PREVIOUS ADVENTURES: STATUS–COMPLETED
Summer 2012-December 2012
Graduating College
Strange stuff happens in college. From being forced to do interpretive dance in front of the Classroom Building to having someone run into economics class in a gorilla suit. I see, I write. I’m in the home stretch at the best university in the world.
Working on my Life List
I have to check 5 things off this year. Fortunately it’s a long list.
Being a Maid of Honor
My sister’s getting married. I’m determined not to ruin it.
Teaching High Schoolers to dance
I’m teaching a social dance class to a little over 60 high schoolers. Oh yes. This could be interesting.
Living at Home
People say I’m missing out. They clearly don’t know my family. A sister navigating high school and learning to drive, another sister getting married and buying a house, a mom on chemo and a dad teaching college and taking out patents…I’d be missing the biggest adventures of all if I wasn’t here.
Working as a researcher
This is both one of my jobs and part of my school. One project is for someone else, and the other is for a thesis I’m writing. Nerdy that I find this exciting? I know. But hey, I’ve seen crazy stuff go down at the library. Flash mobs,a guy crawling around under the tables giving people puncture wounds? We are UK.
Working as a swim coach
Summer.Ninety kids ages 4 to 18. Co-ed. It’s wild. It’s the best job ever.
Studying journalism
I tried my hand as an editor last year. This year, I’ll just be taking whatever stories the paper needs. You go some fun places and meet some crazy people.
Being a Kentucky girl
Love where you’re at. If you’re me, that means a rope swing, a terrifying Wal-Mart, starry skies and drawling accents.
Planning my next trip
It’s in the works. Destination yet to be declared. Travel is my favorite.
Summer 2011-December 2011
I’ve always wanted to see the world. Not just a piece of it…all of it. My father took me with him on a business trip to Israel when I was 8, and I was hooked. But trips don’t grow on trees, and I’ve been plotting ways to get around the world for years.
Now I’ve got the chance to see about 25 countries in one year.
I will correspond with a newspaper, keep this blog, write to the Semester at Sea President’s Office and participate in the “Vicarious Voyage” program with Semester at Sea that allows me to adopt a classroom.
I started researching the amazing early female reporter Nellie Bly a little over a year ago, and wrote a thesis that is in the preliminary stages of publication about her. I knew I would be writing another thesis for the Gaines Center, so I had a crazy idea…what if I tried to duplicate Nellie Bly’s famous journey around the world? She did it in 172 days, beating Phileas Fogg’s fictional record and crushing all standing records at the time for circumnavigating, then wrote a book about it. After four years of scheming, my reality is here. My travels will take two phases to hit the same regions as Bly. I’ll also go to a lot of places she didn’t and miss some she did.
July/August
Thanks to the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Zolondek and the Gaines Center, I will visit Europe this summer. The Zolondeks prepared a list of required pieces of art I have to view years ago, so I’ll will have to make sure to bring back proof of each stupendous stop.
Paris, France
Chartres, France
Munich, Germany
Dresden, Germany
Berlin, Germany
Vienna, Austria
Salzburg, Austria (?)
Prague, Czech Republic
Venice, Italy
Milan, Italy
Florence, Italy
Sienna, Italy
Rome, Italy
25 days
August 26-December 13
I’ll be going on a voyage with Semester at Sea through the University of Virginia in the fall. I nearly went into cardiac arrest when I learned that I was a recipient of Semester at Sea’s brand new Presidential Scholarship. Thank you Semester at Sea!!
Depart, Montreal, Quebec, Canada August 26
Casablanca, Morocco September 3
Takoradi, Ghana September 13
Cape Town, South Africa September 23
Port Louis, Mauritius October 4
Chennai, India October 10
Penang, Malaysia October 19 (possible trip to Singapore)
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam October 25 (possible trip to Cambodia)
Hong Kong/Shanghai, China November 3
Kobe/ Yokohama , Japan November 11
Hilo, Hawaii November 24
Puntarenas, Costa Rica December 4
Roatan, Honduras December 9
Ft. Lauderdale, USA!!!! December 13
111 Days
