O.M.G.

From May 30th, 2012 9:56pm


“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

A year or two ago, I met some wonderful ladies at a conference and talked with them about a program called Semester at Sea (SAS). I decided at that time (though I knew the reputation, the competitiveness, and that people sometimes applied for years without ever getting an interview) that I would give it a shot and throw my name in the hat for the next two years. I applied for Fall 2011, Spring 2012, May 2012, Summer 2012, Fall 2012, and Spring 2013. I'll pause the story here to tell you a little bit about SAS.

From the SAS website (www.semesteratsea.org):Established in 1963, Semester at Sea is the only global education program of its kind in the world. Using a ship as our traveling campus, undergraduates, lifelong learners, faculty, and lecturers live and learn together while circumnavigating the globe each fall and spring semester and exploring a world region each May and summer term. Credit earned is fully transferable by the University of Virginia.
Sounds crazy awesome right? I think so too. It takes everything that is amazing about study abroad and multiples it by 14. It takes students out of their comfort zone and allows them to interact and explore multiple countries and places in just over a hundred days. They do everything on a cruise ship (eat, sleep, study, party, take classes) and wake up in places like Africa and Japan. HOW STINKING COOL!

..And back to our story. I received notice after notice saying "Thank you for your interest, the position has been filled". Fall 2011, Spring 2012, May 2012, then Summer 2012. Then all of a sudden, Craig Hauser (who is soon to be my new boss - hope I didn't spoil it but I assume those of you reading this know how the story ends) emailed me and asked if I'd like to do an interview! I about peed my pants! I talked to my mentors and my friends and my family. One of my mentors described getting the interview "kind of like getting an Oscar nomination". WOAH! I was pumped.

The interview came and I talked with Craig for about 45 minutes. I thought I bombed it (my nerves took over at first to the point where I thought to myself "eww, Nicole, I wouldn't even want to work with you the way you sound right now" - that's when I resigned that I was just going to be myself because if nothing else I was going to learn a lot more about this super cool program). So Craig asked me some questions about myself and I asked him a million questions about the program and we laughed and cracked up and we hit it off. I got off the phone thinking "Now that's a guy I could spend 100 days on a boat with"... and apparently he did too so yaaaaaaaaaaaay! A few weeks later (two weeks earlier than I thought I would hear), Craig called to offer and I CRIED and maybe told him "I might throw up" and accepted on the spot. "I WON THE OSCAR!"

To describe it in picture form:

BAM!

106 days, 15 cities, 12 countries

Embark: San Diego, CA, United States

Hilo, Hawaii, United States

Yokohama, Japan

Kobe, Japan

Shanghai, China

Hong Kong, China

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Singapore, Singapore

Penang, Malaysia

Cochin, India

Port Louis, Mauritius

Cape Town, South Africa

Tema (Accra), Ghana

Casablanca, Morocco

Debark: Barcelona, Spain

WHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAT?!?! THIS CANNOT BE REAL!

My first call was Ryan. Second was Jaclyn, then I needed to try to explain it to my parents. "Hi Mom and Dad - I am going to leave my current stable job to go on a boat with a bunch of students for 3 1/2 months... No my job won't be waiting when I get back.. well I'll interview from the boat... no we don't know where we will live when we get back... well yes it may not be the best decision financially but once in a lifetime...." You get the point (I think they have worked through this and are finally  proud :)). My boss screamed in my face. My students tackled me. My mentors were elated. I was elated! Granny was concerned about pirates and told me to not be gullible. Gramm was excited for me but told me I needed to be careful. Ryan's 10 year old son Steven was determined to convince his mom he was going to come with me (probably was never going to happen but him practicing his arguments was SUPER cute). It was a whirlwind. I was bouncing back and forth from nervous to excited.
I got my offer letter and my welcome emails and started talking with the other RDs. I turned in all my paperwork and got a packing list. Ryan decided he was going to go with me (YAAAAAAAAAAAAY! followed by "crap, what are we going to do with the dog" then back to YAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!). After that I got my "thanks but no thanks" letter from Fall 2012! :)
And that brings us to now. I am at Roanoke College until January 2013. Then, I will be setting sail with my boo, an awesome staff, and some students that are hopefully ready to have the experience of a lifetime. We are preparing, making doctor's appointments, and destroying our debt. I am so ready for this. I will be back at the end of April and looking for jobs in student affairs in the southeast throughout my voyage (so keep me in mind if you see postings!).

On a more personal note, this could not have come at a better time for me. My professional confidence was at a little bit of a low, and I was in a bit of a rut. I knew I loved my students but was letting a few people who really don't matter in the long run tear me down and made me question everything about what I thought was my vocation. This opportunity is exactly what I needed. I am so ready and excited to be a traveler, and explore my professional identity, myself, and my passion for education and student development while exploring the world and learning alongside my students.

 “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” – Marcel Proust