sunshine all day!

So overall today has been pretty wonderful! And this is because it was not really windy and dark, but warm and sunny! So I sat out a lot today and (tried) to get some homework done, I actually think I’m kind of burnt as the sun out in the middle of the ocean nearer the equator is probably a lot more intense than my Midwest sun that I’m used to. (so it’s a good thing I brought that aloe even though half of it spilled in my suitcase) But it was just really perfect, because it was warm but not hot because of the wind and perfect sun.

OH! By the way we left from San Diego CA not San Francisco (which I spelled wrong anyway), but I guess documentation of this stat the captain wanted to throw us into being used to ship life, so we were going at full speed (30knots) at the beginning and now we’re doing much less, today about 13! And it’s really calm and wonderful, like the ocean is purple it’s so blue! And behind our ship (it’s a ship not a boat I guess) it’s this really light aqua blue, it’s cool. I think I’ve decided I’m going to keep all my classes, half the ship is dropping and adding and I don’t really want to deal with it.

my architecture teacher is this hilarious incredibly ancient woman who we saw fall asleep the first night of lectures and she’s going to be hard, she’s really hard to hear and has already assigned a lot of homework, – also rumor has it she’s a genius! She invented some part of the Suez Canal, that helps… I have no idea but I’ll let you know when I find out. She’s lived everywhere and seems like she knows (or at one point knew, she seems a little loopy) a lot, after one class I can already give you a run down on some basic physics involved in architecture… kind of. My Globalization Macro class teacher is really very funny and does not seem too hard, also this class has a lot of hot guys in it. haha, I’m going to keep the philosophy class because even though it’s completely pointless for me it will be good to do some deep thinking and a discussion orientated class will be good for making friends (and hopefully not enemies!). Anyway I feel like I am learning A LOT. My mom said this school would probably be really easy because the teachers are here to see the world but University of Virginia just took full control of SAS this summer (rather than partial which they have been the past 2 years), and they decided they really wanted to up the academic reputation and all that, it’s pretty intense but also I guess you just learn a lot because traveling and meeting new people you learn a lot about yourself, and also it’s really easy to get interested and really learn about issues and history of places that you’re going to be in soon! Right now in Global Studies we’re learning some overall stuff and also views of Americans from different countries… which is good so I don’t get myself killed somewhere.

Today was also good because I found out I did get the field trips I wanted! In China I will be in Beijing and in Xi’an and in India I will be doing it all! Seeing the Taj Mahall and Delhi and Veranasi… where the holy river is! Please don’t judge my spelling, it’s horrible. Ahhhh but it’s very exciting to know where I’ll be going. All have to worry about is planning Japan and Hawaii. But I’m making more friends, I met another girl from DePaul tonight and there are two boys from DePaul in 2 of my classes!

Life on here is definitely easy to get used to. We have these swipe cards, which are like magic, as they are the only way to pay for things and seemingly without consequence. I’m pretty impressed with the prices of things though, really they could charge us a ton of money but a massive bottle of water is $1.50, a bag of pretzels are the same price, I got a (really really good) smoothie today for $3.50. but I don’t want to get out of control as this little card can buy me things like pedicures and haircuts and massages from the spa as well… haha I’ll just say, “well mom I had to buy another book! French Manicure was the name of it.” Anyway it is on MY credit card but yeah. Today outside was really really nice. And I was out of class by 10:35 so I guess that helped, it’s funny because my only time commitment was my 1-2pm exercise appointment, and I felt like I had a lot to do. Haha. By the way today I did the elliptical and it was a lot less nauseous process than the treadmill. Also we had lunch with some life long learners, whom are old(er) people on the boat along for the trip and they sit in on some classes. It was interesting/nice to talk to some adults but they made me mad because they’ve been all over the world a lot and Hawaii 7 or 8 times, and all the countries on our trip except Egypt and uh, I just felt like it wasn’t fair. But maybe some day that will be me?? We’ll see.

tonight we retard our clocks another hour! To retard is the proper maritime terminology for setting back one’s clocks when traveling through time zones. So we retarded the clocks last night and will do so again tonight. I really think that traveling around the world in the direction I am going is the only way to do it, we get to sleep an hour later almost each day, going in the opposite direction I’m not sure I’d make it, breakfast closes every day at 8:30am and though I eventually hope to teach myself to eat less than I am in this first, getting comfortable on ship week, I am allowing myself to eat… what I need to.

So now this is quite long and as much as you miss me you’re probably not even reading this! So my cell phone currently reads “cellular at sea” which is cute and funny and means I’ve been receiving (but cannot send) text messages! And have gotten a bunch from my mom which make me very happy and I’m not sure I’d be alive without them, I might have thrown myself off the back. Miss you! :( :( :( now I'm going to bed because it's 10pm and I am TIRED. haha. But I bet Brett, my roomate, and I will chat and chat instead.