Welcome Home pictures

I'm slowly adjusting back to reality. I had the best welcome home weekend EVER! Lots of family and delicious homecooked food.

HOME!

It feels GREAT to be home! Thank you for reading throughout my semester abroad. I greatly appreciate all the support and love.

Off to spend time with my amazing family and tackle unpacking my three massive suitcases.

BonVoyage!

Costa Rica was awesome! Time went be really fast. Here is a brief description without much reflection…

The first day Kristen and I, along with 144 other SASers went on a Canopy Adventure where we ziplinned over a giant valley, in the canopy, atop the canopy and even took a gondola back up to the top. The longest zip line was over ½ mile long! It was an awesome experience. The rest of the day we walked along the water’s edge and toured the local market that had everything from postcards to jewelry. Afterwards we found an internet café that was only $2USD for one hour. It was great! I was able to catch up on emails and even use skype. Kristin and I had a delicious dinner across the street from the beach complete with homemade tortillas.

Our last day in Costa Rica was hot! The walk down the dock to reach the actual city of Puntarenas was about ¾ mile in the SUN! Kristin and I ventured out early to get more postcards. I actually bought a hammock and hope it will fit into my suitcase. In the afternoon, I was hoping to get on one of the SAS sponsored horseback riding tours but unfortunately could not, so I ended up catching up on my journal and relaxing on the empty air conditioned ship. It was nice.

The past two days have been surreal. I’m slowly realizing that I’ll be sleeping in my own bed in 4 nights!! Lauren packed up her entire side of the cabin yesterday! I’m procrastinating packing until tomorrow when we’re not going through the Panama Canal.

(Story mostly for family…)This morning I woke up and looked in the mirror and saw that my right was really swollen. It had been sore yesterday, but nothing compared to today. I visited the clinic and the doctor said that my tear duct is infected and that he didn’t see a sti. I have eye antibiotics that I use four times a day. Hopefully it will feel better tomorrow and I’ll be able to wear contacts.

This morning everyone woke up early to watch the ship go through the Panama Canal. I guess I was naive in thinking that the canal would maybe be a mile long…wrong. It has been an all day process. Right now we’re entering our last set of locks (the Gatun Locks), after cruising through the largest man made lake in the world- Lake Gatun. There is a website where you can watch the ship go through the canal. I’ve heard that the site keeps still-photos uploaded even after we’ve pasted through, but I’m not sure since I don’t have access to the site.

http://www.pancanal.com/eng/photo/camera-java.html

Lunch today was a BBQ out on the pool deck. I’m slowly packing and hoping both bags will be under 50 lbs. One of Lauren’s bags I could fit in and I swear weighs more than me. Tonight is the “No Talent Show” and tomorrow the real fun begins- packing and logistical meetings.

This will be my last blog until I’m home. I do not have anymore internet minutes. I can’t WAIT to be home and hug my family.

P.S. Thank you for the letters in Costa Rica!!

Here are some random pictures that I had on my flash drive.

Top Left- water polo in JAPAN!!
top middle- Lauren, the Staff Captain and I throwing the NOAA buoys overboard
Top Right- Life boat drills! Long pants, long sleeves, hats and closed toed shoes in 80 degree humid weather...fun stuff!!
Bottom Left- one of many beautiful sunsets from Hawaii to Costa Rics
Bottom Middle- A young girl at the Hy Vong school for the deaf in Vietnam
bottom right- Lightshow in Hong Kong

IM DONE!!!

So I just finished my LAST final of my JUNIOR year in college!! EXCITING! I treated myself to a smoothie at the snack bar. Compared to finals at home, these finals weren’t that bad at all! My grades aren’t final yet but unofficially I got an A (93%) in Marine Conservation and Diversity and a B (88%) in my Human Effects on Coastal Systems class. There is still no grade for World Lit and Global Studies.

Tomorrow we arrive in Costa Rica. I can’t wait to set foot on land!!! Finals made these ten days at sea seem REALLY long. The weather has been gorgeous. ( 85 degrees and HUMID) I’ve been lying out in the sun and studying in morning before mass amounts of people flood the decks. Last night at sunset we saw 4 Sea Turtles and this morning out my window I saw a pod of dolphin jumping and playing. Tomorrow morning, in Costa Rica I’m doing a Canopy Adventure and the other one and a half days are unplanned.

It still hasn’t sunk in that in one week I get to sleep in my OWN bed!! I can’t believe this voyage is almost OVER!

Thanks for all the comments. I will try and post after Costa Rica but I only have 12 internet minutes left and sometimes the internet takes FOREVER.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!! I will try and call later.

Have fun at the all class reunion this Saturday!!

Good Luck this weekend in Connecticut Girls Polo!!