Embarking on the Next Great Adventure

Ladies & Gentlemen, Take Your Seats: the Show is About to Begin.

sweaty & smiling after 11 miles in sandals

Happy New Year! I had an incredible travel year in 2022, visiting five new countries and making so many memories. It's been a crisp two months since I left the country, so I figured now was as good a time as any to pick up and leave Indiana for the next seven months...

An idea made much easier by the fabulous Semester at Sea program! Inspired by my mother and her own 1989 voyage, Semester at Sea allows college students to earn a full semester's worth of credits while living on a cruise ship and traveling the world. Over the next few months, I'll be sailing on the MV World Odyssey and taking four classes, visiting three continents and eleven countries along the way. Essentially, this is a real life Suite Life on Deck, minus the Disney Channel costuming.

With Mom's Vintage SAS Crewneck!

This has been in the works for quite some time now; as I mentioned, my mom was an SAS-er back in the '80s, and I've grown up knowing I wanted to participate in this program as well. Though the itineraries have evolved in recent years due to global events (pandemics, wars, etc.), there is an undeniable air of excitement, a feeling of "Finally! I've been waiting my whole life for this!" Even as I sit here writing this, so very sleep-deprived and already blistered, the magic sense of adventure is everywhere in Dubai, our first port of call.

We embark on the ship tomorrow morning, sailing for our next port in India shortly thereafter. While at sea, I'll have limited internet, but you can expect me to update this blog periodically with both travel stories and ship life!

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Dubai!

The Lengths We Go to For Passport Stamps

Our first port of call is Dubai, United Arab Emirates. My future home is docked about two miles from my hotel, but it was, of course, a trek to get here in the first place.

• First and foremost, there was the packing: endless days of packing and repacking and last-minute trips to Target for non-aerosol bug spray.

• Once I managed to cram my life into two 50 pound suitcases and an overstuffed backpack, I faced a 13-14 hour flight, direct from Chicago to Dubai. Emirates definitely lived up to their bougie reputation (nicest airplane bathroom I've ever seen), but there are only so many movies you can watch on a flight before losing a pinch of sanity - my limit was four.

• After a surprisingly easy round of customs, in which the customs agent may or may not give you a free sims card, the next challenge is getting to the hotel. A whole day has passed since boarding the plane: thirteen hours in the air and a nine hour time difference. I had the pleasure of seeing the sun rise and set while confined to my seat, and the delusion that comes from staying awake for 30+ hours takes its toll.

• I met other SAS-ers from my flight also headed to my hotel and jumped at the chance to split an Uber. Unfortunately, our very long day became even longer when we pulled up to the wrong Holiday Inn Express...but the best way to explore a new city is to make mistakes!

• All's well that ends well, though. I checked into my room just past 9:00 p.m., leaving me ~37 hours until my designated embarkation time.

The Lengths We Go to for Sightseeing

Since Dubai is our embarkation port, the amount of time students had here varied. I know some people arrived before Christmas; others, just hours before the ship opened. I chose to *cherish* my last few days in Indy, knowing I would only have a couple of hours to see the sights in The Superlative City.

Dubai earned that illustrious nickname by building the tallest building in the world, the largest shopping mall in the world, and the largest performing fountain in the world. That's a lot of ground to cover, so naturally, I decided to do so on foot.

Along with another SAS-bound traveler, I walked a killer 11.8 miles through the streets of Dubai, from Port Mina Rashid, through the Dubai Mall, and aside the Burj Khalifa. Despite the impressive blisters, won from a poor shoe choice, I honestly loved exploring the city just by walking around. There are so many cultural details you pick up on, passing storefronts and skyscrapers. For example, the entire day in the city, I didn't hear a single emergency vehicle, to the point where it felt eerily calm in the city center. Also, due to the UAE's strict substances regulations, Dubai is the nicest-smelling city.

the sun really popped off here

From general observations, I was rather surprised at how impressive the architecture was throughout the city. Each building adds a unique architectural element to the skyline, from iconic landmarks like the Burj Khalifa to impressive office buildings like Godiva (the entire capstone was solid gold, no biggie or anything). I would liken this city to an ensemble cast: there might be one or two more well-known attractions, but really, any place can give you a 10/10 memorable experience.

Emirati Seafood Platter - yum!

I spent the bulk of my day with the Holy Trinity of Dubai Tourism: the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall, and Emaar Fountain Show. Located in a literal triangle, each of these locations offers an "only in Dubai" kind of experience, like seeing an Underwater Zoo & Aquarium (there is a difference somehow??) in a mall that also boasts more luxury stores than I can count. I tried my first Turkish delight, and was really not delighted. Narnia led me to believe these would be absolute delicacies, not powdered sugar gummies. Fortunately, my lunch was absolutely delicious and absolutely redeeming. We grabbed lunch at a Take Out bazaar, and I tried this Emirati Seafood Platter - worth the price of admission.

the Burj Khalifa

the Burj Khalifa w/me

Dubai Mall Aquarium!

This was a shorter exploration day, what with official embarkation tomorrow and the general exhaustion that accompanies the beginning of a trip - also contributing to the wildly-unfocused nature of this post. Nevertheless, I enjoyed my brief layover here in the UAE, and I lie in wait of the official start of my next great adventure. If you happen to be awake at 1:30 a.m. EST, that's when I step foot onto my floating home on Thursday and the study abroad truly gets under way. Bon Voyage!