Waiting for the ship to come in...

17 days.

1. Semester at Sea

Is this real life? Did I really sign up for a trip around the ENTIRE WORLD?! I can hardly believe it. Chris and I leave for Nassau in exactly 17 days. To Chris, it's just a little 5 day trip to Nassau...but I'm packing for four months and I can't exactly stop at the nearest Wal-Mart.

2. Santa

It feels SO nice to be home from school! It was really weird to say goodbye to everyone after I realized I probably won't see them until August 2011. There are so many pro's and con's to studying abroad in the Spring. I get to miss the really boring, yucky, cold winter months of January and February, don't miss any really big holidays, and I have the whole summer to look forward to as well! The only bad thing I can think of is, while everyone packed up for three weeks of winter break, I had to pack up my ENTIRE room and move it all home in 6 inches of snow. YAY. (And then once the car was packed, the car battery was dead. But that's another story....)

I was so excited and surprised to see Chris walk through the door the night I moved back home. We got to have a little Christmas together after all and I couldn't ask for anything better! What an awesome 12 hours!! He's the greatest!

I feel like I can't even think about packing for SAS until Christmas is over, especially since I believe lots of Christmas is going to revolve around the many random things I need for SAS. Christmas is almost here, the best time of year by far! The days until Jan 8th are ticking away but I'm trying to enjoy as much family and relaxation time as possible....I must say, so far it's been wonderful.

3. Summer

Spring is the time of year to look for internships in the advertising industry for the summer months. Except that's a problem. Because I'll be in the middle of the ocean. But of course Chris came to the rescue once again and contacted a mutual friend who offered me an internship for the summer at Clutch Studios in Chicago. I am SO excited to be in Chi-town for the summer. The best part about it is I wont be wondering where I'll be interning in the summer. Knowing before I leave is such a nice feeling! Now I just have to wonder where I'll be living....Maybe Oprah will offer me a little closet in her condo?

Silas Talbot

My 5th Great Grandfather, Silas Talbot

The USS Constitution (I was a "powder
monkey" when we went to Boston!)

The book I read as a child that inspired
my interest in him

Semester at Sea Essay

A part of the admissions process for Semester at Sea is writing an essay about my personal global perspective. At first I thought this would be easy with my interests in other cultures. It proved harder to write than I thought it would be. There is so much I would like to say on how Semester at Sea could broaden my view on the world! But with 300-500 words, it's hard to fit it all in there. Hopefully Spring 2011 will be a reality. Here it goes:


     The experience of traveling to countries unique from my own will expand the way in which I understand the world. As an American who has never before traveled outside the borders of my country, I feel that I have a rather skewed view of the world. Semester at Sea is personally an important opportunity for me in that I will have the opportunity to see and experience the world through a hands-on learning environment, rather than merely through the words of a college textbook. Visiting different nations, such as China, will enhance my knowledge of cultures different from America’s, and enable me to become a more culturally aware business student.
     Family history is a large part of who I am, and by visiting China, I hope to become familiar with the sights and places my ancestors visited, and cities they lived in, as merchants in the China Trade in the early 1800’s. Knowing the past history of my family, and linking it to the places they traveled to in a much different time, will help me to better understand my place in the world. I must first know about the people and places I come from before I can understand the world itself. Exploring China will allow me to do just that.
     Being immersed into cultures overseas will broaden my perspective on the world by enhancing my knowledge of other countries through interaction, observation, and critical thinking. It will be interesting to learn about the vast history and way of life in China while also linking it to my family’s past. Thinking about the ways in which Chinese culture, or any society for that matter, differs from, yet impacts, American culture, will allow me to better connect and understand the lives of people abroad and at home. It will be a fascinating experience to observe first hand how people in other countries react and interact with those not native to their own. Through my own experience, I will learn how Americans are viewed abroad, which will enhance how I, as an American, view the world. Living and interacting daily with peoples of other countries will expand my world perspective through a personal journey, rather than through the words and stories of others.
     For today’s business student, it has become more important than ever to understand how countries of the world engage in commerce. Our world is more globalized than ever before, driving a need to understand our world neighbors so that we may appropriately and mutually address the issues we now face, with the understanding that our different cultures provide varied perspectives. China is now the third largest economy in the world and an important hub in the business world. Learning what the Chinese value and how they conduct business will become part of my multi cultural experience, which will serve me well in future business endeavors. Businesses touch the lives of people everywhere, and through the greater understanding of cultures and value systems around the world that the Semester at Sea program enables, upon arrival back in the United States, I know I will find myself a changed individual; one who is more culturally aware, well rounded and open minded. I can think of no better way to enhance my personal global perspective than by developing it through travel around the world as a Semester at Sea participant.