Column: Semester at Sea

I fell in love with travel at a young age. From frequent family road trips to youth group excursions, choosing to go abroad wasn’t the hard part. The question was: Where? I knew I would miss Bloomington’s bustling energy, basketball season, Little 500 festivities and even my daily visit to the Indiana Memorial Union Starbucks, but going abroad my junior year was on the priority checklist.

Experiencing different cultures, communities and cuisines is one of my greatest passions.

My natural indecisiveness only made the decision harder. While most students have a list of three, maybe four possible destinations, I had nine on my “highly considerable” list.

Every country in Europe intrigued me. I was interested in every dot on the map. From considering unique delicacies to travel magazines’ famous foreign scenes, my progress was slow. I reached out to my parents, friends, distant relatives and even my hairdresser for pros and cons about each.

Finally, I was introduced to a program called “Semester at Sea.” In 105 days, I could stop in 11 countries and land in 15 different ports alongside almost 500 other college students, all while studying with professors from colleges across the country.

The more I heard about “Semester At Sea,” the more I felt like Cinderella finding her glass slipper. It was a perfect fit. 

Preparing to go abroad has been an experience in itself. I have filled out applications for numerous visas, dealt with several international offices, ordered my international cell phone, invested in eight countries’ currencies and even had a yellow fever vaccination after a visit to the international travel doctor, a specialist I never knew existed.

In speaking with past sailors of the program, I have been advised to prepare for the most full, fantastic, fun and exhaustive months of my life.

After four months of preparation, I am almost ready to set sail. We will board the ship in the Bahamas, sail to ports in South America, continue across the Atlantic to Africa, then through the Indian Ocean, up the Pacific along the coast of Asia and finally back to the “US-of-A.” I am itching to start my adventure semester. 

I have chosen to go abroad and cannot wait to document the scenes, sounds and surprises I will find along the ride.

Leaving my Hoosiers hurts, but I’d love to bring you all along for a taste of my travels. I’ll keep you posted by publishing from port to port and sharing the unexpected with you during the next five months. All I ask (and pray) is that my seasickness stays as settled as yours in Bloomington. With love, from home in Denver, Colo., and 13 days before I set sail.

­—espitzer@indiana.edu