Onna ship, and bumpin fists with Desmond Tutu.

First off, thanks for coming back to check things out guys. I miss you very much.

Secondly, I’m officially ONNA BOAT ladies and gentlemen, doin flips and stuff. But wait. Let me correct myself. I’m actually on a ship- common mistake, but a huge taboo here on Semester at Sea  ;-)

Thanks for letting me clear that up. 

NOW! To the good stuff. After a little over 24 hours of being on a ship, I have already seen four whales, handled crazy seas in the middle of the Atlantic, and even bumped fists with Archbishop Desmond Tutu. That’s right. BUMPED FISTS WITH DESMOND TUTU: Nobel Prize award winner and the man who almost single-handedly (with the help of our friend Nelson [and friends] of course) took down the ruthless system of South African Apartheid.

We have the honor and privilege of having Archbishop Tutu join us on the MV Explorer for the entire voyage. It is an incredible experience that the majority of people in the world will never be able to experience. We are truly blessed. Today, he gave a talk to the entire student body about our  place in the world, and how our generation truly has the power to make a difference. With that said though, he was also impressed with the passion that us young students are actually showing for the cause, and reaching “for a world where children do not have to wake up hungry.” We have the power, and now, more than ever, OUR generation is making efforts to get out of our comfort zones and explore the world to make a difference. This is something truly extraordinary, and I feel liberated just being a part of it.

Side note though, the Archbishop has made a special request to be addressed as either “Dez” or “Father.” There was confusion about that on the ship earlier, and he just had to clear that up for everyone.

In regards to everything else, we are just rolling with the punches. Literally. The seas are a bit rough right now, but not too bad. It’s funny to watch students make zig-zag motions down the hallways and actually crash into stuff. One girl made a b-line to the wall and ran into full-bore. Very comical to say the least. Surprisingly, sea-sickness is not making a big push on the voyage…. not yet at least. We shall see. Former SAS voyager and good friend at Ithaca, Becca Cline (shout out! what!) said that it takes a good day and then everyone will be puking their guts out. Gee. Can’t wait for that.

Oh, my email be jsbagliere@semesteratsea.net if you'd like to. Emails are free! Would love to hear from you.


Well, that’s all I got for today. The past day has been orientation which sucked. We have been on cruising as of 5PM Canada time on August 27, 2010. Classes start tomorrow. WTF.

But look at the bright side. One week, and I’m in Cadiz, Spain. Not too shabby ;-)

I’ll write again soon. Love, peace, and happiness to all. Thanks for reading.



(RIP Blackjack. You were a fantastic cat. I love you buddy. Make Mickey proud up there)