments when I get home, visas should *fingers crossed* only take another month or so and I need to order text books. I need to go to the MLL department and see if I can get credit for SAS' Oral Spanish class. I feel like I've lost whatever semblance of a Spanish accent and fluidity I had and now speak like I did in the 7th grade. So that would be sweet, I'd be done with two minors and more than 3/4 of my major before I even enter senior year :)

I have no idea what kind of FDPs I'm going to want to do. I really want to do more independent travel and kind of go with the flow. I feel like that's all part of the experience. I think I might just use FDPs right now for the required trips like for Chem (not sure if any of my other classes actually require FDPs. I know that Spanish won't.) But we'll see. I still have to talk everything over with the almighty beings who so graciously are letting me see the world :)

So I guess I'll stop rambling, sorry. I started this nearly 20 minutes ago. There's so much I want to say and I'm not sure how to get it out. I guess that's what being wired at 4:31 am does to you. I'll update soon, MAYBE with more of a purpose, hopefully from the 203!

Catch up

So I'm back from a weekend in Tallahassee, kinda fun. Thank goodness I don't go to school there though. After being in Miami, everything seems kinda lame. While catching up on the 50+ SAS posts I missed to the group, here's one I found interesting. It's a picture/quote; I've heard it before but now it's just starting to really make sense and hit home.

So take the advice, follow my lead. Do what you love and screw the rest.

Checks on Checks on Checks

So, like most college students, I never check my mail. Which is, apparently, a very bad thing. SAS sent my invoice here, instead of to my home address. I think the required balance is less than we paid. I've already sent in my tuition so *fingerscrossed* here's to a little bit of a refund!

Speaking of refunds... got a check from the home university. Some refund for a WONDERFUL sum of money. HELLOOOOO CHINAGUIDE TRIP (?! pleasepleasepleaseplease) Here's to hearing back from SAS soon, as there is probably an over payment. But any who... Happy halloweekend! I'm just not feelin' it this year, all I can think about is SAS SAS SAS SAS SAS. It's kind of pathetic, if I could talk about it all day, errr day I would. But I can't. So I resolve to blogging my thoughts and telling DJ ET everything (holla.)

Instead of writing a paper and outlining countless others, I Facebook stalked a friends' ENTIRE SAS trip. Not just one album or the few defaults she might have put up. Every. Single. Picture. I must have looked through maybe 1000? It's cool. They're put on Facebook for looking. It's making me want to refine what I'm doing (or thinking of doing) while I'm there.

I want to be really touristy, without the high socks, hiking boots, fisherman hat and hawaiian shirt with a fully strapped hiking backpack and a camera around the neck. I want pictures of everything, to try all the foods, see the major landmarks. I don't care if hiking Table Mountain is overrated, a climb to the top takes 2 hours, that's 2 hours I'd probably spend sleeping, in all reality. So I'll get up, do it and watch the sunrise (big plans, don't even know if that's legal yet.) I'm going on this to see the world but, more than that, I want to experience the world. I want to do things I've never done before and that I've only read about. But I probably won't bungee jump, skydive or try/get close to lobsters. OBVIOUSLY.

I also want to document everything, as is obvious by this beautiful (and wordy) blog. So I need a camera. If anyone has any ideas, hit me up. It needs to be portable and take kick-ass pictures. People left behind are going to want to see pictures. I'm also thinking of, hopefully, upgrading to the iPhone. My blackberry, although I've always been #teamblackberry, probably won't make it through a trip around the world. We've had good times and bad but the iPhone seems like the most practical jump. I'm not going to want to bring my computer into port to upload pictures or Facebook or Skype so the camera on the iPhone just seems right. That way I can knock out taking an iPod/iPad with me too. It just seems logical.

Well, I don't know what else I can rant about for now. It's almost homecoming (well, it's homecoming week but we're not participating in anything...) so hopefully I won't have anything too exciting for awhile. But I will be seeing LUDACRIS in concert on Friday! 7th grade me is jumping up and down with excitement, as is... 15th? grade me. Then second to last football game for the year! TIME IS FLYING! I'll be on the boat in like 12 weeks! AAHHHHHHHHHH

ps: I've also resolved NOT to find out who watched the Super Bowl this year as we'll be traveling over sea as it happens from Brazil - Ghana. I figure I'll have enough time to let everything die down and when I'm home in late May, I'll watch it and be surprised. To every single person that reads this, please do not deny me my dream.

Insomnia

So I'm starting to think my jokes about insomnia might actually be true... looks like time on the boat will be fun. My roommate will probably hate me and I'll get A LOT of reading done (looks like I'm going to have to update the kindle before I go.)

I'm starting to put together my wish list for supplies. I've decided to bring a large rolling duffel and maybe a hiking backpack? I'm not completely sure but I want to shove another duffel in there somewhere for all the things I will inevitably collect along the way. In the group on fb there were some disparities about water bottles but I don't know if I'm going to get a massive camel bak just for water filtration... I'm going to buy tablets for my water. I don't know why they had to be finicky with me. I'm also looking for a cheap-ish sleep sack so if anyone has ideas, hit me up.

People are also starting to put together plans for after the ship. Hell, I haven't even booked myself to the Bahamas or figured out if I'll have parental figures and where I'll be staying. There's no way that I can figure out post-SAS life (not that, I'm assuming, I'll want to). I really want to go to Disneyland and LA and SD DEFINITELY. And road tripping back would be SICK, I just need to make friends to do so. Is it so wrong of me to want to live more in the now with this trip? I understand picking roommates for the Bahamas but why book flights home the same day we walk off the boat? If it's anything like camp, and for those of you who know me, I HATE goodbyes (especially camp. I allot like 3 hours to do so.), I'm assuming it is, I'm never going to want to say goodbye to these people. So I might as well frolic around the southern California coast. And go to my home: the O.C., maybe I'll go see where 90210 is filming because it IS Harbor (that really grinds my gears.)

I don't know. As usual, I'm the prone-to-panic-attacks, indecisive, insomniac. With love.

PS: D.J. ET. Since you're my #1 (and only) fan, I still want you to come do this with me. I wouldn't even be able to put into words how absurd it would be. Do you think we could make "Stop. I can't." happen in every country? We'd be more successful than Gretchen Weiners, that's for sure. #casualmeangirlsreference #hashtaggingonmyblog

Preparations

I'm  FINALLY home in lovely Southern CT for the weekend at one of my favorite times of year. The air is crisp and the leaves are changing. GORGEOUS. Just Mom and I together which is really fun. We've been running around like crazy trying to get some of these things done. Visa pics: CHECK. Inquired about my phone: CHECK (looks like I might be going to the iPhone). Signed passport: CHECK. Visas: uh....

So, in all my frenzy to sign my passport and get everything done, I signed my name in the weirdest way possible. I've LITERALLY never seen myself sign my name this way and to get into India, if my signature doesn't match exactly, visa won't get approved. Cue lack of sleep. I've literally sat practicing my signature, hoping it will eventually look something like how I signed it. But coming from the girl whose handwriting changes for no reason every semester (sometimes even twice), this is absurd.

Aside from that: I think everything else is going smoothly. Looks like I'll be booking a room in the Bahamas with a fellow SAS-er, need to update my trips list to get parental approval and will need to find luggage. But for as great as this trip will be... damn they stick you with a lot of fees. Another HUGE thank you to my parents. You're actually making me the happiest girl EVER right now. And I love love love you and miss you already. I know I'm being a stickler about you visiting me in port but technically I will be doing school work... :)

I think that's all I have for now. I've updated my packing list, am hunting for a cheap but efficient hiking backpack and sleeping bag, and just need to send in my visas. Hard to think that I'll be getting on the boat in 93 days!!!!!!!!

___________________
Update: 10/19:
-Instead of writing a whole new post, I figured I'd just complain here. Dad was great and sent in all my visas but thanks to the "lazy Indian consulate", as my new friend at Pinnacle, C, told me, I need to redo the visa. Apparently where I reside at school is not my current address.... it's my permanent address. So whatever my drivers license says is where I currently, and permanently, live. Guess I can be down with always being at 46, really comfy bed and REALLY good food (thanks Mom :) ). Now that we're officially at the 3 month mark, I'm getting antsy. My packing list actually says what shirts I'm bringing down to the design, not just "10 tshirts". I'll finally get some use out of some of those heinous and ill-fitting big/little shirts. I'm starting to get nervous for the Bahamas and the trip. Not knowing anyone is going to be difficult but nothing solves not knowing people like going to Señor Frogs ;) Hasta luego, ojala que pueda entrarme a India ahora....

Class-less

So registration finally got here. After not sleeping Monday night and drinking coffee on Tuesday, last night was a hard nights sleep. I probably fell asleep at 3:00 am and got up at 5:20 CONVINCED it was 7:00 am. Tried to register for courses and then I saw it was really 5:21 am. Went back to sleep and woke up at 7:30 am, which was perfect. I got up, did my thing and sat down in bed waiting to be able to sign on. I got onto the sign up page and was refreshing it to get past the global studies registration and.... I fell asleep. I woke up about 20 minutes later, clicked on all the classes I wanted.... and then fell asleep again. When I went to sign back on at 8:55, nothing had saved and the two courses I wanted in the worst way were gone (Int'l Law and Conflict/Ethics). So now my schedule is:

CHEM 2559-501: Chemester at Sea A 0800-0915
SEMS 2500-504: Global Studies (Section 1) A 0920-1035
PLCP 3500 : Politics of Development B 1300-1415
PLCP 2500-502: Multiculturalism and Women's Rights B 1545-1700
(UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I FOUND A SPOT IN INTERNATIONAL LAW AND CONFLICT! YESSSSS NOT TAKING MULTICULTURALISM!)

I guess they could be worse. I really want to change the Multiculturalism and Women's rights course for one of my original two that I really wanted but they're with the same professor so maybe she'll grant an override? I've already contacted the academic office about wait lists and they said to just keep checking numbers to swoop in. It's times like these I wish I did this through UM because my advisor makes things so much easier... 


Oh well. Guess it's time to study for the midterm tomorrow. Can't wait for the birthday celebrations tomorrow and home on Friday!! I don't think it could have come at a better time...

So much to do...

So to go with my wish list of trips... I REALLY need to sign up for classes and go talk to the advisor and get everything cleared. As of right now, I'm throwing caution to the wind with "no more than one class per professor". I'm taking 4 (maybe 5) classes for my major, I need to do things that interest me. If two classes are taught by the same, hopefully qualified and not boring, professor, I'm okay with it. I'm looking into having 3 classes on A day and 2 on B. Which means this is my first semester since Spring '10 that I'll have Friday classes, but I'll be on a boat so who cares. I'm trying to take:

Day A:

Chemester at Sea (love the name of the class, love that I'll have to snorkel and hike volcanoes for credit...)

   0800-0915

          DISCLAIMER: If you know me, you know that I LOVE my sleep but I hate wasting days. And although this voyage of SAS is going West-East, and therefore losing an hour of sleep every couple of days, it'll keep me on my toes. When we make port, we can get off the ship at 0800. If I'm only going to be in each country for a maximum of 5 days, sometimes only 12 hours, I'm not sleeping. Ever. When I come back as more of an insomniac than now, maybe I can quadruple up on courses here and graduate early (hah. like that'll happen.)

Global Studies (the course that everyone's required to take.)

     0920-1035

International Law and Conflict 

     1045-1200

Day B:

Ethics and Human Rights in World Politics (Same prof as int'l law and conflict)

     1045-1200

Conversational Spanish (If I can get credit for it... probably won't happen. Fingers crossed, would be done with the minor!)

     1420-1535

And FINALLY! If Spanish doesn't work out:

West Meets East - Imperialism from Columbus to Coca-Cola

     1545-1700

I'm also feeling really overwhelmed with the amount of stuff I have to do. Like... omg I have to get 023480251034141089 shots. I DON'T do needles. And all the shots we need have mild side-effects. Yellow Fever can give me a fever, headaches, nausea, muscle aches, pain and swelling... great. I'll need Rabies and Malaria shots too, not to mention the fact I have to bring an entire drug store with me. For those who know me well, they know I'm not one to be too picky about what I look like most of the time but I'm drawing the line at running out of shampoo and buying some in some random country. There are just a few things I'd like to maintain from home. I also need to go shopping but I think I have MORE than enough clothes. Actually have no idea how I'm going to cut down my collection of 200 tshirts down to 14. I'm a chronic over packer but I guess this is what the trip is supposed to do... help me get over some of that. Kiss my makeup and wedges goodbye, I'll have an excuse to look like a bum 24/7 :)

Testing, testing

I'm still getting used to this blogging thing. As I'm playing with the settings, let's see if this works! Even though I mentioned the rough VT/UM game today, here's a picture that aptly describes me. Besitos.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Indecision 2012

So yeah, I might have stolen this entry title from one of the funniest people on television right now, Jon Stewart. But it's true; this life changing experience is going to take place in 105 days and 11 countries. Looking at the itinerary and all I want to do... I need like 105 days in each of the countries. I can't make up my mind on what I want to accomplish. Here's a copy of the itinerary and you can see how few days I have and the massive spans of country I'll have to travel to get most of it done. I'll break it down by country by what I want to do; most of the ideas are coming front he field practice online. I've bolded the ones I want to do on my own and not through SAS.

Before the Journey begins - Nassau:

• Atlantis
• Maybe this will be the time I finally convince my parents to let me stay here!
• See AL, been awhile m'dear
• SWIM WITH DOLPHINS
• Ride the water slides and find a boy that's just like the one from Holiday in the Sun

Dominica: (will update for Cuba if/when we receive the go ahead for Havana)

• Hot Springs/Beaches
• Emerald Pool & Trafalgar Falls
• Snorkeling at Champagne Reef
• Emerald Pool & River Tubing
• Aerial Tram Through the Rain Forest

Brazil:

• Service Visit: Monte Salem Orphanage & School
• Swimming with Dolphins
• Jungle Trek with Survival Techniques & Overnight in the Jungle
• Amazon & Rio

Ghana:

• Castles and Slave Dungeons
• Habitat for Humanity
• Cape Coast Historical Tour

South Africa:

• Zandvlei, Cape Peninsula and Cape Point
• Operation Hunger
• Hiking Table Mountain
• Amy Biehl Foundation Trust
• Kruger National Park
• Wine Tasting in Cape Town
• Shark Diving

Mauritius:
     Here's my problem with Mauritius. I've heard from everyone who did SAS before  me how Mauritius was the "spring break". It was two days and everyone rented villas, enjoyed the villas, ate, drank and were merry, and, as typical college kids, trashed the villas. Now we only have less than 24 hours there. I kind of still want to treat it as a relaxation trip as it's a good half-ish way point. But some girls, who seem really cool from the group, we want to do a lot of the same stuff, might go play with baby lions and stuff. That might take over as the more important thing as sitting and relaxing on the beach is more of something I'll get senior year in Miami.

• Ile des Deux Cocos & Marine Park
• Blue Escape: Catamaran and Snorkeling

India:

• Agra AND THE TAJ MAHAL! (Most important.)
• An ashram
• Varanasi
• Ranthambore National Park
• Goa
• Kodaikanal
• Pondicherry

Singapore:

• Sentosa at Sunset
• Night Safari
• Canossa Ville
• Marina Bay Sands Resort

Viet Nam:

• City Orientation of Ho Chi Minh (Saigon)
• Ha Noi
• Cambodia (Phnom Penh, Angkor Wat)

China:

• Family Insight Tour (Hong Kong)
• Buddhist Monastery/Lantau Island (Hong Kong)
• China Guide trip - sleep on the great wall!!
• Sunrise Tai Chi
• Kindergarten Visit
• Disney Hong Kong

Japan:

• Hiroshima by Bus and Bullet Train
• Japanese Tea Ceremony
• Tokyo (Disney)
• Baseball Game (duh.)
• Kyoto
• Mt. Fuji

Hawai'i:

• Volcanoes National Park

SADLY, this is where SAS will end. But, hopefully, not my travels.

San Diego/California:

• San Diego Zoo
• Rodeo Drive
• Malibu
• Chinese Theatre
• USC
• Disneyland
• Laguna Beach/Visit the set of the OC
• Cabrillo National Monument
• turn 21 early so I can go to wine country
• Walk across the Golden Gate Bridge
• AT&T Park 

Well I guess that's enough for one evening. Three blog posts in 12 hours, I'm some sort of champ. Maybe, when all is said and done, I'll remember exactly how I'm feeling at this second, writing these words from my comfy bed, albeit on the twin sized mattress pad on a full sized bed, after watching yet ANOTHER devastating Hurricanes loss.

Bucket List

I guess while I'm procrastinating, I might as well share my bucket list. I've taken off the things that I don't feel like are necessary to share, but it's mostly like my private one. Enjoy, maybe I'll inspire some of you to start one as well.

AJ's bucket list:

1. Write a memoir
2. Climb Mount Kilimanjaro
3. Go Skydiving
4. Volunteer at an orphanage
5. Hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru
6. Go Shark Diving
7. Take a road trip across North America
8. Live and work in Hawaii for six months
9. Sleep under the stars somewhere isolated on another continent
10. Witness the Northern Lights
11. Bungee Jump
12. Swim in the Dead Sea
13. Back pack Europe
14. Go to Tomatina in Spain
15. Go WWOOFing
16. Circumnavigate the globe
17. Go sandboarding
18. Visit the Taj Mahal
19. Go on a hot air balloon ride
20. Go Scuba Diving on the Great Barrier Reef
21. Ride a camel in the Sahara dessert
22. Ride a mechanical bull
23. Spend a night in an Igloo
24. Learn Mandarin
25. Learn French
26. Live in London or Paris
27. Run the Yankee/Disney 5K
28. Go to a Full Moon Party
29. See a Lunar Eclipse
30. See a Solar Eclipse
31. Get a tattoo
32. Go surfing alone
33. Climb a volcano
34. Ride an elephant
35. Work at a wildlife conservation center
36. Fly first class internationally
37. Attend Mardi Gras/Carnivale
38. Visit an ashram
39. Snowboard down a mountain
40. Fly in a helicopter/Fly a plane
41. Go white water rafting
42. Build houses for Habitat
43. Become an extra in a Hollywood movie
44. Swim with dolphins
45. Have a drink in every country/native dish à on SAS
46. Learn Sign Language
47. Learn to water ski/snow ski
48. Go fire walking
49. Visit the Titanic
50. Cliff dive
51. Solve a Rubik’s cube
52. Go wine tasting in Wine country
53. Read the complete works of Shakespeare
54. See wild gorillas
55. See penguins in natural habitat
56. See turtles hatch/go to the ocean
57. Attend a Sweat Lodge ceremony
58. Go to St. Pattys day in Ireland
59. Eat fugu
60. Watch the sunset/sunrise on 6 continents and the boat
61. Go to the Marina Bay Sands resort
62. Go to Dubai
63. Trek through the Amazon
64. Go on a bullet train
65. Go to Pearl Harbor
66. Go to Ranthambore National Park
67. Go to Cuba
68. Take the train from England to France
69. Visit Auschwitz
70. Visit the Pyramids
71. Step on the field at Yankee Stadium
72. See the Big Buddha in Hong Kong

Also: some of these came from here, a blog that was discussed with SASers. Not my fault that a lot of it overlapped with my own desires :) they've all been in my mind for awhile, be it inspired by Blue Crush, Spanish class or Finding Nemo.

Getting Started

After months of pining, questioning, writing, applying and hoping, I'm officially in. I'm going to spend the spring semester of 2012 on Semester at Sea! I don't think I could have designed a better program for myself if I tried. Don't get me wrong, I've loved (mostly, aside from the angsty teenage years) where I grew up, where I went to camp (always. no angst about that.) and mostly where I'm at school now. But I want to travel. My old passport consisted of stamps to Cancun, Santo Domingo and La Romana, Dominican Republic and I think that's it. The only place on the SAS itinerary that I've been to is the Bahamas, but as a 5th grader (living the DREAM) on the Disney Cruise with my best friends (ask me their names now.) I didn't get off the boat. I've been to O'ahu and Kaua'i but never Hilo, Hawai'i; can't wait to get back to those islands.

Now that the initial shock and obsession has worn off with my acceptance, I need to start planning. I check the SAS Facebook page ALL the time, have inserted my two cents into everything and am attempting to get to know people before we set off on the trip of a lifetime. I've started to create my bucket list along with compile a packing list and a list of things that have to get done. That's the title of my blog, I've always wanted to circumnavigate the globe SOMEHOW. I definitely got the boat idea from Seth Cohen, always trying to take the Summer Breeze to Tahiti. It's just amazing how many things that I want to do can be accomplished on SAS. I'm already lamenting the fact that I can only be in each country for like 5 days. I'm also praying that the port of Dominica changes to Cuba. That would just be ideal.

Even though I can't wait to get out of the country and started on this journey, I'm definitely going to miss a lot of creature comforts. Not emailing/texting little one liners to my parents will be difficult, good thing I'm teaching them both how to use BBM and waking them up at all hours of the night. Not sitting on Facebook and skyping with all the camp friends will be hard too. But it's time for a change. I need a change of scenery, of people, of ideas, of philosophy. Now I guess it's time that I start studying for some midterms, I'll never get anything done if I continue to pine over the impending semester.