Two Weeks From Today!!!

I can't believe in 14 days I will be on my way to the airport to board my plane for England!!! This is absolutely unreal, I am so excited!
I've only been home two weeks this summer and everyday has consisted of getting read for my trip. I never imagined it would take so much planning ahead of time to get everything prepared. I keep learning more and more things that I will need, such as universal adapters since the outlets are different in each country! Today my LL Bean duffel suitcase came in the mail, making this trip even more of a reality! My friends know I have a problem with overpacking..so me packing for two and a half months is going to be QUITE the struggle. I am limited to my rolling duffel suitcase which I will check, and then I'm bringing a large duffel and backpack as a carry on. I honestly have no idea how I'm going to make everything fit; I simply have too much stuff! Not to mention I'll have to bring big items such as beach towel, sweatshirts, shoes (huge problem right there, I'm already planning on taking 7 pairs whoops!), and then sooo much more! It will without a doubt be challenging.

So my roommate and I will be leaving Detroit Thursday, June 13th at 10pm and will arrive in London around 11am the next morning Friday the 14th. We are then meeting a group of girls also from the SAS program in the airport and staying in a hostel a couple miles from downtown London called St. Christopher's Camden. We will then spend time in London the 14th, 15th, and 16th.

St. Christopher's Camden Hostel in London

SAS will then provide shuttles to the ship the morning of the 17th and then we'll be off!! The first couple of days aboard the MV Explorer will be for orientation and what not and then we start our classes June 19th. I am taking Marine Biology, Law and Society, and Architectures of the Mediterranean. We will only have class while we are aboard the ship, not while we are in port. There will be 24 total class days on board, which includes our finals. I'm excited for these courses because they are extremely different from the typical early childhood education courses I take at my home school.

We will then arrive to our first country Morocco on June 23rd! We port in Casablanca, however we will be taking the train to Marrakech and be staying in a beautiful riad. We are staying in Riad Papillon and it looks incredible! There are only five rooms in the entire place and it seems really homey! It's located right in the ancient district of the Marrakech Medina square and is only a ten minute walk from the famous Jemaa el-Finaa Square. We are also planning on going on a camel trek in the Marrakech Palmeraie! I am seriously so excited, I can't believe this is real.

Riad Papillon in Marrakech, Morocco

After Morocco, we will be going to Turkey, Greece, Italy, Malta, France, Spain, Portugal, and then England to fly home. The only other independent traveling I have planned as of right now is in France. While we are porting in Marseilles, I told myself if I am in France I absolutely must go to Paris. So even though I won't get there until 11 at night on August 3rd, and will be leaving the morning of August 5th, I am so thrilled to be able to spend a full day and night in Paris! We decided to book Hotel Louvre Marsollier Opera which is right in downtown Paris and Oscar Wilde used to live there!

Hotel Louvre Marsollier Opera in Paris, France

For the rest of the countries, I am going to figure out my independent travel plans once I get on the ship and meet people! I decided to do three field programs through Semester at Sea. My first one (also the one I'm most excited for) is while we are in Istanbul Turkey. We will be visiting Cappadocia  where we will visit the underground cities at Kaymakli, which descend nine floors below ground level. We will then explore the landscape of Nevsehir, watch a Whirling Dervishes performance, and then eat dinner and spend the night to wrap up Day One. Day Two begins with a 90 minute HOT AIR BALLOON RIDE!!! I've ALWAYS wanted to go on a hot air balloon and now I will be able to! And in Turkey out of all places!!! I am probably most looking forward to this out of the entire Semester at Sea program. Afterwards, we will visit the Goreme Valley, Avanos, Prtahisar, and Sinassos and then fly back to Istanbul.

Hot Air Balloon Ride in Cappadocia, Turkey

My next field program isn't until Malta. My Marine Biology professor will be taking us to swim with huge tuna!  We will then visit the caves on the island of Comino and swim in the Blue Lagoon, which was featured in the movies Troy and The Count of Monte Cristo.

My last field program will take place in Portugal. Here I will have two hours of surf lessons and a one hour yoga workshop. I've always wanted to try surfing and now I have the chance!

I will spend the rest of my time in the countries doing independent travel! Once I know more I will post those details. This whole experience is just so unreal. There is SO much to be done in the next two weeks and I'm slightly freaking out, but I know it will all get done so I'm not going to worry too much! While I'm on the ship I won't be able to communicate with anyone back home besides through email. So email me at leah.francis.su13@semesteratsea.org and I will communicate that way! I honestly feel like I'm traveling back in time to an age before cell phones when people kept in contact only through email it's so weird. And then while I am in port, I'm going to put my iphone on airplane mode and just connect through wifi so I'll be able to imessage and us apps like snapchat and facebook! I've also heard Viber and WhatsApp are great for communicating too. I still am currently using a Motorola Razr haha but luckily my upgrade to get an iphone is the DAY I leave for England...so lucky!

I think that's basically everything for now! Less than 14 DAYS!!! AHHH :)