“How far we travel in life matters less than those we meet along the way.” (Anonymous)
Our account of our Semester at Sea (SAS) Voyage would not be complete without writing about the shipboard experience. Several people on the Voyage—especially those who had made previous SAS voyages—commented that the ship community was their favorite country. We get it, now.
A World of Ship-Friends
This entry is one of the hardest to write. How to describe the ordinary days of an extraordinary experience? How to convey the connections of a lifetime, sometimes made in a moment? How to portray the exceptional encounters of the everyday?
The ship became our “home away from home.” We had 58 days at sea. And, we stayed on the ship during most of our travels in-country. We stayed in hotels 5 days in Japan and 3 days in Ghana. We had 3 overnights in India. Otherwise, we returned to the ship after day excursions.
A hotel commercial tag line: “We’ll leave the light on for you” evokes the feelings we had when returning to our ship-home. After sensory-filled adventures with exotic foods, unknown paths, and strange faces, the ship was a place of “home” comforts—familiar food, folks, and routines. And, we had an immediate space to share travel stories, celebrate shared experiences, and (re)connect ourselves.
Milestones, Connections, and Celebrations
Commemorating significant experiences builds community; in travel, we all have bucket list items; and, in life, it’s important to celebrate milestones. On the ship, those three aspects converged frequently.
Two days after India, on March 7, the ship crossed the Equator. SAS has a long-standing tradition of marking this milestone bucket list item by designating Neptune Day. Neptune Day is celebrated with silly ceremonial rites, including kissing a fish, diving in the pool, and shaving one’s head. We have kissed the Blarney stone in Ireland and done other such rituals in our travels. So, we did not feel compelled to do any of the above Neptune Day rites of passage. However, it was fun to feel the energy of those who did participate (and then take an afternoon nap).
In the aftermath, it was quite cool to see several women who shaved their heads. It felt very Wakanda-ish to see them throughout the ship. We know many of these women and they are awesome; they represent the Wakanda Women well.
Another milestone was sailing by the prime meridian and Null Island, the location of 0° longitude, 0° latitude. Surprisingly, a buoy in the middle of the ocean marks the spot. And, we had a bit of Love Boat romance! Doris, the Fritz bartender, and Siegi, the Hotel Director, got engaged as we sailed past 0°0°. Doris and Siegi made our lives so much more hospitable by their warmth and care. Later, we had a surprise celebration for them.
As we mentioned in a previous post (Life on the Love Boat), while on the ship, students (and faculty) had classes every day. However, evenings were fully programmed, with constant activities and opportunities. Frequently, we had entertainment—including talent shows that were wonderful! Most evenings, we had a lecture in the main auditorium. Interport lecturers, who sailed with us for brief stints, provided excellent information and inspiration about their home countries and other topics. Many of the faculty provided evening lectures. For example, Larry did a talk on the history of social work and an overview of social work practice in the United States. Several students talked with us about Social Work as a professional path.
Early in the voyage, students proposed and selected an array of “Clubs”—from Photography to “Jews on a Cruise.” These clubs had regular meetings and some of them hosted special events for the entire ship community. For example, a “Women’s Group” hosted an International Women’s Day event, with an open mic event that showcased incredible talent and advocacy.
One of the most active clubs was “Humanizing Headlines.” This group, comprised of mostly members from countries other than the U.S., provided important activism-focused content and actions. Of course, as social workers, we were cheering them on! And, they asked Erlene to do an evening presentation on the “EASY activism” framework she developed.
Occasionally, the calendar allowed for a “Study Day”—with no classes. On those days, the ship community participated in special programming. For instance, one day was the tradition of “Sea Olympics.” On SAS voyages, the students are divided into “Sea” groups; each group is assigned a Resident Assistant. The Sea Olympics was a day-long event in which the Seas (e.g., Red Sea; Baltic Sea, etc.) competed against each other. Notably, the Staculty, companions, life-long learners, and Ship-kids had a Sea, which was dubbed “Luna Sea.” (ha!) This fun day included a range of events, from volleyball, tug-a-war, and ping-pong to Rubik’s Cube spin-off to “Cheeto Beard” Contest.
It’s the Village, People!
Life on the ship was like a college campus or small village. We had 580 students from 219 universities representing 39 countries. In addition, there were 57 faculty/staff, 74 companions and life-long learners, and 176 crew members.
The heart of our community was the ship’s crew. We have never encountered a more diligent and delightful group of people. These folks kept the vessel and all its operations, shall we say, in ship-shape. And, one evening they put on a talent show that was incredible; such talent!
The faculty and staff (staculty) were, overwhelmingly, gifted, generous, dedicated folks. As well, the life-long learners and companions (those, like Erlene, traveling with staculty) were an essential part of our experience. Most of us congregated frequently in “The Fritz,” which was a “No Students or Children” zone. During the day, this space was an office/work/social area for faculty, staff, life-long-learners, and adult companions. In the evenings, it was a bar. One unanticipated part of this trip: The amount of time we spent in a bar! Doris’s margaritas may be the thing we miss most. 😊
Erlene especially enjoyed her walking “track” on Deck 9, which had glorious views of the ocean. Talk about a great “beach walk.” Practically every day, when at sea, she walked and was frequently accompanied by other walkers. And, of course, these walks involved Talks: Fun and meaningful connections.
The “Ship Kids”—minors who accompanied staculty—were a fabulous part of the Ship community. As a group, they were involved in so much of ship-life. It was fun to see their interactions amongst themselves and their genuine contributions to the Village. The intergenerational aspect of this experience was lovely!
And, finally, of course: The students. OMG! What amazing people! Sure, some obnoxious, irritating, and even worrisome situations arose. It’s a privilege to travel on SAS; and some folks’ privilege showed out in obnoxious ways. And, sometimes, we just wanted the constant, high-pitched chattering to stop. LOL. And, in case you didn’t know, binge-drinking is a problem for U.S. college students. (Duh?) Oh, and, don’t even get us started on SELFIES!
Yet, overwhelmingly, these students were interesting, engaged, smart, talented, and just plain fun! Overall, the students were invested, respectful, and took this unique experience seriously. The students were generally more knowledgeable and aware of international events and history than most! One of Larry’s classes had 9 countries represented, which made the learning processes particularly rich. We had countless incredible connections with students who enriched our understanding, entered our hearts, and just made the journey so much more enjoyable!
We have to say that the 10 Western Kentucky University (WKU) students, for whom we were ship uncle and aunt, were the BEST ship family ever. (In our totally unbiased opinion). We shared Valentine’s Day, celebrated birthdays, and other family times. We were so PROUD of how all the Hilltoppers represented themselves, WKU, and KY. They had different personalities and interests; so, they engaged in different ways. To a person, they were involved contributors to the ship community and superb world travelers! Gooooo, Tops!
And, we are forever connected with our ship-daughter, Megan H, with whom Erlene connected at the Waterfall tour in Hawaii. From that first meeting, we just knew we were family. Our connection was solidified constantly and sometimes eerily throughout the journey. We got to meet her Mom #1 in Amsterdam and felt like old friends. We know that our paths will continue to cross…and eagerly await her first visit to Louisville. Besides, our “ship kid” needs to meet our “airplane kid.” 😊
Travelers Make the Best Companions on Life’s Journey
We told people, before embarking on this journey, that this Voyage would be wonder-ful and that we would have a delight-ful time. We knew that would be true, because we are travelers. We know the joys we find in travel and the excitement and growth we’ve experienced in previous trips. And, we knew that anyone who would choose to be go on a 4-month voyage to see the world was likely a traveler, too.
A traveler is a particular kind of person. A true traveler is a global citizen who recognizes the interconnections of our planet and our shared humanity. A traveler never meets a stranger, because we know that strangers are just friends we have not met yet. And, to go on a journey with other travelers deepens, expands, and heightens the experience in exponential ways. We are fortunate to have traveled the world, while having a ship-home full of traveler-companions.
We hope our paths continue to cross and that many of our companions will find their way to our Louisville home. And, we know that our shared travels will keep us connected.
