Will Driskill: Post 4

Will Driskill Semester at Sea Fall 2019 My Study Abroad Experience It is hard to believe that four short months ago I started my study abroad experience in Amsterdam and now I am about to end it in San Diego, California. Thinking back on the past few months, I am just starting to realize how much of an impact my study abroad program has had on me. It’s not just the unique countries I have been to and the amazing food I have tried, but also the friendships and connections I have made along the way. Having the opportunity to […]

Will Driskill: Post 3

Will Driskill Semester at Sea Fall 2019 As we enter our tenth day at sea, crossing the Atlantic Ocean from Europe and Africa, and head towards South America, I am very aware that Semester At Sea is quite a different and unique study abroad experience. Unlike any other study abroad program, it offers a college semester traveling by sea on a large cruise ship to eleven different countries, and three continents in the span of three plus months. While on the ship, more than four hundred students are taking classes, studying, exercising, eating and socializing while traversing the globe. When […]

Will Driskill: Post 2

Will Driskill Semester at Sea Fall 2019 It has been a little over a month now since I started my journey with Semester at Sea. It is hard to believe that I have already been to five countries in Europe and am now headed to the second continent with this voyage, Africa. Starting in Amsterdam a little over a month ago, I had no idea what to expect. I have never really done solo travel, let alone traveled to five completely different countries in such a short amount of time. Looking back now, it is amazing how much I have […]

Will Driskill: Post 1

Will Driskill Semester at Sea Fall 2019 I started my Semester at Sea adventure about a month ago in Amsterdam, Netherlands and I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Most of my travels before Semester at Sea have consisted of family vacations up and down the East coast. But, my travel bug really started several years back when I traveled to Pamplona, Spain to Run with the Bulls. For many, running with the bulls would be well outside their comfort zone, but I considered that to still be well within my comfort zone because, I traveled to […]

Shemar Blakeney: Post 5

Shemar Blakeney Semester at Sea Fall 2017 Semester at Sea Experience First and foremost, I would like to say Thank You for providing me funding that allowed me to participate in the Semester at Sea Program. With the scholarship, I was able to obtain my passport, visas, and travel expenses. Semester at Sea was an extraordinary experience to say the least. Even though I was only in different countries for an average of 4 days, the experience I had is invaluable. From being able to visit the Taj Mahal to hiking the Great Wall and from trying different foods to, […]

Shemar Blakeney: Post 4

Shemar Blakeney Semester at Sea Fall 2017 I have learned so much on this voyage. My experience is different than what I expected in some ways because what I “thought” a country would be like was completely different; I stereotyped a country before I even visited it due to my “Single-Story Ideology.” I expected to meet astonishing people along the way; however, I did not expect to meet and see so many amazing people. I stereotyped that most of the people on the ship did not have to work as hard to get here, but in actuality, everyone made some […]

Jack Weaver: Post 2

Jack Weaver Semester at Sea Fall 2017 Blog Reflection on South Africa and India After experiencing the sheer beauty of South Africa combined with the abundance of exhilarating activities, I honestly thought that no country on this trip, or likely any country I would ever visit could top my experience here. In South Africa, I went on the most beautiful hike of my life, had some of the best meals I have ever had, went paragliding, went shark cage diving, chartered a yacht for a fishing expedition, toured some of the most beautiful wineries, and stayed at a luxurious safari. […]

Shemar Blakeney: Post 3

Shemar Blakeney Semester at Sea Fall 2017 o So far on my voyage, my favorite food would be Naan, bread from India. I have also eaten squid, octopus, and eel while on the voyage. o I was a member of a South African Musical, which was really fun and amazing. o I spend my free time talking to my friends about anything in the world. All the way from politics to last names. It is a little different from the US because everyone on the ship truly has a different perspective, instead of in the US where it’s just a […]

Jack Weaver: Post 1

Jack Weaver Semester at Sea Fall 2017 For me, there was never a decision to be made about studying abroad, but rather the much more difficult question, which country? When I learned that the ISE (Institute for Shipboard Education) program called Semester at Sea allowed me to visit 11 countries across four continents, I couldn’t resist. After all, my love for travel is what fueled my desire to study abroad in the first place. Therefore, Semester at Sea was a perfect match, with one exception–the means of transportation. I had never so much as been on a ship before, so […]