First Country/First Blog

So this is the first time I've ever blogged; hopefully it all works out and I can do a decent job. I'll be taking a travel writing course this semester so hopefully the quality improves over time ;) Most entries probably won't have pictures unfortunately because I'll only have limited internet access other than e-mail while I'm on the ship.

Saturday evening had, as Ginny accurately stated, a "state of emergency" feel to it. Weather reports for our intended departure date from Atlanta to Nassau got increasingly worse. We realized we shouldn't wait until Monday to drive to Atlanta, so we planned to stay the night there Sunday. Soon, though, we found out that our Monday flight had been cancelled and we were re-booked to the 3:10 flight on Sunday afternoon. So to sum it all up, the next 15 or so hours were ridiculously stressful and included only about 3 hours of sleep. Ginny, Cory, and Henry came over for a rearranged going-away dinner and after that I decided it would probably be a good time to begin packing. (Ever wonder who puts the PRO in procrastination?) Once everything was successfully packed and well under the airline imposed weight limit, Mama, Daddy, and I were on the road to ATL. The drive was uneventful as I sat in the back seat, still feeling totally surreal about Semester at Sea. We arrived at the airport in plenty of time and made it through check in and security with reasonably few mishaps.

There were a good many other SASers waiting for the same flight so there was a lot of excitement and whatnot. I missed some of the socializing though when I left to take care of credit card business that I'd put off until the LAST last minute. I was also too emotionally sleep-deprived to feel very sociable, so it's probably for the best.

The flight was delayed just a little bit, but there was a "good tail wind" so it lasted only an hour and a half instead of the original two hours. We feared that the young child a few rows in front of us would scream the whole time, but luckily he cheered up after takeoff. The Nassau airport is completely opposite of ATL -- tiny, quiet, and nearly empty. Customs and immigration was even a lot less intimidating than security in America. We took a taxi to our hotel; left-lane driving is TERRIFYING! Everyone seems to speed like crazy here too and there is no space between the sidewalks and roads.

We spent today exploring the pool and beach area except for the...interesting two hours spent in a sales presentation for vacation plans or something like that. Had lunch and dinner at the Seaside Buffet here in the hotel. I've also been taking advantage of the free internet so there are pictures on Facebook. (The signal isn't strong enough to post them on here though. That or I'm too impatient.)

Tomorrow evening Mama and Daddy are attending a parents' reception on board the MV Explorer. Then Wednesday I board the ship at 8:40 a.m. and we depart at 5:00. I won't believe this is all happening until I set foot on the boat. I'm so thankful that everything has worked out for me to have this opportunity and that everyone is so supportive.