Begin at the Beginning

Greetings from the Mediterranean! We made it! My apologies for not posting to the blog sooner. I have been having a bout of creative writer’s block and didn’t want to just post something boring. However I have come to the conclusion that most of you are probably anxiously awaiting some sort of update. This particular post may not be as lively as others, but keep in mind that I am working up to the funny stories, and as the days pass I accumulate more material. So here goes…


I departed from the sweltering jungle of Ft. Lauderdale on the night of June 10th. Mom, Dad and Grandma were there to send me off and wave goodbye to me through my giant cabin window! That’s right, I was upgraded to a cabin with not JUST a porthole, but a window this time! I will write a separate post about my cabin with pictures as I have had a lot of requests on this specific topic. In brief, I have a cabin to myself with plenty of closet and drawer space. And it is perfect!

So we were at sea for 4 days sailing up the coast to Halifax, Nova Scotia, where the students eventually boarded on the 15th. Since the ship is registered in Nassau, it cannot leave AND return to US ports with paying passengers aboard. We will return to Norfolk, VA in August, which is why we originate our voyage in Canada.

Anyway, those 4 days at sea consisted of mainly orientation for the faculty and staff. Not very exciting, and much of it was repetitive for me. But it was a good opportunity to get reacquainted with the ship and ISE staff. It didn’t take long for me to settle back into the routine and get my sea legs. I feel in a former life I must have been a creature of the sea!

Halifax was great. We were only there a short time and much of that consisted of hosting the parent reception and getting all 738 students aboard! I managed to spend one afternoon just walking around the city and on the boardwalk, which lines the harbor. The seafood was fabulous and the city is very clean! The weather was a bit chilly (similar to Seattle temps) but a nice change after a week in the steam bath of Florida! Hopefully I will get back to visit again one day.

On June 15th, 738 students lined up with their parents, friends and siblings at various times starting at 0800. The boarding process took 7 hours when everything was finally finished. Dr. Tanya and I walked the line outside speaking to parents and students and answering questions. And to be perfectly honest, after seeing ALL of the luggage that people brought for 66 days, I am surprised this ship is still afloat!

We set sail at 5pm into 22 knots of wind and building seas. And then the fun began…