Saturday, January 18, 2014

One Month Reflection

It is just over one month since I disembarked the MV Explorer and returned home from Semester at Sea. It’s been wonderful seeing family/friends, and for once not being rushed while back in Cleveland. The transition back to the US has gone well; though I miss the Baltic Sea, Student Life Team, RDs, and much much more.




Things I miss…
-Waking up in a new port/country every few days.
-Sunrises over the Atlantic Ocean.
-Seeing Amanda practice her jump rope skills each morning.
-Getting new stamps in my passports.
-Having Carla as my personal translator.
-Delicious brunches in Classroom 9!
-My cabin steward, Auxilio (who kept my room looking perfect).
-The Baltic Sea Bandits…miss the awesome 76 students!
-The pseudo-Baltic Sea members…you know who you are.
-Warm weather!
-Living within a 1-minute walk of EVERYONE!
-Eating lunch on Deck 6, aft.
-Student Life Meetings (Eddie: “I don’t have much for you today…”)
-Alison Casey’s witty remarks
-Talking with Astronauts (Kathy & Pinky) on a regular basis.
-Working with the amazing staffs of the Activities Desk & Field Office!
-Nancy, Troy, Percy, & more at the Purser’s Desk.
-Seeing people knitting…all over the ship!
-Being serenaded by Ryan Westra (sometime with Jack singing backup).
-Perry in the Garden Lounge!
-The Fowlers constantly playing ping-pong.
-Eating every meal with friends.
-Sarah’s ridiculous amount of energy…all the time.
-The Young Family!
-Unfiltered comments from Nathan.
-Sunsets over the Atlantic Ocean.
-Leading trivia nights (though usually participants just yelled at me).
-Stargazing from Deck 8 (lights off).
-Jerry & Mandy – best bartenders ever!
-DJ Sammy at every event.
-Seeing the MV Explore at night (with it’s string of lights).
-Too many awesome students to name here.
-Glazer dance parties (and everyone involved)!
-Having a job (especially one that allows me to travel around the world!).

Things I don’t miss…
-“Attention ships company. Attention ships company. For exercise. For exercise. For exercise.”
-Lifeboat Drills
-Calling someone I see everyday by the wrong name
-Only being able to eat meals at certain times
-The lack of ranch dressing
-Thinking I got iced tea, but it turning out to be apple juice (and vice versa)
-Not having enough space for board games & sports equipment behind the Activities Desk
-The constant rocking of the ship (especially in the RD Office)
-Running into things (because of the rocking)
-Not being able to open doors until the ship rocks the other way
-Traveling with my passport (and hoping I don’t lose it)
-Cabin Searches & Incident Reports
-Having whole, genuine conversations with people whose name I can’t remember
-Not being able to watch sports
-Working Beverage Service
-The VIP Room
-Not being able to talk with family/friends on a regular basis


Thanks to everyone who has kept up with my blog as I travelled around the world. Semester at Sea was such a great opportunity and I have very few regrets from the entire voyage. What’s next for me is still up in the air, but I’ll be sure to update everyone, once I figure out the “what’s next” part.

Here is my current contact information for any who might need it:
-Mailing Address: 6804 Middlebrook Blvd., Middleburg Heights, OH 44130
-Email: david.vale112@gmail.com
-Phone: 440-391-4851




"But love, honest love, requires empathy. It is a sharing - of joy, of pain, of laughter, and of tears. Honest love makes one's soul a reflection of the partner's moods. And as a room seems larger when it is lined with mirrors, so do the joys become amplified. And as the individual items within the mirrored room seem less acute, so does pain diminish and fade, stretched thin by the sharing. That is the beauty of love, whether in passion or friendship. A sharing that multiplies the joys and thins the pains."  

Friday, January 3, 2014

A Temporary Stay

The shipboard community had a full day sitting tethered in Freeport, Bahamas before departing for Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Everyone seemed completely fine with just hanging out on the ship and making the most of the final 36 hours with friends. The last day on the ship also had some programs and events that took place. First, the RDs assisted the Purser’s Desk in giving all passports back to students. The “seas” were called over the shipboard speakers and students flooded to Tymitz Square to pick up their passport (after successfully not losing it around the globe).

Carl & Tommy show off the sweaters they knit during the voyage!

A re-entry program was put on by a few staff members to talk about what would take place once the students returned home. They talked about reverse culture shock, how to make the most of their experience on SAS, and many more topics.

Re-Entry Program

A few hours later was Convocation for the 25 students graduating with their undergraduate degrees. Congratulations to Jason, Nicole, Samantha, Lauren D., Hannah, Leah, Dionna, Max, Courtney, Sammy, Lauren L., Daniel, Kenzie, Thuy, Neha, Sabra, Jerry, Rebecca, Rajan, Hilary, Kira, Jeremy, Amy, Coco, and Ina!

 GRADUATION!!

With one of my favorite graduates, Lauren!

Finally, some of the international students did a Logistical Pre-port for the United States. It was pretty humorous, as they made fun of a lot of the stereotypes of the USA (ie: “don’t worry about losing weight…you can’t…fast food restaurants are everywhere in the US”).

The rest of the time on the ship was devoted to mainly 3 things: 1) Pictures - which were constantly being taken. 2) Tour videos of the ship - everyone tried to film these to show to family/friends back home. 3) Signings - similar to a yearbook at the end of high school or college, almost everyone seemed to have purchased a map of the world along the way and wanted people to sign it. Some people didn’t get maps, so they were resourceful and used whatever they could (notebook, journal, etc.).

The Activities Desk Staff...Love this Group: Lauren, Rame, Lauren, Bri, Kate, & Carla!

Signing Anything & Everything

Truth be told, SAS should either plan in about 2 days just for map signing or explain this tradition to people prior to the last full day on the ship. It seemed like the whole community was signing items the entire day the MV Explorer was tethered in Freeport (and well into the night). I knowingly and intentionally walked through the gauntlet that was the Piano Lounge to sign people’s items. I ended up being there for over two hours before forcing myself to leave and head to the Faculty/Staff Lounge. I did not have people sign anything, but luckily was given a spreadsheet with contact information for both students and faculty/staff. Thanks to Carlos (faculty/staff) and Stefan & Melody (students) for putting those together!

Being the final night on the ship, many of the faculty/staff decided we needed one more dance party in Glazer. After packing two bottles of wine, I still had four left over, so I gave two to my cabin steward, Auxilio, and brought the other two to Glazer to share. This was not needed, as everyone did the same thing. There was easily enough alcohol brought to Glazer that day/night to stock the bar for all of the Enrichment Voyage taking place from December 18th to January 3rd. We danced the night away and it was over much too quickly.

 Just some of the bottles brought to Glazer

Final Dance Party in the Glazer Lounge

After getting 1-2 hours of sleep, I headed out to watch the ship come in to Fort Lauderdale with what seemed like everyone else on the ship. The voyage was coming to an end, and the ship began playing “Wake Me Up” by Avicii, which was definitely the song of the Fall 2013 Voyage. If people weren’t emotional before then (which many were), they lost it when the song came on. A short while later, we were pulling up to the docking station and could see parents/families/friends on an adjacent parking structure with “Welcome Home” signs and banners. We were officially back in the United States…well, as soon as the ship could be cleared and we could get everyone through customs!

Arriving in Fort Lauderdale

Welcome Home Committee (all throughout the parking structure)!

Some of my favorite crew members:
 Dining Staff, Perry!

 Dining Staff, Ronald!

My Cabin Steward, Auxilio!

Before getting started, a student, Sydnii (who had purchased a chance to say goodbye to everyone over the ship’s loudspeaker during the Alumni Auction) gave a heartfelt farewell to everyone (in addition to some specific people). The person who purchased the “First Off in Fort Lauderdale” auction item came next, followed by the Mediterranean Sea, who won the Sea Olympics. The rest of disembarkation was pretty well organized, as each sea was called in a random order. There were lots of goodbyes, tears, and final hugs as members of the community turned in their shipboard IDs for the last time and disembarked the ship.

Once all the shipboard community was off, the Student Life Team walked off the MV Explorer together (with KP, who purchased the “Last off the Ship” auction item) one final time (this voyage!).

My Shipboard ID

 Last Picture of the Voyage with the MV Explorer

Carla, whose parents live in Fort Lauderdale, had arranged for everyone to get lunch together at Bimini Boatyard Bar & Grill before going our separate ways. After we were done eating, people started trickling away to go to their various destinations. The group then headed outside to grab a final drink and soak in the final moments together.

RDs in Fort Lauderdale

Our Group at Bimini Boatyard

At 4:50pm, I had to say my final “see you laters” with everyone and head to the airport to start my travel home. After a last hug from Carla, I went through security and was on my way. 

Final "See You Laters" with Nathan & Carla

However, the airport was PACKED with SASers traveling all across the country, so I kind of felt like I was just on another field program. My flight to DC had about 12 SASers on it and there was even one person, Sarah Holmes, on my flight from DC to Cleveland too! With only a short delay in DC, I arrived in Cleveland (where it was snowing!) just after midnight and found my parents waiting to welcome me home!


"Because in the end, that is the only measure. In the end, when life's last flickers fade, all that remains is memory. Richness, in the final measure, is not weighed in gold coins, but in the number of people you have touched, the tears of those who mourn your passing, and the fond remembrances of those who continue to celebrate your life."

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Our Final Free Port

After spending a few days in Cuba, the MV Explorer made it’s way back to Freeport, Bahamas. We arrived on the evening of December 12th and the ship was cleared for all faculty and staff by 8:00pm. The students had finals on December 13th, and thus, would not be allowed to get off the ship until December 14th. The staff took advantage of the option to get off the ship by heading to really the only place within walking distance, Señor Frogs (which could easily be seen from the ship). Señor Frogs is a Mexican-theme bar and grill in tourist destinations throughout Mexico, the Caribbean, and South America. Señor Frogs was supposed to have a private holiday party that evening, but KP convinced them to open the doors to us as well (side note: never doubt KP).

View of Señor Frogs from the MV Explorer

 Señor Frogs

KP & Carla with Margaritas

The next day, the students were taking their last final exams of the voyage. The Student Life Staff (minus Lorainne, because Blake wasn’t feeling well) took advantage of this and headed to the opposite side of the island to find a beach to relax on. The water was a crazy blue color (like Photoshop blue) and the sun came out midway through the day, which was nice. Our group grabbed lunch, some beach beverages, and some beach chairs. We were challenged to a game of volleyball by a group from one of the large cruise ships in the Freeport harbor. The group was fun to play with and the game came down right to the end with Carla serving and us up 20-19. There was no pressure from anyone, except Nathan, who told Carla not to ruin the voyage for everyone. Carla showed her nerves of steel by serving a nice ball and the SAS team won 21-19!

 Bahama Beach with Carla

With a Bahama Mama in Hand

 Carnival Splendor - Now That's A Cruise Ship!

 Volleyball in the Bahamas...Roman Victor!

After volleyball, we spent some time in the water and took some pictures. The water wasn’t Salvador warm, but it was still a nice temperature. After spending the day in the sun, we headed back to ship to prepare for the Alumni Ball. 




Carla & Megan got their Nails Painted for the Alumni Ball

As each voyage nears its conclusion, the Alumni Ball brings the community together to celebrate the past semester as well as the progression from students to alumni of Semester at Sea. Dinner was held in the Main Dining Room on the 5th deck and the dance was held outside on the 7th deck. It was a fantastic event as everyone dressed in their finest, ate a delicious 5-course meal, took tons of pictures, and danced the night away!

Alumni Ball - 2nd Seating for Dinner

Staff Tables 65 & 66

Student Table 85 - Excellent Group

The Young Family!

Student Activities/Field Office Desk Staff (minus Bri & Ramy)

 With Nathan & Carla

 Winners of Pretty Much Every Intramural Sport - Chris, Phil, and Henry

Two Baltic Bandits - Hannah & Emma

The next day was for the students to enjoy the Bahamas. The students were not allowed to disembark until their RD had checked to make sure they were packed, as the next day everyone’s luggage would be taken from them. As a staff member, I was worried about this day, as the students had no more schoolwork and could pretty much just go to a beach and party, which they did. Overall, the majority of the shipboard community did really well in terms of being responsible and making positive choices (especially revolving around alcohol). Unfortunately, not everyone was put into this category. At around 3:00pm, Patrick and I were called to go to the main beach to see if any students needed medical attention. This came after getting a call that one student had been transported to the hospital for alcohol poisoning. Patrick and I sent another one to the hospital, while everyone at the beach headed back to the ship…and by “ship,” I mean Señor Frogs. Thus, when Patrick and I returned, a large number of the shipboard community was still drinking. The students had to be back on the ship by 9:00pm, but when getting back on the ship, many of them were visibly intoxicated, which meant they were going to the “VIP Room.” All in all, we had 30 students go to the VIP room, or rooms, as we had to open up 4 spaces. Unfortunately, the RDs (with help from a handful of others) had to sit in these rooms as observers. Although it’s never fun to be in the “VIP Room,” we made the most of this situation and our time with the students.

The next morning, the luggage would be taken from everyone’s cabins and moved to a station for final disembarkation. At 8:00pm, the ship would leave Freeport and make its way to our final destination, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.


"'Tis your road to choose, for 'tis your search. We walk beside you, but do not tell you which way to go."

Friday, December 20, 2013

Havana Good Time

After unloading 73 individuals in Freeport, Bahamas, I woke up early on December 9th to watch as the MV Explorer came into the Havana Harbor. It was a beautiful morning in Cuba and we were excited Semester at Sea allowed us to come to this forbidden country after a 9-year hiatus with the program. The people of Cuba were apparently interested in us as well (or maybe just in a cruise ship) as people were stopping their cars to watch us come into the port.





Everyone on the ship was required to go to some opening sessions. This was great because I was on call the first day, so this allowed me a chance to get off the ship for a while! We were greeted on the ship by the delegation of Cuba, all 650 students/faculty/staff loaded 17 tour buses (though many students were stopped by reporters for interviews first; I know I saw CNN), and we headed to the University of Havana (with a police escort). Every bus had 2 students from the University of Havana as well as a tour guide to point out different areas of the city as we made our way to the university. When we arrived outside the university everyone gathered for a short welcome and as a group (just as the freshman classes does every fall), we climbed up the steps leading to the University of Havana. For an added effect, John Lennon’s song, Imagine, was playing over the loudspeakers.

 Climbing the steps to the University of Havana 
"Imagine all the people...living for today."

With the sun beating down, everyone gathered outside the science building, where a stage had been set up, for some more welcome speeches. Academic Dean Kathy Thornton (astronaut) and Executive Dean Nick (not an astronaut) spoke for Semester at Sea and the University of Havana had a few professors speak as well. After the speeches, all the SASers were supposed to go to one of 3 presentations (US-Cuba Relations; Politics in Cuba; or Ecology in Cuba); however, before the speeches were over, I struck up a conversation with Kimani, a journalist from a Cuban online newspaper. We talked for close to half an hour about various topics (SAS coming to Cuba, the embargo, politics in both the US and Cuba, the poor economy, and more). By the time Kimani had to leave, the presentations rooms were already filled to capacity, so I struck up a conversation with some of the University of Havana graduate students helping with our program.

 Student Life Team at the University of Havana

Turns out the 30 or so grad students who were helping with SAS had 2 weeks of intensive English courses prior to our arrival and then were allowed to miss 4 days of classes to serve as liaisons between SAS and the University of Havana. Thus, these 30 students were immersed around the SAS our entire time in Cuba. I spoke with Jose (Law Student), Yazmin (Law Student), and Yullietto (Computer Science) for another half an hour, just trying to get their perspectives on everything happening in Cuba, their feelings towards the United States, and more.

When the sessions ended, everyone gathered back near the stage for performances from the students in the performing arts department. The performances were fantastic as students showed off their voices (opera, pop, choirs) as well as their dance moves (traditional, tap, swing, etc.). The last group to perform (dancers) grabbed people from the audience and soon 300+ people (combination of University of Havana students and SAS students) were dancing together. They let this go on for probably about 20 minutes before we had to return to the ship for lunch and a meeting with the US diplomats (though returning to the ship and going through security with 650 people took a long time).





The US diplomats were very…diplomatic. They introduced themselves, talked about SAS returning to Cuba, and then opened it up for a question and answer session. They seemed to be calculated and answered each question very carefully and thoughtfully, so as to not say the wrong thing. Once this session was finished, SAS was free of obligatory sessions and could explore Havana on their own. I was on duty, so all I could do was exchange my Euros for CUC (Cuban convertible peso). It is equivalent to the US dollar; however, the dollar ceased to be accepted in Cuba in 2004 because Cuba cited the need to retaliate against further sanctions by the US.

In the evening, SAS had a social with members from the Cuban educational system in the Glazer Lounge (Faculty/Staff Lounge). As I was stuck on the ship, I went to chat with these individuals (administrators, professors, members of foreign affairs, etc.). Only about half the delegation from Cuba spoke English, so when I would approach a person standing by themselves, I was never sure if we’d actually be able to communicate with one another, as my Spanish is very rudimentary. I was about 50-50, though when I found out a person didn’t speak English, we would still try to converse. I spoke with one individual, Rolando, for about 10 minutes before I asked RD Carla (language expert extraordinaire) to help translate both ways for us. I ended the night by speaking with Lisa, a woman who helped organize the last SAS trip to Cuba (and has received 2 medals from Fidel Castro). Lisa is from Pittsburgh, PA and is very pro-Cuba and sounded extremely anti-US government.

Getting to speak that day with members of both US and Cuba was interesting. The saying, “There’s three sides to every story,” definitely applied here. There’s the US story, the Cuban story, and probably the truth somewhere in the middle. Regardless, it was extremely interesting to hear both sides of the US-Cuba relationship. In addition, President Obama shook hands with Raul Castro in South Africa, for Nelson Mandela’s funeral, so maybe change will finally come with the US policies towards Cuba. I mean…the cold war ended and the Berlin Wall fell in 1989…you’d think the "wall" between US-Cuba would have done the same by now.

Cuban Flag Flying over the MV Explorer

Being that the MV Explorer was so close to the states, the ship picked up an NBC station (not sure why it was one from Casper, Wyoming, but it was), so I watched some Jimmy Fallon before going to bed. Unfortunately, it was a very short sleep as I woke up and had to be the observing RD in the “VIP Room” when intoxicated students came back. I was in the room from about 2:30am-6:00am, before Carla (who was the secondary on-call person) came to relieve me.

After a handful of hours of sleep, I awoke and boarded a bus to head to a Cuban League baseball game between the Havana Industriales and the Artemisa Cazadores. About 400 members of our community took advantage of this program and SAS had 11 buses to take us to Artemisa, a city about 1 hour from Havana. The stadium was pretty basic with cement stands/bleachers and (thankfully) overhangs to block out the sun, which beat down on the field. The tickets to a game were equivalent to 4 cents US, or if you wanted to sit in the expensive section, 10 cents. I wasn’t sure what to make of the Cuban baseball league and after seeing a man score from first base…on a bunt!…I thought maybe I was watching a little league game. However, the play was very good from that point on and it was as if we were watching an MLB game. The “stadium food” wasn’t your typical US food, but they did sell hotdogs, beef hamburgers, and drinks (though thankfully no alcohol is sold at the stadium). Havana ended up scoring 2 runs in the 8th inning and winning the game 3-2. After the game ended, they allowed the SAS program to go on the field, run the bases, as well as meet & take pictures with the players. Everyone seemed to have a lot of fun during the game and the rain came right after we boarded the buses to head back to Havana.

Artemisa Cazadores (Hunters)

Havana Industriales at Artemisa Cazadores

In Havana Blue

Havana scored 2 runs in the 8th to go up 3-2. By the way they celebrated,
you would have thought they just won the World Series!

Group of SASers at the Game

Two Baltic Bandits - Marisa & Grace

 SASers Storming the Field & Running the Bases

I was selected to be a Bus Liaison for a Farewell Celebration program happening in the evening. We went to an outdoor venue where a stage with a live band had been set up. When everyone was seated, the music began and dinner was just starting to be served, when it started down pouring. Many people ran for the pavilions/indoor areas, but about 50 people stayed out and just started dancing. I decided to join this group, as I was already pretty soaked. Pretty soon everyone had forgotten about the food and were just dancing. The night was a lot of fun, dancing to a fusion of US top hits and Cuban salsa; however, the venue allowed people to buy unlimited amount of alcoholic drinks (including buying whole handles of hard liquor). For the majority of people, this was fine as they didn’t go over their limit. Unfortunately, 2 students had to be taken to the hospital (by RDs Nathan and Carla…who weren’t even supposed to be working) and a few more went to the VIP room immediately when they got back to the ship.

After showering, it was 1am and I decided my night was not over, so I wandered the city to see if anywhere else was opened. Side note: I felt completely safe in this city...even at night walking by myself. I wasn’t finding anything until I came upon the Plaza de la Catedral, where some SASers were just hanging out and having a drink, so I joined this group and chatted with them. We all returned to the ship together, but I decided to run back out and take a picture of the ship. On my way out, I ran into Nathan, Carla, and Bri (one of the students who works the Activities Desk), and heard all about their stories from the night.

MV Explorer in Cuba

When I awoke the final day in Cuba, I contacted Carla as we were going to wander the city together. We started in the Plaza San Francisco with the Basilica and Monastery of San Francisco de Asis (Saint Francis of Assisi). This church was built at the end of the sixteenth century, though it is no longer used for church, but concerts instead. We walked through the Plaza de Armas, where street vendors were selling all types of materials (books, posters (Vampires in Havana), music, etc.)…mainly about Che Grevara (the Argentine Marxist revolutionary) and Fidel Castro (former President of Cuba).

 Basilica and Monastery of San Francisco de Asis

Plaza de Armas

It was scorching hot outside, so we decided to duck into the Castillo de la Real Fuerza (Castle of the Royal Force), which is considered to be the oldest stone fortress in the Americas; construction began in 1558 and finished in 1577. It was originally built to defend against attacks by pirates, but with the poor strategic location of being inside the bay and too distant from the mouth of the harbor, this didn't really occur. We walked around the castle, looking at the artifacts of Cuba’s maritime past, including a replica of the Spanish flagship, Nuestra Senor de la Santisima Trinidad, the world’s largest warship in its time, until it sank in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. After walking around on our own, Carla started speaking with a worker, Daisy, who toured us around the fort. In addition, Daisy told of how hard life is for the people of Cuba with the economy so bad and very little help from the government. Daisy indicated she makes what would be equivalent to $10 (USD) per month. We tipped her a couple months salary and she invited us to have dinner with her and her family. Carla and I had to decline, since we were going to be leaving Cuba a few hours later.

 Castillo de la Real Fuerza

 Nuestra Senor de la Santisima Trinidad

Daisy & Carla

Carla and I kept walking the city, passing the Parque Luz Caballero, Parque Cespedes, and the Police Headquarters. Cuba feels like a city still in the 1950s or 1960s as it has all these vintage American cars (1957 Chevrolet, 1953 Ford, 1958 Dodge, etc.) driving the road. The US embargo against Cuba has prevented the importation of American made automobiles since 1962. Thus, these classic American cars are the standard on Cuban roads today. 



Our final stop before lunch was the Monument to General Máximo Gómez, in the Parque Martieres del 71. This monument was built through a competition held for the beautification of the coast of the city. This statue was dedicated to the General of the independence of Cuba in 1898. Máximo Gómez was a Dominican Major General in the Ten Years' War (the first of three liberation wars that Cuba fought against Spain). He was also Cuba's military commander during Cuba's War of Independence from 1895-1898. When the war ended, he retired to a villa outside of Havana. He refused the Presidential nomination that was offered to him in 1901 (in which he was expected to win unopposed) because he disliked politics and believed that a Dominican-born should not be the civil leader of Cuba.

Monument to General Máximo Gomez

We grabbed a tasty lunch at a nearby restaurant and had about 20 minutes to kill before needing to be back to the ship for embarkation duty. Carla and I decided it was too hot to walk back, so we decided to grab one of the classic American cars turned taxi to drive us around the city. Our driver was great and took us all over. He drove us past the Museum of the Revolution, the President’s home, the Memorial of the Granma (the yacht that was used to transport 82 fighters of the Cuban Revolution from Mexico toe Cuba), the Havana Art Museum, the National Capital Building, the National Ballet, and more. I wish I would have had more time in the city to walk around these areas and explore the museums, but we had to get back to the port…maybe I’ll return when the embargo is lifted (or on another SAS voyage!).

Our Lunch

 Our Ride

 Museum of the Revolution

Cuban National Capital Building

We returned to the port to help with the embarkation from Cuba. I stopped in a few of the souvenir shops in the terminal to spend my final CUCs (since I’m not going to be able to use them in the US) and then worked to get everyone on the ship. At 2000, we left Cuba and made our way back to Freeport, Bahamas. The students from the University of Havana stayed in the terminal to watch us leave and the SASers waved goodbye to their newfound friends!

 University of Havana Students Saying Goodbye

That evening, I met for a final time with my Sea Olympics Committee to thank them for their hard work and give them cake and cookies. I then met up with other faculty/staff members in the Glazer Lounge for a photo share. I have easily taken 5000 photos myself on this trip, and probably got a few hundred more from everyone else during this event.


"Farewell is said by the living every day. It is said with love and friendship, with the affirmation that the memories are lasting, if the flesh is not."