2 days until Spain!

Well I have now officially been living aboard the MV Explorer for a week. I am surprised at how quickly it because something normal to see only water 24 hours a day and live in such a small community. It is like living in the dorms on campus but everything is even more compacted. I can go to the gym, go to class, eat, tan, sleep, shower and everything else all within a short walk from each other. Another aspect of this particular ship is that you see your professors in class, then 5 minutes later on the treadmill next to you and then sitting at the dinner table with you. It is kind of strange since I am used to 500 person classes where I can barely even see the professor's face. I like it though because it makes them seem much more personable and easy to talk to, (especially since they come to class in jeans, t-shirts and sandals). Another aspect that is different from normal school is that we go to class 7 days a week while at sea and then we get like a week off in port. It is kind of cool but makes it hard to take school seriously :)

It is really interesting meeting people from all over the United States and makes me realize how different one state really is from the next. There are a lot of different opinions and values that are prominent in each state or area and are mostly different from California's way of life. Even small differences surprise me such as the fact that recycling isn't free in other states or you can drink in restaurants if your parents are there or even if you are married to someone over 21. My friend from schools' roommate is from Georgia and we have had the chance to pick his brain on what life is like there. Basically three people from California were in awe of some of the norms there that he was telling us about. A few that come to mind are: most kids go to etiquette school for 2 years, they call anyone older including their parents by sir or maam and he is pretty convinced that fried chicken is a healthy food. I found all of this and more really interesting because it is just so different from life in California.

Most of the students have now figured out that the reason it takes us 9 days to cross the Atlantic is because they are purposely going slow so we can get our classes in. That makes for an antsy bunch of people. Anyways, I am very excited to arrive in Spain and also to walk on the land again. We have a pre-port meeting tonight and tomorrow, which should be helpful for traveling tips etc. My plans for Spain are all trips through Semester at Sea. First, a city orientation in Cadiz, then a flamenco and bullfight that night. The next day I leave for a 2 day trip to Seville and Cordoba, which are both supposed to be really cool cities. The last day is open so I will figure that out when I get there.

Well we are now 8 hours ahead of California so it's dinner time here, while you all might still be sleeping or working or in class. Feel free to e-mail me at naheller@semesteratsea.net, it's really fun to get e-mails and feel somewhat connected to life in the U.S.