Today I began creating my travel blog and packing list for Semester at Sea in spring 2010. I leave on 16 January when I fly to San Diego for the night before taking a bus to Mexico to board the ship on the 17th; the ship is named "the Explorer." I have gotten all of my visas, except for Brazil which we do from Africa while we are on the ship, and all of my vaccinations [Yellow Fever, Polio, Meningitis, and Hepatitis A].

The University of Virginia Bookstore ships my textbooks directly to the ship so I do not have to pack or carry them, which is exciting! Also, I can get mail on the ship [I have copied and pasted the addresses below], it just has to be sent with enough time to get to port when I will be in port [which could take a while depending on the country].

PORT

ADDRESS OF PORT AGENT

SUGGESTED AIRMAIL DATE

Hilo, HAWAII
Phone: 1 808 599 8604
Fax: 1 808 599 1950

Inchcape Shipping Services
521 Ala Moana Blvd.
Suite 256
Honolulu, HI 96813

January 11

Honolulu, HAWAII
Phone: 1 808 599 8604
Fax: 1 808 599 1950

Inchcape Shipping Services
521 Ala Moana Blvd.
Suite 256
Honolulu, HI 96813

January 13

Yokohama, JAPAN
Phone: 81 45.201 6991
Fax: 81 45.212 1614

INCHCAPE SHIPPING SERVICES
F Asahi Seimei Yokohama Honcho Bldg
36, 4-Chome Honcho, Naka-ku
Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa-ken 231-0005, JAPAN

January 26

Kobe, JAPAN
Phone: 81 78 391 3046
Fax: 81 78 391 3105

Inchcape Shipping Services (Japan) Ltd.
Kenryu Bld, Room 502
6, Kaigan-dori, Chuo-ku
Kobe-shi, Hygo-ken 650-0024, JAPAN

January 29

Shanghai, CHINA
Phone: 86 21 6323 1350
Fax: 86 21 6329 1519

Penavico Shanghai
3/F 13 Zhong Shan Road (E 1)
Shanghai 200002, P.R. CHINA

February 2

HONG KONG, CHINA
Phone: 852 2786 1155
Fax: 852 2744 3240

Inchcape Shipping Services (HK) Ltd.
Units 1802-1805, 18th Floor
N° 3 Lockhart Road Wanchai,
HONG KONG - CHINA

February 5

Ho Chi Minh City, VIET NAM
Phone: 84 8 626 19602
Fax: 84 8 626 19603

CONTINENTAL CO LTD
55 Le Quoc Street
Ward 12
D. 4, Ho Chi Minh City, VIETNAM

February 12

Chennai, INDIA
Phone: 91 44 252 12032
Fax: 91 44 252 43813

J. M. Baxi & Co.
3rd Floor, Clive Battery Complex
4 & 4A, Rajaji Salai
Chennai 600 001, INDIA

February 25

Cochin, INDIA
Phone: 84 8 825 7996
Fax: 852 2744 3240

J.M. BAXI & CO
N°26/1566 Subramaniam Road
Willingdon Island
KOCHI 682003, INDIA

March 1

Port Louis, MAURITIUS
Phone: 230 202 70 40
Fax: 230 208 5814

Ireland Blyth Limited
Shipping Operations Department
No 6 Dr Ferriere Street
Port Louis, MAURITIUS

March 9

Cape Town, SOUTH AFRICA
Phone: 27 21 419 8660
Fax: 27 21 413 0290

JOHN T. RENNIE & SONS
19th FLOOR
No.1 Thibault Square
8001 Cape Town, SOUTH AFRICA

March 18

Tema (Accra), GHANA
Phone: 233 22 300 894 / 5
Fax: 233 22 202 989

HULL BLYTH
Seatec House / PO Box CO 214
Akosombo Road
Tema, GHANA

March 29

Salvador, BRAZIL
Phone: 55 71 3241 4990
Fax: 55 71 3243 5633

OCEANUS AGENCIA MARITIMA
Av. Estados Unidos, 555
7th Floor / room 712
40015-010 Salvador, BRAZIL

April 2

The addresses can also be found at this link: http://www.semesteratsea.org/voyages/spring-2010/spring-2010-staying-in-touch.php

Until the trip I do not have much to do aside from continue to pay it off. Sometime in the next week I should know which excursions I have gotten [as they are first come first serve and I got my paperwork in as quickly as possible]. I need to go ahead and exchange some currency and possibly get some travelers checks, although some of the countries I am going to will not accept them.

I went to Drake and Mason's classes and gave each of them a big map with my trip mapped out for them to follow me around the world. The kids can send me mail and letters and I will send them some pictures and post cards through power-point and the mail. Once I get back from the trip they asked me to come back and bring pictures and some of the things I got to show the kids [they are in 1st grade and Kindergarten].

I am taking, as of now, four classes while abroad: Biology of Sharks, Child Development around the World, Identity Development, and Global Studies. Once we get on the ship there is a chance to sign up for another class which I am hoping to do because I normally take 18 hours so taking only 12 seems strange to me. We only have class when we are not in port, which means we have less class than normal which I am obviously fine with.

Christmas is in two days and I think I am going to be getting some more things for the trip which is super helpful because whatever I do not get, I have to buy to make sure that I will have everything I need while I am gone. A lot of what I want, or prefer, is much cheaper and easier to find in the US than in Viet Nam or on the ship.

I am going to bring my Mind before Mouth [www.MindB4Mouth.webs.com] stickers with me on the trip to put up and give out, as well as some of Bobby's Bag Man [www.MySpace.com/BagMan911] stickers with me. I have to remember to take some "I Love the Eclectic Chef" pictures as well as I am not on the wall yet at the restaurant and that is kind of a bummer. I got a lot of addresses from my friends at home / school so I can send post cards and such, so I have a feeling I will be buying more t-shirts and post cards than anything else [big surprise].

I looked up the weather for all of the places as well, in average highs/lows:

1.San Diego: 50/66

2.Hawaii: 63/80

3.Japan: 34/47

4.China: 47/76

5.Viet Nam: 74/91

6.India: 74/91

7.Mauritius: 75/87

8.South Africa: 56/72

9.Ghana: 75/90

10.Brazil: 73/83

For New Years Eve, Bobby and I are going to a SC Stingrays / FL Everblades Hockey game which I am really excited about. He is in Maryland right now and will be back a couple of days after Christmas, possibly soon enough to go to a Wailer's concert at the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach that I really want to go to because I have never seen them live before. I still have to figure out how to get my allergy shots on the ship since I am in maintenance now, but I think all I have to do is mail them and then bring them onto the ship with me. I think that is all I know as of now, especially since I have not even gotten to Christmas, let alone January yet…