to all future SAS-holes

Tuesday, December 13, 2011 (9:16am) - Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA

now that i am an official SAS graduate as of convocation last night and can currently see AMERICA outside my window, i feel like it's necessary to share a few words of wisdom to all future SAS-holes. this is what i learned in the past 111 days that could potentially help you out. maybe it will... maybe it won't. take it or leave it. but here's just a few things i think you should know:

1. never go anywhere alone and don't blackout too hard. don't get taken to the drunk tank... it sucks! (from what i hear haha)

2. do everything they tell you not to do... eat crazy food, get lost... this is your voyage, not theirs.

3. have the time of your life. cheesy? yes. but when's the next time you're going to sail around the world, besides never. that's what i thought.

4. make new friends. if you don't know anyone, then this should be pretty easy. if you come with a posse, breakout and meet someone new!

5. DO NOT organize independent trips. let someone else do it. too much work, believe me! someone will want to do what you want to do, but let them plan it. and avoid SAS trips at all cost. they're wayyy overpriced and kinda strict. but i do recommend doing homestays (which you have to do through SAS).

6. whatever it is, it'll all work out. i promise. don't stress. if you don't wake up in shackles, game on!

7. tabasco tabasco tabasco. i don't care if you don't like it at home, you WILL like it on the ship. whenever you get sick of the food (and you will, i promise), adding tabasco to anything make whatever it is edible.

8. get to know the crew, especially in the dining halls. they have interesting life stories! and they figure out what you like and will bring it to your table for you. and tip your cabin steward early and get on their good side. then they won't get you in trouble when you hoard 50 boxes of cereal in your cabin.

9. speaking of cereal, when they have your fave cereal at breakfast, steal a couple boxes! technically, this isn't legal... but everyone does it. and it's key for those days that you're like "you're serving what for lunch? i'm gonna go eat cereal."

10. girls... bring a ring for your wedding ringer. cus guess what? being a woman in a muslim country will get your ass killed... unless you're "married." or ugly. "i'll give you 5000 camels for your sister." not if you're already married, you won't!!!!

11. don't do anything until you see a local do it first. such as, using a little old lady as a shield to cross the road in vietnam. or if you don't know how to eat whatever they just put on your plate on your homestay in ghana, wait til a local does it... and do as they do.

12. want to people watch? those two red chairs by the computer lab are where its at. and those two chairs rock anyways... so claim them early on.


i can't believe this is over. i don't ever want to leave this magic bubble called the MV Explorer that i've been living in for 4 months. i'm insanely jealous of all you future voyagers. you're in for the ride of your life. go conquer the world... and leave it a little better than you found it.

and a huge thank you to the entire Fall 2011 voyage. thank you for changing my life and most importantly, for being awesome. i love you all.