Hey everyone!
I don´t even know where to begin, there´s just so much to say. I guess I´ll start with the most recent and work my way backwards. Right now it´s January 26th at 20:00 (8pm) my time. I actually auditioned for the Performance Lab class today and I´ll find out if I made it sometime soon.
Yesterday at 22:15 (10:15pm) we departed San Juan, Puerto Rico.
So I was in Puerto Rico for 3 days and it was absolutely beautiful. The first day, a few of my friends and I walked all around Old San Juan. We visited El Morro, the fort that the United States attacked in the war of 1898 when they gained Puerto Rico as a territory. We also ate authentic Puerto Rican food for really cheap-all I know is that I had LOTS of platanos dulces (sweet plantains) and they were delicious! It just so happened that we ended up traveling with two Dominican students and a Puerto Rican student who did all the talking (so I didn´t get to practice my Spanish very much), but that´s ok-we had a great time and saw so much. That evening I attended a welcome reception at La Universidad de Puerto Rico that I cannot even begin to describe. From the Bomba music to the gracious students to the presents and Salsa dancing, it was unforgettable!!
The next day I did homework (I know, BORING, but I had a ton to read). Luckily, that night we got to return the favor and host a welcome reception on the ship for the Puerto Rican students and faculty that were so amazing to us. I´m an ambassador on the ship, so I got to give tours and met some truly inspiring people. During the reception, they showed the Semester at sea video-and I just lost it and started crying. I have no idea why it hit me at that moment, but I realized how profound this voyage is really going to be, and how many lives we´re going to touch and vice versa in every country we go to. After the reception, my friends and I went out Bomba dancing! I figured I´d worked enough and we went dancing at a local bar with a live band until late in the night... it was nice to finally cut loose a little.
On my last day (yesterday) I woke up obscenely early (remember I got back late) to go on a trip to the Rio Camuy Caves in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. The stalactites and stalagmites were stunning. The cavern we visited was 180 feet high and was home to a plethora of beautiful vegetation and underground water sources.
So that was Puerto Rico in a nutshell.
Other than that, life on the ship has been smooth sailing, no pun intended, I promise. The first day was really choppy and I had to use half a seasickness patch or else... well, I´m sure you can guess. My roommate is awesome and we´ve been getting along well. My classes are intense, it´s going to be a lot of work-but I wouldn´t have it any other way.
That´s pretty much all that has been going on! My next port of call is Salvador, Brazil and that is truly going to be an experience. I´ll link some pictures to this blog as soon as I get the chance... but here are a few to tie you all over. Miss you all.
"Life is not a journey to the grave with intentions of arriving safely in a pretty well-preserved body, but
rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming ... WOW! What a ride!"--Anonymous
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