Notes from the Sea

My journal from time spent in Hawaii & our long stretch at sea!

Jan 12

Hawaii (quick pit stop)

I worked the gangway on Deck 3 and had a blast! I played music and danced for 3 hours straight. It was so much fun! If you have to work and watch everyone leave the ship without you, it might as well be enjoyable.

I was on duty for the second half of the day, which means that I was free from 2-7pm. I first found a local Walmart and shopped for a few things before walking the streets and stumbling upon a market, convenient store to buy guava strawberry juice, and ended up renting a bike for $3 to give myself a mini tour of the area.

I facetimed with Chris and Priscilla who were home with their 3 day old baby, Xavier. My favorite part of the day would have to be journaling in a park with the sun setting on my face and without time as a factor.

We set sail again late at night during our first cabin party. The other RDs, our bosses, and I met up in a cabin and shared beer and wine, some stories from the day, and our fair share of laughs about the students who keep us on our toes.

I was able to facetime with Jeremy but that won’t last long since I disconnected my cell service and the time difference will become farther and farther apart.

Jan 13

Using the day to recover, the only thing I had to do was present an alcohol orientation to my sea at 8pm. We met, took roll, went through the presentation, and then I gave announcements on a few upcoming events. The big event for students is tomorrow. We will begin evening beverage service. This is where students can check out a card that will allow them to purchase up to two alcoholic beverages on each night that beverage service is being offered. While this is a big hit for some, it’s not for others. I couldn’t even tell you which nights had beverage service throughout my voyage as a student because I never participated.

Jan 14

First beverage service for students and it was crazy. They pay $4 per drink and can only buy two in the hour. With 200+ students in line, this was chaotic. I am hopeful that students will see it is not worth it and will find something else to do. Plus, as an RD, the crew security team wants us to stand around and watch students drink their beverage. We have to enforce rules like to bags, backpacks, and water bottles in the deck. This is because previous voyagers have been sneaky and hid alcohol in their rooms and at the next beverage service combined all four drinks only to drink them quickly in order to feel the effects and get buzzed.

Ironically, I transitioned from beverage service to an event where I hosted and moderated a panel discussion on Spirituality. We had six panelists who represented Catholicism, Christianity, Judaism, and Buddhism. There were approx. 30 people in attendance and I chalked it up as a victory. Especially because the program started at 10pm after beverage service.

Jan 15

Easy day! No programs, just planning. And a workout for myself. I have been really good about going to the gym and I am hopeful that I will be able to keep it up. The food is decent and served at set mealtimes. So, I am eating regularly but do treat myself to snacks in my cabin on a semi-regular basis. I could definitely cut the snacks and be a-okay.

The other thing that I am noticing is that I wake up gradually to the sunshine in my cabin. Alarms haven’t been necessary. It’s probably because we continue to gain an hour almost every night!

Jan 16

Lost day! We went from Tuesday, January 15 to Thursday, January 17 with the blink of an eye. We’ve been gaining hours so inevitably we had to give back a day. Time travel is so crazy!

Jan 17

I had two great accomplishments today. The first was convincing myself to go to the gym to complete one mile and finding my stride early on, finishing at 3.5 miles in 35 minutes of consistent running! A few days ago I was very sluggish on the treadmill and reminded myself that fitness is gained on the hard days. So today when it felt easier than I was expecting, I smiled knowing that I had fought through a tough day and landed on a day like today. And that felt really good!

The second victory was in the creation of a bulletin board and flyer that I have been working on behind the scenes for a few days. We have some creative student assistants who I collaborated with to create a bulletin board centered around sexual assault awareness and bystander intervention. It looks really good and with a few final touches tomorrow, it will be done. In addition, I finished a flyer for what might be my biggest day of programming while on board. With a Study Day in 2 days, I have planned a Wellness on the Water day where members of the chipboard community have volunteered to lead sessions on all things Wellness. The first event starts at 07:00 and the last one ends at 23:00.

Lastly, to top things off, our Dean of Student Life (Oscar Felix) bought our team grilled chicken sandwiches and a drink in the Fritz Lounge. The Lounge is only open to Faculty, Staff, and Life Long Learners so the space is quite nice and very exclusive.

Jan 18

A normal day at sea with a few highlights. We had our Sea Olympics Prep Rally where all of the seas met in the Kaisersaal Union, competed in the first event of the Olympics (trivia, and we did not win), and then met as the Baltic Sea to make our banner, practice cheers, and sign up to compete in a variety of events.

We also hosted our first SAS dance and it was so much fun. Seeing the voyagers enjoy themselves, without the aid of alcohol, was really satisfying. I enjoyed a margarita in the Fritz Lounge to end the night and was happy knowing that today was a good day.

I don’t want to forge the crowded gym or the beautiful sunsets! My slow mornings and comfortable clothes lifestyle won’t last forever so I am savoring it while I have it.

Jan 19

Wellness on the Water day, that’s what I call it. Students and Faculty would say Study Day! Throughout the day, voyagers had their pick of twenty different events ranging from fitness & exercise to meditation to financial wellness (traveling on a budget) to identity (through bracelet making) to reflection (coloring and arts and crafts). My favorite session may have been Journaling Your Journey where a colleague, Oli, facilitated a conversation on journaling practices and invited everyone to think outside the box when journaling by using it as a scrap book/thoughts. One technique she mentioned was to start with I am… and then finish the sentence. Or, start with Dear Kayla, and write a letter to my younger or future self. Some tears were shed and many smiles were formed as everyone took in the knowledge and practiced what we learned.

The day was jam packed and very well received! I do love a good pat on the back and feel that it is well deserved for this mass effort.

Our Student Life team was quite helpful and all hands on deck, which made the day much easier to manage. I finished the evening off with two margaritas and hamburger and fries.

Tomorrow I get to meet my extended family, am hopeful that I’ll get in another workout, and look forward to a few less busy days where I can enjoy slow mornings and maybe even watch a movie.

Jan 20

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…I love slow mornings, especially on the ship. With a busy day yesterday, I woke up and had the pleasure of watching a movie from bed. I meandered to the gym, had a great workout, and then finished a few lose ends from yesterday (emails, took down signs, put things away).

And then I got to enjoy lunch, a lowkey afternoon meeting, and met my extended family. You are hearing words from a single mom of 5 college students. This program is amazing and one that I really enjoyed as a student. I signed up to be the parent, or mentor/friend, to a group of students throughout the voyage. I have 5 amazing students, all female (Abby, Steph, Lauren, Megan, and Alma). They are from all over the map and have solid plans for travel in Japan and China. We just missed one of their birthdays and have two birthdays in April so we will be sure to celebrate them in a special way. Ice cream cake on the ship is reallyyyyyyy good. So are the cookies. So, I have a feeling we’ll partake in both!

The only downside, if I can even call it that, is that the weather has been overcast and a bit cooler than previous days at sea. Japan will be cold so we have approached the point on this stretch where long pants are necessary and eating outside is not an option. When it’s windy, like today, the crew put the outdoor patio furniture away as a safety precaution.

We get another hour tonight so I will remain a calendar day ahead but when strictly thinking about hours, I am 6 hours behind PST and 8 hours behind CST.

Jan 21

I think I figured out my travel plans for Japan!

Day 1 – Osaka: eat good food, visit local market

Day 2 & 3 – Kyoto: visit temple, shrine, possibly shop

Day 4 – Duty (on ship)

Day 5 – Kobe: hike, People’s Square, shop at 100 Yen store ($1 store!)

Tonight, the Admin team hosted a reception for staff and faculty and I took full advantage of the free event. They had beer, wine, and champagne, along with appetizers. I got to talk with the Captain who is a Russian man of few words. I also got to spend more time talking with the Hotel Director (Siegi), Safety Officer (Alicon) and my favorite bar tender crew members.

Jan 22

Lazy days are okay, right? I felt full and heavy all day long. Maybe it was the reception from last night haha Anyways, today was a regular sea day with Global Studies, our Student Life Team Meeting, Evening Programs, and a few meals sprinkled throughout. I have been complemented a few times for my smile and generally happy demeanor to which I smile and think about how blessed I am for this opportunity and remind myself that, prior to coming back on SAS, I longed for slow mornings, beautiful sunsets, and a relatively stress free environment. Now that I’m here, I don’t want to forget that!

Jan 23

Just a regular day with lots of meetings and pre-port for our arrival in Japan. As an RD, I report for duty at 07:00 and have committed to waking up early to watch us pull into port for each country. So, to bed I go. I'll be up before the sun and plan to make the most of my time in Japan.

A (1/2) Day in Hawaii!

With a half day of duty where I can't leave the ship, I had just 5 hours to explore the port area. I rented a bike and gave myself a tour, journaled in the park, walked around Chinatown, and ate dinner with the most gorgeous sunset and live entertainment. 

Sunrise as we arrived!

Downtown Honolulu

Sweats for the early arrival

The BEST juice. $0.80 for the can!

My goal is to take a picture of the ship from land in every port

Sunset at dinner!

Me and my bike! Rented it for $3.67

More to come!

XO

Journey to Hawaii, Part II

I'll first share an abbreviated story about the student I referenced in my last post. He is very bright and from one of the largest slums in Kenya. He comes from a humble background (poor) and earned s full scholarship to do this program (scholarship is awarded to just one student in the entire continent of Africa). He flew on an airplane for the first time and navigated his way to California, and soon around the world. He has very few dollars with him and has found every opportunity to connect and be a wonderful community member. There was a family, who he had a lose connection with prior to the voyage, who bought him clothes, a phone, and shoes for the voyage. I see him daily and an reminded that we can do anything we set our minds to. He speaks English as his 3rd or 4th language and is often in the Writing Center. He will graduate next academic year and will be the first person in his family to earn a college degree. I'm inspired and hope you are too. 

Jan 10

Another day at sea and the most beautiful sunset to date! Plus, my third day working out. There are two workout spaces on board. The gym has 6 treadmills, 3 ellipticals, 2 bowflex contraptions, free hand weights, and yoga mats for stretching. There is also an outdoor weight room that includes 5 stationary bikes. I find that running on the treadmill is easier the faster I go. The more in motion, the easier it is to stay steady. My goal for the voyage is to workout consistently throughout the entire voyage. 30 mins a day plus some stretching should do the trick ;)

Jan 11

Another beautiful day at sea with a lot of anticipation for our first port tomorrow…Hawaii! I'll tell you about pre-port in a little bit but first I need to recap Shabbat. As the Wellness and Spirituality Coordinator on the ship, I assist voyagers in creating their community, organizing services onboard, and arranging opportunities for worship for all religious and spiritual groups. Tonight was Shabbat with Jews on a Cruise. The group was 20 people deep and the students did a really good job of planning out the service. I had requested challah, grape juice, and salt, and water from our Hotel Director (dining) and they had brought their battery operated candles, a speaker to play music and prepared a powerpoint with the words of a prayer. We even sat in a circle and shared a moment of gratitude before digging into the challah and washing it down with grape juice.

Next, we moved on to pre-port meetings. These are the most important, in my opinion. This is where our administrative team hands out green sheets that inform you on the ins and outs of the country (language, currency, cultural practices, etc), port (location, phone numbers, etc), and local emergency information (how/who to call). This one was simple and straightforward. All students were getting off the ship only if they were on a field class or program, so there was no independent travel on this voyage and we knew no one would have had alcohol and everyone would be back before the on-ship time. 

Journey to Hawaii, Part I

Our journey to Hawaii "held us captive" on the ship for 6 full days and 7 nights. That's a long time, especially when you just traveled across the country (or for some of our students, the world) to get to the ship. I actually think this was amazing for our community. Since there was no land in sight, people focused on forming relationships, getting to know each other, ways that we can support each other, and students attended programs that myself and other RDs hosted for the shipboard community.

My cabin was set up and I think the most helpful thing that I brought was an over the door shoe rack. I hung this up on my bathroom door and it easily organizes my medicines, toiletries, and shoes. For those considering sailing or interested in how to fit everything in a small space, this is the trick!

Jan 6

All day student orientation. My responsibility was to guide my sea (Go Baltic!) to each session throughout the day. We started and ended with a sea meeting where I gave updates and insight on my experience sailing as a student, my hopes for them on this voyage, answered all of their questions about life at sea, how to start a club/organization, tips for planning travel, and the likelihood of getting sea sick. Fortunately, I don't typically feel sea sick but… spoiler alert!, we hit rough seas early on.

To end the day, we hosted an Activities Fair. The event started in the Kaisersaal Union where the shipboard community gathered to hear a 60 sec pitch from students who wanted to start and lead an activity or club. The preparation for this event goes back a few months to when one of my colleagues and fellow RD joined the SAS Spring 2019 facebook group and made an announcement about the Activities Fair. He allowed students to comment with the name of the club that they wished to lead and then created a presentation at the Activities Fair that included those organization names as well as allowed time for a few walk-ups.

When it was all said and done, there were 64 organizations formed and voyagers of all ages (even dependent children) are now leaders of a club for the semester.

My favorite clubs are:
1. Let's Explore China – my resident, Yumei, is a very energetic and excited Chinese student who wants to share her culture and traditions, shopping tips, and travel plans with those interested in learning from her.

2. Clowning Club – my resident, Harvey, is from Wales and pitched the idea of a club where voyagers will practice routines and then put on shows as clowns. When I suggested that he connect with the improve club he immediately scoffed at the idea and said that he is NOT interested in that haha I laughed it off and look forward to their first clowning show.

3. A sprinkling of the other clubs: Photography, World Language, Religious Affiliations, Women's Gathering, Meditation, Greek Life, Diversity & Inclusion Groups, Board Games, Jam Band, etc.

Jan 7

Classes begin! So what does this mean for me and why am I excited? Answer: A schedule. I appreciate all of the work that goes into making sure that everyone on board is oriented and hears information about the many programs and resources available. But that is chaotic and requires a lot of energy from me as a leader in this community. Having classes in session means slower mornings and productive afternoons answering emails and planning programs on the back deck watching the sun set from a lounge chair in shorts and a t-shirt.

This also means that I have a regularly scheduled Student Life meeting at 14:00 everyday. Our team of eight gathers and talks about student concerns, upcoming programs, and rumors that we've heard from students. The best rumor yet was that we would get to Hawaii earlier than planned. While that sounds like it could be possible (just go faster), that would cause a huge wrinkle in port access and costs. So, that is unlikely happen…ever.

Extra hour – This was the first night that we gained an hour! This becomes a trend and one that I LOVE. When I sailed on the Spring 2011 voyage we lost an hour about half of the days at sea and it's fair to say that I like this way much better.

Jan 8

Rough seas – Our captain made an announcement on the evening of Jan 7 that we would hit rough seas overnight and he was right! He is Russian and speaks few words that are heavily accented and most certainly assertive. Some students were very concerned and planned to sleep in each other's cabins/take medicine + wear their wristbands, etc. My piece of calm to those students was that a special announcement was made because it was happening overnight, which is a time when we can look out our windows and see nothing but waves crashing and have very few people to consult since everyone is sleeping.

This is also the day where I took a dose of medicine for seasickness and needed 20 mins of horizontal time on my bed. Luckily, that's all it took and I was back to normal. Walking around with sea legs and holding railings like it was my job.

Life is starting to become a bit more routine.

My schedule for today was:

09:30  Global Studies (attend and lead occasional reflection groups)
11:00  Workout then shower
12:00  Lunch

12:30  Evening programs schedule planning

14:00  Student Life Team Meeting

17:00  Meet security officer to check out keys to Student Life Office
17:30  Dinner

19:00  Add/Drop classes opportunity for students

21:00  Movie night in the Kaisersaal Union (Finding Nemo)

I met a pretty cool student on Jan 9th. I can't wait to share the story with you!

XO Kayla 

Orientation and Training

Have you ever been excited and exhausted at the same time?! If you have, you know my life right now. 

Jan 2, Land Day 1
After a last minute Costco run with my mom, I rushed on to the ship with no time to spare. I schluffed my VERY large bags from the port to the gangway and then to the Reception Desk and finally to my cabin. I was sweating and thankful to see 4045. That's my room number! I'll describe my cabin in more detail later but you should know that I am sooooo appreciative and thankful for the opportunity to sail again. I'm convinced that I have the absolute best cabin configuration possible. And, my cabin location is super ideal. 

Orientation started and I was inundated with information, introductions, and a to-do list. We have an amazing and very accomplished faculty and staff! There are 57 of us in total and 47 additional family members, or companions, sailing along as well. As a shipboard community (including students), we represent  39 countries!

Some stats about our shipboard community:
580 students
219 Universities
80% female / 20% male
62% students applied and received aid
3.42 GPA of students onboard
39/50 US states represented
176 crew members representing 18 countries

Jan 3, Land Day 2
Orientation bright and early...until dark and late! The training and preparation has been top notch! I appreciate Colorado State University and Semester at Sea staff for their dedication to ensuring we as staff and faculty are prepared and ready to set sail. 

The bonus? I got to connect with SO many voyagers from Spring 2011. The community that Semester at Sea provides is unmatched. Our ship nurse, advancement coordinator, life long learners, executive dean, assistant executive dean, and their family members were all on board for alumni meetings and to help the spring 2019 staff and faculty prepare. What a treat!

Double bonus?! I've always known that UCSB is a special place with a special community. What I didn't expect was to reconnect with so many here in San Diego while on the ship. I loved seeing friends and colleagues that all love Semester at Sea and committed to joining for alumni meetings and parent orientations onboard before the Spring 2019 voyage. 

Jan 4, Land Day 3
More orientations and reconnecting with crew members who are still around from when I first sailed back in 2011. I was surprised to see Troy from the Purser's Desk, Rosa and Crispin who are cabin stewards, Vijay from the bar, and Linval who is the most joyful waiter and his sidekick Alphonso who sings throughout the day. The crew members are all amazing and so very selfless. 

At the conclusion of orientation we got a gift. 2 hours off the ship! I met up with two fellow Resident Directors and we walked to an Italian restaurant for pizza and sat outside by the fire to enjoy what would be our last meal of choice until January 12th when we dock in Hawaii.

We had our first lifeboat drill after the ship was cleared of all guests and then we set sail! I took a time lapse of us leaving the port and can't to incorporate it into a video of the entire voyage and my travels in country. 

More updates to come!

XO Kayla 


 

San Diego and Beyond!

The time has come. I'm in San Diego and well rested after a night at the Wyndham Hotel. I woke up to this view (below). Yep, that's my new home!

No filter :) The MV World Odyssey!

My schedule for the month of December was a bit crazy but everything happened perfectly. I finished work in my office at the University of Tennessee, packed my house and moved everything into one room, squished my life into 2 bags, traveled across the country and spent the holidays with family in CA, saw my dearest friends and was reminded that it gets windy in SoCal, felt so much love in the form of texts and calls from all of you, and spent 4 cherished days with the one I'll miss the most. 

What happens next?

1. Board the MV World Odyssey (Jan 2)

2. Pause, embrace, prepare

3. Orientation and Training (this is a job after all)

4. Set sail

5. Welcome students (in Mexico)

6. 106 days of adventure

I'll be back to update soon!

XO Kayla