Embarkation day, also known as the day the journey begins, is one of the most memorable days for any participant commencing his/her trip with Semester at Sea. For myself, this voyage has been a journey of first, my first time flying alone, first time crossing the border to Mexico, as well as my first time seeing the ship, where I would be residing for the next four months as we sailed around the world.
Embarkation day was reminiscent of my first day of kindergarten, as I rode a roller coaster of emotions, ranging from excitement to fear. Every face was a new face; every room was a new room. The ship is filled with people from all over the world, each person with a unique story to share. Being surrounded by so many cultures, in such a limited area is what makes the ship so intriguing. Before embarking on the MV Explorer I had traveled on large cruise ships and smaller boats, but never with the intention of calling these floating quarters “home”. Many of the students that I’ve met on the Spring 2015 voyage have never even been on a small boat, which I find extremely brave, to board this ship and travel the world.
The most mind-boggling feeling was when the ship first began to stir in the water. As we all stood on the aft deck, taking in our last moments of land, my thoughts ran wild about what might lie ahead. Everyone gazed off at the twinkling mountains of Ensenada, knowing only what we have been told, and that our lives were about to be transformed. Once the lights in the distance disappeared and we were surround by nothing but water, was when the journey began to deem real. The only thing left to look back at then was the wake of the ship, and to ponder what’s to come from this life-changing journey.
