Preparing for Spain

The process of finalizing my application for my semester in Madrid was much different than getting ready for Semester at Sea. Semester at Sea really did so much of the heavy work for me. I guess they had to, since most of my problems were with acquiring my visa, and there were so many visas to get for Semester at Sea. Somehow I managed to get everything together, though there were a few close calls.

Now, the day has come for me to leave. My flight leaves Tulsa at 6 am tomorrow, and I am freaking out. I have everything packed (somehow I managed to fit it all into two suitcases), so I'm set. But I have recently come to the shocking realization that I don't speak Spanish. Yes, I've taken it since 8th grade. No, that doesn't mean I speak it.

How am I supposed to manage living with a Spanish family, taking classes in Spanish and interning for Spain Glamor? They will expect me to speak Spanish! And rather well, too. I'm terrified.

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Voyage Day 1–Aug 29, 2008

We have officially started our voyage today. I stood in line to board the ship in the sweltering sun for around 45 minutes, finally getting on the boat that will be my home for the next three months at 11:30 am (eastern time). They took my passport and vaccination records, handed me an insurance card, ID card and sent me off to my room. My roommate was already in our cozy cabin, 4157. Her name is Kellie, and she is a senior in some school in New Hampshire, though she is from New Jersey like everyone else on the east coast. She commenced unpacking while I waited for my own luggage to be delivered. It's so weird to compare the amount of stuff I seem to need up in Boston to what I brought on this trip. I needed to pack appropriate clothing for 11 different countries, oh and the ocean. But I was limited to two bags of up to 70 lbs (mine were under 50lbs) plus one carry-on. While I was packing, it felt as if I would never have enough stuff. As soon as I checked my bags at the airpo...

Arrive in Salvador, Brazil

Day 10 Here's the low-down on what I've done so far today in Salvador. We were awakened by chaos in the passport department; they couldn't decide how the process was going to go. First it was by sea, then randomly by name, then they went ahead and had the de-briefing meeting, then the process went back to by sea with random face-to-face stamping. I could have slept in for longer. We finally disembarked after ten am and walked to the elevator that takes you to the upper city. The street we walked along to get to the elevator smelled like urine. Horses kept clomping by, I assume as a part of the Independence Day parade. They were setting up a marketplace in a plaza at the base of the elevator, which we perused, but didn't buy anything in. There was another plaza at the top of the elevator with spectacular views of the bay. People everywhere were were trying to sell us shell necklaces, straw hats and other things. There were street bands playing drums and different in...

For My Mother

My mom is not as knowledgeable in things computer- or internet-related. So this post is for her and people like her. It is an explanation of hyperlinks. Dear mom, As you read my blog posts, you may notice some words are a different color, as if they are being highlighted. Well, these words are the equivalent of a footnote in books. You can click on them for a further explanation or more information. A hyperlink is the term used for these special words. I hope that helps. Love you.

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