We have had our first day of classes and I’m honestly really enjoying all that’s going on. Just like any college, I am not going to class 24 hours of the day. However, unlike any other college experience, I am on a ship with limited space in the middle of the ocean. Meaning that I share my boarding life, my academic life, and my social life with my professors, the crew, and fellow students. Not allowing me to escape anyone or anything, and honestly I really don’t want to. Although this situation may not seem ideal to most college students, it’s actually one of the greatest things to be a part of. I can tell that all of my professors are really excited for this experience, just as I am. After meeting all of them, they all really seem to be interested in what they are teaching and really knowledgeable on their topics of expertise. I later learned that in order to be a professor on Semester at Sea, one must at least have their PHD, but many professors onboard exceed this requirement. Also, as anyone who knows me can imagine, I have already made close friends with the crew at all points of the ship. I have my buddy, Balla, who is my cabin steward who already told me I was his favorite. Every morning after my morning life, I come back and Balla has already cleaned my room, my bathroom, and has made my bed, real tough life I’m living. I have my bro, Bravo, who caters to my every need in the restaurants, which is not an easy task with my gluten issue but he somehow manages me with a smile. I have my pal, Nadia, who helps me in the ships doctor’s office, which is no small task either. I could write about all other crewmembers that I love but that would take me forever so I’m only naming a few. Sharing a small space with the fellow Semester at Sea students has also been a change for me. I am not used to being in a dorm-like area with both boys and girls of all ages. I have never really had to share such small spaces with people, not just the rooming but also the entire social life of the ship is really small. I mean every single aspect of our life is on this ship and no matter how we want to socialize it is in the same areas as everyone else everyday, all of the time. As I said before, Paige and I have already made some really great friends because we are easily recognizable as “The Twins” or “Reb and Paige.” I was not expecting people to be as open as they are to new friendships. Not a surprise, Paige and I are hanging out with a majority of the guys because they are the ones who are actually doing more activities rather than lying by the pool or studying. Not that those things are bad but other things are just more interesting to us.

It has been a crazy busy last couple of days but it’s been an amazing last couple of days. This experience is like non-other and one that so few people get to experience. It’s just so surreal to me that I am not only on a ship in the middle of the ocean, I am attending school and getting college credit on this ship, and not only that, I am traveling the world on this ship. I get to experience the sound, the feel, the smell, and every other aspect of the ocean everyday, all of the time.

Feel free to email me anytime as that’s my only form of contact for a while and I would love to hear from you! So, email me at: rebecca.mccarthy.sp16@semesteratsea.org