Life Funk

I have tried to write this blog for a while now. But all motivation to accomplish anything creative or worth while has been lacking.  I have been in a what I like to call a "life funk."  Since returning home to St. Michaels from my big west adventure, I have found myself taking too much advantage of my recent 21st birthday and eastern shore partying opportunities.  I have given up on my veganism--which was really important to me for over a year now.  Without a steady job, laziness is accompanying the hot humid weather, and self-pity revolving around a failed summer romance has been fierce. But the time has come my friends, for me to pull myself out of this funk. 

And today of all days seems like the perfect opportunity to do so.  For the first time in a couple weeks I remembered my dream.  Although it was not that interesting or action-filled of a dream, it was a big progression, especially since Zoe and I are still trying to learn lucid dreaming, and possibly meeting in a dream (see blog entry "california dreamin'").  Also, yesterday I had a wonderful day relaxing with a dear friend, Kate Groop--who recently found out she was pregnant (yay).  

On top of it all, I have been stressing about preparations for Semester at Sea, which I leave for in less than a week. I will be sailing around the world on a cruise ship, taking classes from first-class professors for the next 4 months with my friend Kelly Rose. I want to embark on this adventure with the right frame of mind.  I am ready to let go, and begin enjoying life again and loving people.  I am excited for my future, thankful for my past, and ready to be content with the present.

So...Semester at Sea:

Most conversations revolving around the voyage conclude that this is the opportunity of a lifetime. Although I concur with this conclusion, I am not without fear.  I am a little apprehensive about the luxurious lifestyle I am told the ship has in store for me. The crew of the ship makes our beds and tidies up our rooms while we are in class, there is a full spa and many other ritzy amenities not common to most students. One reason I love traveling so much is that I have usually done it with simplicity. I just feel it is a little hypocritical to be traveling to third-world countries in "first-class" style.  I may feel differently about this once I am on the ship...

I am eager to meet people on this trip.  I will be meeting people from all walks of life: fellow students from the United States, natives of the countries I am visiting, the crew of the MV Explorer, professors from top-notch universities, speakers, politicians, other travelers, the list is endless. When I look back on my road-trip it is mainly the people that I remember. And I am sure there are many people I will be meeting in the next 4 months that will be friends and acquaintances for the rest of my life.

Another aspect of SAS that I tend to forget is the academics.  I am currently enrolled in 4 classes: Terrorism and Insurgency; Global Studies; Sustainable Env. and Econ. D'ment for Emerging Nations; and Freedom of Movement from a Cross Cultural Perspective. All of these classes have super interesting yet hefty reading lists.