Contact Information

Hello, here's the link for contact information if you want to get a hold of me on the ship while I'm gone:

http://semesteratsea.org/voyages/spring2008/sp2008_communicatewship.html

If you want to write a letter to me, here's the format you need to use (this is on the link I just provided):

Michelle Slifcak

C/O: Explorer

Arrival Date

Port Agent Address (look on website for port agent address and arrival dates)

Currently the U.S. Post Office recommends sending international mail at least two weeks in advance. Please keep in mind that mail service in other countries may vary. Letters should be sent Airmail only. Please do not send any mail to the Institute for Shipboard Education or to the University of Virginia to be forwarded. Do not enclose currency in the mail.

Please do not send packages to the ship - Excessive duty is charged in some countries(duties I have to pay!). In many instances, packages are not delivered to the ship. Packages may be held in customs, or at a local post office, and the recipient aboard ship is never notified. If you send packages, you do so at your own risk.

I would absolutely love to receive mail, so if you so desire, I would be grateful if you sent me a letter or two while I'm gone! :-D

I've been packing some more today and things are looking good!

I received my Brazil flight tickets yesterday, too, which is great!

Michelle

Packing!

I've started packing for this amazing trip... I'm so excited about it. My huge duffel bag arrived yesterday and I was determined to get started ASAP. So, I did!

I've still got plenty of things I need to buy for this trip... nothing too major, though, so that's good.

By the way, I took out a loan the other day... I dread having to pay it back; I wish that I could have avoided debt much later in my life, but it will be worth it!!!

I'm starting to feel more positively about leaving my friends behind... I have faith that they will welcome me back genuinely, and that they won't forget about me. And, if they don't, then I have to remind myself that I'd rather not be friends with people like that anyway!

I've been reading some SAS alumni's blogs and I think that I have a lot to look forward to... and I don't think I need to be so nervous about making new friends. I have to have faith in myself as well; I am getting over that sinking feeling I had been experiencing a while ago that no one would like me and I'd be completely miserable and would just want to come home. I think that we don't have a choice (those of us on the ship, that is) about making friends... it will just happen and surely no one will be left without at least one person with whom one could have friendly relations because we're just one big family, as we cannot simply escape from each other like we would be able to do in any other normal situation.

Wow. So, basically, I'm not feeling scared anymore. I felt fine about it until a week ago, got scared, but now I feel fine about it again.

I have a good feeling that this trip will go by well-- should anything happen it'll pull through in everyone's favor, so I'm not worried about missing flights or whatever. If things like that didn't happen people would never learn; and besides, being in total control of one's life isn't possible anyway. Seize the day!!!

Love,

Michelle

Amazon Trip

I am thrilled to say that I am halfway through being confirmed for my set of flights to and from Salvador and Manaus to go see the Amazon, but at a high price... I insulted my mom and gave her no respect, the cost of the airfare alone is ridiculously expensive, and who knows if everything will go smoothly even then? I feel disappointed in myself... I like to think that I have a good hold on my actions but I find that sometimes I breach that boundary and behave appallingly, like how I did to my mom, who was only trying to help. I've been under some emotion stress lately, and perhaps that has something to do with it, but really there is no excuse. The hardest part about this, though, is the fact that I have a really hard time forgiving myself whenever things like this happen-- so even if the person I have offended forgave me long ago, I cannot seem to be able to forgive myself. It's rough. It's times like these that I just wish I wasn't around people so I could stop hurting everyone. :-/

Semester at Sea Spring 2008!

Why hello there!

Where to start... I originally had a xanga blog for this trip, but considering the fact that EVERYBODY who has shared their blogs have created theirs through this site, so I chose to make one here as well. Here's the link to my original one if you so desire to take a look, but I will no longer be updating it.

www.xanga.com/DonnaDelMare

I just realized that there are no smilies provided here! This makes me sad :-( lol

Here are the trips through Semester at Sea that I have so far:

In Puerto Rico: Bioluminescent Bay Group D

Vietnam: Nha Trang

South Africa: 3-Day Safari at Kwazulu Natal Group B

India: Art of Living

I didn't get the Amazon trip I had been dying to get, but considering that those SAS-holes didn't provide more than one trip (when they have to know that that particular trip is what EVERYONE wanted), it's not surprising in the least. I envy the lucky 60 who got admitted for the trip. But, I hear Amazon indy is amazing, so I'm going to start planning that soon :-D

I just need to find people to come with-- hopefully I'll like all of them :-P

Well, that's pretty much it at the moment... I'm trying to get back into the groove of blogging; I haven't done it in so long and I know you guys would kill me if I didn't keep you updated.

I love you all tons!!!!

Michelle <3