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."  

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."