Bon Voyage!

This morning (June 15) I woke up around 6:00 and said bye to the cute cottage I’ve been staying in with my family in Chester Basin, Nova Scotia. We packed up and drove about an hour (got lost, we missed Exit 0… go figure) to Halifax, to board my new home!
My time to board the ship (not “boat”, they stress this in humorous ways) was 9 but I didn’t get in line until around 930. The line was all the way down a street, in the cold, strong wind. It was funny because we all said they should move the line to the other side, where it was sunny. My parents and brother waited in line with me for about 30 minutes then they had to take my dad to the airport to fly back home. In line, I met a girl, whose name I forgot but I’m sure I’ll see her again, who is a Pi Phi at the University of Colorado. Interesting fact: 39 students are from U of Colorado on this thing! We waited in line together for about 2 hours. We joked that when we got to the front to go through customs, the workers would take a break. And then, as we were next to go through, a lady put a sign in front and said the workers were going on a “union break” for an hour! We sat and chatted, then got on finally! I got so lost on this huge ship, but there were helpers on every corner directing you to where you needed to go.  Then, Shea and I sat in the room trying to figure out where to put everything. This room is so small but I have a feeling we won’t be in it much! It’s half the size that my dorm room was! Next, we had the emergency evacuation drill, where we stood in the dining room in bright orange bulky life jackets while the captain walked around and checked it all out. Once Shea and I settled in and unpacked, we wandered around, met some students, and ate dinner. While eating a fresh salad, chicken soup, and delicious mahi-mahi, we sat at the table rocking back and forth. It is a very weird feeling that may take a while to get used to! It’s easy to sleep through because it’s relaxing when you close your eyes. But, when you are walking down the hall and trying to drink hot coffee, you have to focus on what you’re doing; it’s a challenging task! After dinner, we met in groups and the Dean and some other teachers and staff talked about what to expect etc.
75% of the students on board are female, and the most populous state on here are students from California. It is a very interesting mix of people (708 students)! The faculty seems so great here. They all connect and seem very reliable and easy to talk to. I know that this is going to be an amazing, unforgettable experience, and this is just the first day!
There is a really funny guy who does all the announcements. He sounds like a robot then he will make a joke and it catches you off guard, making it pretty entertaining. “Hey. (long pause) Are you hungry? (long pause) Dinner is….” and he just says funny things in monotone. Earlier he said a meeting was cancelled and we thought he was done talking, and then we heard, “You’re welcome.”
So now it’s 22:39 (yes, we are learning military time) and I’m probably going to bed soon. It’s been such a long and exciting day!! Tomorrow breakfast is from 7-830, hopefully I’ll have an appetite that early, then we begin lots of fun stuff that I’ll write about later!
Ciao

June 16

I've finally got my e-mail set up and so I write an e-mail to this blog account and it posts it for me so I don't use internet minutes! This morning it was very strange waking up in a dark room, expecting the sun to wake you up. We went to breakfast around 8:00 and then meetings started around 9 and I'm just now getting back to my cabin at 5! The meetings were teachers and staff talking about codes of conduct, safety, and they provided us with some funny entertainment. The teachers and staff are all really good people and you can tell that they are full of humor. I'm starting to get my "sea legs" and I'm beginning to feel better when I'm sitting in a chair, rocking side to side, feeling a little off. Lunch was fun, Shea and I met a teacher and his family from Irving and we also met her art history teacher. We ate with a few guys and I think we've met them all (because they only take up 25%...) and next is dinner! The food is alright, but I'm still hungry after each meal (yes, after 2 servings of lunch and dessert). Luckily I have cliff bars and snacks in my cabin. Ok dinner soon, time to wander around the ship and watch the beautiful blue waves with a sunset and a sparkly reflection on the Atlantic water!