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.