And we're off!!!

Last night at around 7pm, my new home, the MV Explorer, departed from Ensenada, Mexico. We left around two hours later than planned because we encountered some difficulties with immigration, but in the end all went smoothly and we began our journey around the world! We are now on our way to our first port in Hilo, Hawaii.

My roommate's name is Marissa and she's from Manchester, New Hampshire but she attends school in Boston as a Marketing Major. Our room is a bit bigger than I expected since we were upgraded from Deck 2 to Deck 3. The noise and vibration levels, however, are much higher than I anticipated. The room is all the way in the back of the boat, right next to the engine. My mom had warned me that its noisy by the engine room, but I didn't get it at the time. I know I'll get used to it in no time, but it feels a little strange to have your bed vibrate constantly. On the bright side, I guess its like having a massaging bed except I don't have to ever add quarters. Plus, the rocking motion of the ship definitely puts you to sleep. A lot of people were having trouble staying awake yesterday. Even more people have difficulty staying upright. Its pretty clear that we haven't developed our sea legs yet because most of the students run into each other as we meander down the hallways and up the stairs. But I already feel like my balance has improved and I imagine that when we arrive in Hawaii it will feel quite strange to walk around on land again.

Yesterday my roommate and I pulled down the painting in our room to read what previous tenant wrote and here's some of their advice:

"Welcome Aboard! You are about to have the best time of your life. First off, recognize how damn lucky you are to be here. Secondly, open your mind and leave all perceptions and bad things at the port... you are going to meet the best people in the countries... always smile, talk to locals and surround yourself with drama-free people. This room is a cave, but trust me you will grow to love it... the noise will be annoyingat first but later you cannot sleep without it."

"Travel independently, get your butt up to watch sunsrises! Drinking isn't evenything- you're only in these countries onceand drinking will always be there. Ride on mopeds every chance you get! Avoid Chinese police and security at all costs! Stay calm, everything will work out. Overall, be open and grateful for this experience... remember you are sailing around the world! P.S. Rules are meant to be broken"

"Welcome to 3159! You will always be the first awake in the morning coming into port because the room shakes uncontrollably. Secure your belongings, tape the drawers shut when you hit rough seas. Assume positive intent, this trip is too short to waste time on drama. Avoid cliques, meet as many people as you possibly can! Going out at night can be amazing but culture beats nightlife. Don't waste time in port being hungover! Don't let the pre-ports scare you. Take travel warnings with a grain of salt. Try the food! Even if you get sick, its worth it!!! Meet locals, they will make your trip! You don't have to spend a lot of money to have a great time. Overall, stay positive and flexible- you will feel negative at times but remember- you are circumnavigating the globe!"

"Townships, homestays and orphanages are a MUST! Get to know the crew, they're AWESOME! The friends you make on this trip will be live no others- love them! If you are ever depating doing, buying or seeing something- just do it! You won't get another chance like this!"

"Don't live with regrets! Do EVERYTHING! Now is the time to find who you are and who you could be!"

On that note, I'm off to orientation to discuss the integrated learning environment on the ship.

Ta ta for now!