Final SAS Blog

My time on Semester at Sea has come to an end. After 105 days of
circumnavigating the globe and traveling exactly 25,117 miles from
Nassau, Bahamas to San Diego, California I can officially say I am a SAS
alumnus. I have learned so much and grown in many ways, and it is all
still setting in. I will never realize the scope of impact this voyage
has had on me and honestly most of you will see it more than I will ever
understand. I borrowed the poem below from a fellow SAS alumni and I
hope it can in some way explain my similar experiences and convey the
significance this semester has played in shaping my future!


"IʼM NOT THE SAME."
By Natalie Lou Ritter


Forgive me, Mom, Iʼm Not the Same
I think you knew that I would change
I couldnʼt stay so long at sea
And not come home a different me.

Iʼve been to the Mekong; the Amazon, too
The things that Iʼve done: if only you knew.
Iʼve paraglided in the Andes Mountains
Said a prayer at Hiroshima fountains
Iʼve jumped off of cliffs down river gorges
And from the Ganges saw burning corpses
Iʼve seen the Taj; Climbed the Great Wall
Iʼve Jumped Out of Planes; Iʼve done it All
Climbed to the Golden Rock in Myanmar
I Donʼt think I ever have climbed that far.
Monasteries, Pagodas, Temples and Shrines
Horseback riding in Stellenbosch; sampling wines
I dove with sharks and jumped off a bridge
I Forced Myself to Really Live.

Sure, All these things can be relayed
In the photo albums thatʼll be displayed
But to convey all this will be demanding—
Experience is Nothing Without Understanding.

So Forgive me, Mom, if I Start To Cry
For all of the things I really canʼt describe:
Walking next to dead bodies in the road
Not reaching out to a childʼs hand to hold.
The people in poverty and those afraid to speak
For fear if they do, theyʼll be in jail the next week
Because their government has such a watchful eye.
All the people with AIDs , getting ready to die.
The beggars in India who walk on their hands
Because theyʼre diseased and unable to stand
And the people in shacks who sleep inches apart
Offer only a smile and it rips out my heart

Iʼve seen beauty and devastation
Iʼve felt sorrow; Iʼve felt elation
Iʼve seen birth and Iʼve felt death;
Forgive me, Mom, but what is left?

So if you could, Mom, just give me time
When I come home, let me unwind
I need a moment to just. Stand. Still.
Please understand (Iʼm sure you will)

I couldnʼt stay so long at sea
And not come home a different me
So long as I change, the world changes, too
But be proud, Mom, because I came from you.

Hawaii / packing

It’s great to be HOME…or almost!

On April 24th the ship docked in Honolulu, but to our dismay we only got to look at the island from our pool deck. This stop was for fueling and immigration only, and although it was frustrating we seemed to all get by just fine. No one actually remembers much from the “study day” because we were all consumed with our cell phones. Thank God Hawaii is part of the USA, if for nothing else because we were all able to talk for free at least for those 2 days!

The next day we were able to enjoy a one-day stop in Hilo and were finally allowed off the ship. We started the day at the Farmer’s Market in search of Kona coffee for my grandpa and ended up finding lots of interesting and delicious snacks, such as coconut candy and my favorite, passion fruit juice! Later on Liz, Paige and I went on a tour around the Big Island.  We went to Rainbow Falls, Volcano National Park, Richardson black sand beach, and even the Mauna Loa macadamia nut factory. Overall it was a fun day, but at this point we are all just ready to be at home!

Speaking of the USA…it was so nice to be able to relax and know that even if Hawaii was still very different and far from home, we were still in the best country in the world- the USA! I can now actually say that full-heartedly and appreciatively after my travels this semester. We now have 4 days left on Semester at Sea, I have only 1 final left, and I’m almost done packing and still trying to find creative ways to pack the rest of my belongings that will not fit at this point. It is so crazy to think that this experience is almost over. I will be back in South Carolina in less than 2 weeks with nothing in sight except piles of schoolwork, job applications, and hopefully some summer plans. It is so bittersweet that my semester of traveling the world, trying new things, and a break from reality are over. I’m not going to have a new country to plan, pack for, and look forward to every week and I think that will take some getting used to. I do however have plenty of catching up to do with family, friends, and probably the companion I’ve missed most- my doggy Rylie! I can say looking back that I have enjoyed some of the best months of my life learning things about the world and more importantly, about myself that I could have never learned any other way. And now as I look forward, I know that I may be leaving an exciting part of my life, but there are many, many more adventures waiting for me!

See you all soon,

XOXO

Final Port

Japan!

After having such an amazing time in China, Japan had a lot to live up to, but I knew it would not be hard with the exciting itinerary, or rather the lack of actual plans at all, that I would conquer with some of my best friends. We pre-bought a Japan rail pass in China and that is really the only thing we had planned. It was so nice to travel with just us 4 girls, no itinerary, no tour group, and no restrictions. Before SAS I could have never traveled on my own, but now I know I can handle just about anything and it will all work out. I guess after conquering the food in India, the streets of Vietnam, and the hagglers of Ghana, I can handle just about anything traveling throws my way. What a relief to know that my love for traveling can continue and better yet, I can do it all on my own, independently as I always prefer to do things.

                The first part of the week the ship was docked in Kobe and then it moved to Yokohama for the second part of our stay. For this reason, my friends and I decided we would remain off the ship as long as possible and travel on our own to meet the ship in Yokohama…best decision! So the first day I had to complete my final FDP for my art history class, thank goodness FDPs are over (I did not luck out with many interesting ones…this one wasn’t too bad though). My class and I traveled by bus to Kyoto to visit the Daitoku-jo temple and Daisen-in garden. Both locations were very beautiful as they were surrounded by nature and focused on tranquility and Zen. Although it was a tour, I found the gardens very interesting and I realized the significance that relaxation and tranquility must play in everyone’s lives if they want to live healthily. Simply being in these environments for a short period was so relaxing and peaceful. Everyone needs a place that they can escape the craziness of life sometimes, for Buddhists it is these gardens, and it showed me that I need to find my own tranquil place as well.

                After my experience in Kyoto on the first day, I was super excited to travel back there the following day with my friends. Before Kyoto though, we decided to travel halfway across Japan to visit Hiroshima. This is why the bullet train is amazing- we traveled halfway across the country in less than 3 hours, and then did so the following days as we went to Kyoto, Tokyo and Yokohama. Once arriving in Hiroshima Liz, Paige, Tess and I made our way through the pouring rain to the Peace Memorial Museum and park. The rain definitely put a damper on the mood, but in a way I was glad to see this city in a dreary state because it made the sad reality of the atomic bomb that much more real. The city as a whole has completely rebuilt and is a hub of hopefulness, I say this because they are a leader against nuclear warfare and there is even a spot at the museum to write petition letters to world leaders against the use and creation of atomic bombs. I’ve never been the type of person to get involved in political debates and I am not trying to point fingers, but if no one owned these means of disaster and warfare wouldn’t it benefit us all? Why is it a competition to own the most nuclear bombs, sure it ensures power and fear from other countries, but the lives of people should not be something we just dangle as a toy to provoke fear. Sure it is good to be at the top, but I can’t say I always agree with how we make it there…maybe this is why I am not involved in politics because I would just say let’s mind our own business, which the U.S. is obviously not good at!

                Later that evening we took a train to Kyoto and met up with 3 other girlfriends- Lindsey, Haley and Sohanna. The seven of us, plus a random SAS girl we met on the street (yes we still meet new SASers we have never seen…weird) all stayed at the Tour Club hostel. It was my first hostel experience- hall bathroom, all of us sleeping on mattresses on the ground, no shoes allowed- the whole shebang and it was great! It was so cheap and such a fun place for young people to stay. I will definitely be staying at more of these in the future (for short periods of time only)… hopefully if/when I make it backpacking across Europe J The following day was spent trekking through Kyoto by riding the city buses with our unlimited day pass for only $5. It was such a pain to figure out and so slow, but I guess that’s what you trade for saving money. Kyoto is such a beautiful city and my favorite place I visited in Japan. It is not a big, loud city like Tokyo, nor is it a port city like Kobe or Yokohama. It is a city filled with rich history, geishas, temples, shrines, and best of all cherry blossoms, which just so happened to be at their peak bloom while we were there. Along with Tess, Liz and Paige I explored the Kinkakuji golden Zen temple, the silver temple, and then walked along the Philosopher’s Path, which was truly breathtaking as it was filled with cherry blossoms.

                After getting our fill of Kyoto we rushed to the train station, reminding ourselves that we just had to go to the Giants baseball game that night in Tokyo. I am so glad that we did this because going to a baseball game in Tokyo is so wild and so, so much fun! Hate to say it, but it was definitely more exciting than baseball in America and probably just as exciting as a USC football game (Go Gamecocks! Haha) Making it to the game in time required we take our huge hiking backpacks, which would have never been allowed in the U.S., but of course are no problems in foreign countries, except for the laughs we got as people called us “hitch hikers”. Never thought I would enjoy the term, but by the time I had completed my backpacking through Japan I felt as I had truly earned the title because it is definitely not easy to do! When the game was sadly over we headed to find a hotel and after repeated bad luck and a walk through the terrifying Red Light district (ask me in person how I am sure this was it) we finally found a friends hotel who we tossed our stuff in and freshened up before going out with them. In the Roppongi district we passed by many Jamaican men attempting to bribe you into their bars, which was extremely odd…who knew there were Jamaicans in Japan? So we finally found a bar filled with SASers and had lots of fun spending our last night out in a port during SAS with all of our new friends, it was bittersweet, but we have 3 more weeks to say our final goodbyes.

                After making our way back to our friends’ hotel we decided to not sleep on their floor after all, we simply changed clothes, packed up our backpacks yet again and headed for the fish market. Originally we thought it opened at 4 am, but soon discovered subways didn’t open until 5…long story short we slept for an hour in a Japanese fast food restaurant. When we finally made it to the fish market it was 6 am. It was a pretty gross experience, but I guess 3 homeless girls didn’t have much else to do so why not? The ship was not set to arrive in Yokohama until 8 am so we dragged our tired, fish smelling butts that direction and were luckily able to board the ship as soon as it arrived. We slept all morning and finally I made myself wake up at 1 to go explore the port city of Yokohama, never waste a day in port- a personal rule during my SAS experience! After grabbing some Starbucks, Liz and I stumbled upon a Tulip Festival which was so beautiful and random at the same time.

                The last day in Japan was freezing, windy and raining. It was absolutely one of those days that if I were at home I would have stayed inside all day in my pajamas and probably even skipped class. Not in Japan though, and definitely not at the last chance I would have to get off the ship for the next 2 weeks! Paige and I suited up and after walking in the rain and taking multiple train rides we finally made it to the Harajuku district in Tokyo. This area is known for the wacky dressed girls and high fashion, so it was no surprise that even in pouring rain everyone dressed adorable. High heeled rainboots, stilettos, cherry printed umbrellas, and bows everywhere; it is all just too cute in an over the top kind of annoying way. None the less is was fun to see and put any possible fashion sense I have to shame. For lunch we searched for sushi, which by the way is a delicacy in Japan and is ridiculously difficult to find. Sadly, I never even got to eat sushi there, nor did I drink sake, which goes to prove that our American ideas about other countries are often so misguided and false! In the end we found a burger joint and I thoroughly enjoyed the first hamburger I have had in months. After being overly full, cold, wet and out of yen (Japanese currency) we decided to head back to the ship and end our stay in Japan.

                Japan was very cool to visit and surprisingly very different than China. Everything is so expensive, definitely different than China, and the people are even very different. One word I would use to describe Japan is beauty. Every person is beautiful, the way each person dresses themselves is very thought out and beautiful in each individual way, the food is beautiful, the gardens scream of beauty and perfectionism. I could go on, but you get my point- they are all beautiful, clean, perfectionists! I am sad that this was the last port, but also very thankful that I was able to see so much of Japan in only 5 days. I had an amazing time with my girlfriends, made lasting memories, and I can finally say that I have traveled to 11 countries in the last 3 months. WOW…I think it is still setting in and will be for months to come! I have experienced so many different places, emotions and cultures and it was definitely good to end my travels abroad on such a beautiful note as in Japan. I still have roughly 3 weeks on the ship in which I have to write papers, give presentations, take final exams etc. you know the fun stuff I’ve been missing out on while in port! We do get a one day stop in Hilo, Hawaii before arriving in San Diego. Brandon will be meeting me there and then 4 days later I will finally get to see my family and at some point my friends! I have missed everyone and everything about home so much during this time, but as with all things in life- you must give something up, to get something better. This semester was a great trade for my life back at home, but I think I’m ready to trade back. I can give my travels up and be with the ones I love most…for a little while at least J

China

Crazy, Charming, Cheap China

April 1, 2012- April 7, 2012

 

                As always, my time in China passed by so quickly and I will be in my last port of Japan in only 2 more days. The entire voyage has flown by, with the random days that do drag. I will be back in the U.S. in 25 days and although I am so very excited to be HOME, I have also began to plan ways to keep myself busy for the summer- classes, check! Job, check! Home renovations, check! Saving up for next summer, check! Anyways, until all that fun stuff begins I must tell you about my many amazing experiences in China!

                China was by far my favorite country; we will see how Japan adds up! I have to explain myself though. I loved Brazil and South Africa, but that was because they were so beautiful, westernized and comfortable for me. China was so very different than this. I love China because it is so different than home, yet so similar. It is difficult to explain, but once I tell you about my travels I think you will understand.

                The first day was spent in Hong Kong travelling with 2 of my closest friends- Paige and Liz. We met up with Paige’s friend who happened to be studying abroad there so her and 2 other students took us to some local spots for Dim Sum and then to shop for the cheapest bargains at the Ladies Market. Random note, it is going to be extremely difficult to not be able to bargain my way to cheap buys in the U.S. I don’t think Target will go for only paying 1/10 of the asking price, like these foreign markets. After spending more money then I probably should on random “necessities” such as a tea set, we took the Peak Tram to watch the sunset/amazing lights of the city skyline. It was breathtaking and really makes you realize just how small you are compared to such a big, crowded city.

                The next 3 days were spent with a group of 47 SASers with a tour group called Global Citizens. We went to Beijing to see such sights as Tiananmen Square, the Imperial Gardens, the Forbidden City, Drum Tower and then finally traveled to Jinshanling to hike the Great Wall of China. The wall  After hiking the wall we slept at the bottom of the wall in tents, bundled all together, in hopes that the cheap wine the tour company provided would keep us warm, it didn’t by the way. Although this part of my trip was the historical aspect, it was probably my least favorite. I loved just being in the city much more! None the less, I am so glad I got to do these things (hello bucket list) but if I ever return to China, and I really hope I do, I would like to spend more time in the city. Part of the reason I may have not liked this part was because 1. I was in a large group 2. It was freezing 3. In a large group you have to do what everyone else wants to do…guess I’m a little self centered with what I want to spend my few days in port doing.

                At the end of my Global Citizens trip we met the ship which was now docked in Shanghai. Shanghai was a lot like Hong Kong- massive, lots of bright lights, skyscrapers everywhere, and some of the best food I have ever eaten! My last 2 days in China were spent exploring Shanghai. I went to Pearl City, shopping on Nan Jang Ling Road, to the Contemporary Art Museum, to dinner on the Bund Waterfront, and went out with friends to a pub that even had a South Carolina license plate on the wall! What a small, small world!

                As I mentioned earlier, the food all over China was amazing, my favorite of any country! Dim Sum, dumplings, Taiwanese cuisine, Pho, Peking duck, stir fry, spring rolls, rice upon rice… the options are immense. And even though there was many times that I had no idea what I was ordering or eating, I am so glad I tried it all and enjoyed every bite of it. Also, as in most other countries I ordered vegetarian, you can never go wrong there, and I still got to try everyone else’s meat dishes. Like many other experiences during my travels this semester, I learned yet another reason to always keep a clear and open mind about people, cultures, and yes even food. It always pays off and how else can you learn about yourself and the things you enjoy if you never get out of your comfort zone? If you’re reading this you should follow my recommendation and try a new Asian dish – a Dim Sum restaurant, a bowl of Asian dumplings, or even Vietnamese Pho – I know it won’t necessarily be as authentic as my Chinese dishes, but you’ll never know if you don’t try it!

                Sorry my experiences in China were pretty brief, but you all get the gist. I ate way to much food, travelled across a large country, explored new places with new friends, and yes I gave in and bought lots of fake stuff for super cheap at the markets! See you all soon XOXO

Vietnam // Happy Travels

Vietnam. Honestly, probably my least favorite country thus far. In my opinion, which many disagree with, there was just nothing “special” about the country. The city was bustling, the food was delicious in most cases (and so, so cheap), the people were neither overly friendly, nor were they mean, there was lots of shopping, if fake bags and tea pots are your thing. Overall though, when compared to exciting Rio de Janeiro or even overwhelming Ghana, both of which I visited recently, there was just nothing or no one that stood out to me in my travels here. Sure, paying $30 for a manicure, pedicure and full body massage was a great deal, but at the end of the day there just seemed to be a barrier of “blahness” that I just could not escape.

For me, the 5 days I spent here was a relaxing break from the hustle of all the other trips I’ve taken recently (I think I finally just recovered from India. I never realized traveling is so rough on your body!) I went with my roommate Liz and some other friends to Ha Long Bay in North Vietnam through a tour company of SAS called Global Citizens. We spent a night in Hanoi, which I liked much better than Ho Chi Minh (or Saigon to be politically correct) where the ship was docked. Everywhere we went, though, just seemed to be a tourist trap, which I seriously detest especially after this semester. I understand that people need to make money in these countries, but overcharging and targeting tourists just gets really old, especially when other idiotic students stupidly pay the first price, therefore making it difficult for others to bargain. Can you tell I’m a little aggravated here? You would be too if you knew a taxi price should be equivalent to 50 cents, yet because you are a white American the price automatically becomes 5 dollars.

After Hanoi, our group of 17 students led by the worst tour guide ever spent a night in Ha Long Bay on a luxury junk boat. The boat was really nice and we were served 5 meals of at least 12 courses each during the 24 hour period, it was great! The crew on the boat however, was completely odd. I don’t know what they expected of American college students, but it was along the lines of wild, crazy and extremely promiscuous. The speakers continuously blared techno remixes of American music (even at 7am breakfast), the TV only played the Victoria’s Secret fashion show and Girls Gone Wild on repeat, Christmas lights flashed on the bar, along with a strobe light, as the crew tried to make it a “club-like scene” and begged us to sing karaoke. I know they were trying to help us to have fun, but honestly it was hilarious and strikingly odd that they expected us American girls to come onboard and look like Victoria’s Secret models, while dancing on bars like Girls Gone Wild. I’m sure they weren’t disappointed at all! ;-) But I can say I was proud of our group for proving this theory of theirs wrong and hopefully showing the crew that all Americans are not crazy party animals...well at least not all the time!

Besides Ha Long Bay, the most memorable thing I did in Vietnam was to go to the War Remnants Museum. I went here on the last day with Paige and I am so glad I did. Although I know some of the information there was one-sided and propaganda, there are just some things that you cannot deny. As the saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words” and in the case of the Vietnam War the images I saw were truly heart wrenching way humans can treat one another. I think it is crazy, and extremely sad that I am a 20 year old college student and yet I have learned very little about the Vietnam War. 3 million of their people died? Agent Orange still affects children born today? Why had I never heard any of these disturbing statistics? The most moving part of the museum was definitely the section about Agent Orange and its effects on the Vietnamese people, as well as American soldiers who were exposed to this chemical compound. Vietnam has the highest amount of handicapped persons in the world. There is no denying that this is largely due to Agent Orange. This chemical produces many disabilities and diseases (body deformations, retardation, psychological disorders, even cancer…and the list goes on) and can pass down as far as 3 generations to children. This led me to think could this have anything to do with the increased cancer rates in the U.S., among many other health issues today? Hmm… the things you can learn at a museum! After spending just an hour at the museum, Paige and I had to leave and agreed to sit down at a coffee shop to try and sort this all out in our heads. I honestly felt nauseous at the idea of such inhumane treatment of other humans (on both sides). I also realized that there is so much I still need to learn about the war and that I cannot simply generalize what I saw at a Vietnamese museum as complete, unfiltered narrative.

Now, as I am back on the ship and headed for China and then Japan, I am thinking about how Hiroshima will affect me. Every student has to write an essay for our global studies class and I have finally decided to write mine about Vietnam and Japan- two countries that the U.S. was once at war with. I’m trying to focus on how they view Americans now, as well as their opinions on the wars. After going to the War Remnants museum I finally have the motivation and drive to write the paper and I know I will actually enjoy this topic. In two short days we will be in China for one week and then two days later we will be in our final country, Japan. The next two weeks are going to be amazing and I have the highest hopes for these two ports. I am so sad the trip is dwindling down, but I have learned so much already about myself, the person I want to be, the dreams I have for my own future, and about the outside world. I know that my life will be so different after this semester and I could not be more excited. The experiences I have had will most certainly shape my future and I think that is the most important thing I could ever take away from this semester abroad. Sure, there have been really difficult times being away from the comforts of home, but I do not think I could have ever learned this much about myself and my place in the world in any other way.

Yesterday I stumbled upon a quote that fits the personal growth and my travels perfectly. “Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it.” I am so thankful to have learned this lesson and I hope for everyone that you can all find your own path to personal happiness. Once you find this never let it go because boy, are you in for a fun ride!

XOXO – happy traveler