Anchors Away: TEDx and Semester at Sea

The shipboard community has the privilege of participating in a number of unique events each voyage and this summer, TEDx was one of these opportunities. Early in the voyage, a TEDx committee was formed and applications were accepted for speakers. The competition was tight and in the end, nine speakers were chosen. Seven speakers presented their talks at the official TEDx event on August 5 and two speakers including my field office co-worker Julie Engerran presented at a TEDx salon, an event aimed at building anticipation for the August 5 event.

I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to hear from these nine talented individuals and thought you might want to hear from them too! A recording of my co-worker Julie’s talk can be found on Semester at Sea’s blog “News from the Helm.” Julie spoke about her recent cancer diagnosis and how she was able to turn this seemingly negative event into an opportunity for positivity. Listen to her inspiring talk here.

Although recordings are not available yet for the talks given on August 5, you can read all about the other speakers and their topics also on SAS’s blog here.

My co-worker Julie Engerran on the right giving her talk. Photo taken from Semester at Sea's blog "News from the Helm."

Birthday reflections

July 22 marked my 27th birthday. Twenty-seven is an important number for this blog as it’s included in the blog title and my goal to visit 27 countries before my 27th birthday. Although I’ve been fortune enough to have the opportunity to travel to many beautiful places, traveling continues to show me that I have so much more to learn. I feel as though my continued travels leave me with more questions than answers. Although there are still many things I don’t know, here is a list of 27 things that I’ve learned about myself and about the world during the past 27 years.

1. The world may seem big and scary but it’s actually quite small. Our ever increasing technology and the ease of travel continue to make our world smaller each day.
2. Although technology makes life easier, we all need to disconnect every once in a while. I’ve enjoyed being away from time-sucks and anxiety-builders like facebook while working with Semester at Sea.
3. Time marches on. Somehow my late 20s caught up with me and I’m not sure how this happened or why the years seem to come at an ever-increasing rate.
4. I feel cramped if I don’t have easy access to the following: green space with legitimate plants and trees, a gravel road and a wide open view of the countryside. I guess you can say I’m a Midwesterner at heart.
5. I love reality TV (some of you already know this!!). The trashier, the better! To the Real Housewives of New Jersey – I can’t wait to reunite with you when I get home and have cable again!
6. My favorite city in the world will always be London. This was the site of my first study abroad experience and will hold a special place in my heart forever.
7. I’ve gotten this question lately: “You haven’t had a boyfriend in a while. What’s wrong?” The answer is nothing is wrong. I’m busy working on me! In the past two years I’ve lived in three states, plus on a ship, got my Master’s degree and visited 20 countries. If you know someone who wants to ride this crazy train otherwise known as my life, give me a call!
8. Somehow I became scared of heights as I grew up. Not sure how this happened.
9. A quote that has really been sticking with me lately is “You may be comfortable, but I’m free.” This was stated during a SAS spring voyage talk by Serengtee CEO and SAS alum Jeff Steitz.
10. I am not a reader and would rather watch TV to get my information than read the newspaper.
11. I also really stink at keeping a journal. This blog is my first real success at keeping some type of record of my life for an extended period of time.
12. Although I will never turn down exotic cuisine, my favorite food is scalloped potatoes followed by fresh peach pie.
13. Although it’s somewhat cheesy to say, study abroad truly changed my life and I’m excited to see what the future holds as I move forward in the field of international education.
14.  Friends come in and out of your life as they need to and it’s ok to move on when it’s time.
15. I do not have a smart phone and I’m not sure I’ll get one until “dumb phones” become obsolete and I’m forced to move on.
16. Reflection makes me uncomfortable and I’m not sure how I survived two years at SIT Graduate Institute!
17. The act of having a child scares the daylights out of me and I’m not sure I’ll ever be ready for that rodeo.
18. Shoes are always my weakness. I have far too many pairs than are necessary and continue to purchase more because they make me feel better after a long day.
19.  I think the aftermath of a sunset, as the pinky sky turns to darkness, is prettier than the sunset itself.
20. I am not a cat person because who wants a pet that doesn’t even care if you’re around?!
21. I am feeling a lot of pressure about finding a job and moving onto my next stage in life. I want to stay in the same place for a few years so I feel like I have to get this one right, which is scary.
22. Mint tea rocks my socks.
23. My goal used to be to run a marathon before I turned 30 years old. The half marathon I did a few years ago was good investment because I realized I have no desire to run that many miles in one go!
24. Believe it or not, there is another “Whitney Longnecker” in this world and I have an irrational hatred towards her.
25. Bon Jovi’s Livin’ On a Prayer is my favorite song because it brings people together. You can go anywhere – a bar, the grocery store, your family Thanksgiving dinner – and people will start dancing if you play Livin’ On a Prayer.
26. I just learned that listing 27 things makes for a long blog post!
27. Last but certainly not least – I have a great support system in my family and friends and I thank each and every one of you for being there for me through thick and thin. I can’t wait to see what the next 27 years bring with you by my side!

Have you ever seen someone throw a tree trunk?

I arrived in Scotland on Saturday and on my first day in this country, I went to the Highland Games in a small village called Luss located on Loch Lomond. With the backdrop of rolling hills and beautiful Loch Lomond, I watched burly, bearded men dressed in their finest kilts compete in events like the strongman competition, caber toss, running races, wrestling and more. What a way to begin my visit to Scotland!

Fellow staff member Julie Hurst and I at the games.

At first glance, most events seemed to be based on brute strength but some required more finesse than I initially thought. My favorite event was the caber toss – or as I would call it – the tree trunk toss. The caber toss is not only about strength but also balance and poise. The competitors have to lift the caber which looks about the length of a telephone poll, can take a few steps if needed, and have to launch the caber end-over-end with the goal of having the caber land straight forward in the 12 o’clock position. How this event came about it beyond me but it was great fun to watch.

The event seemed to be open to both men and women but women only completed in a few events including bicycle racing, running races, bagpiping and Irish dancing. The Irish dancing was very nice and it was wonderful to be surrounded by the music of the bagpipe competitors throughout the day.

The Highland Games were a great start to my time in Scotland. More in my next blog about the rest of my time in the land of whiskey, golf and plaid.

Ready...set....

...let it fly!

Irish dancing at the Highland Games.

Irish dancing at the Highland Games.

Scottish Backhold Wrestling. If your opponent loses their grip or is thrown the ground, you get a point.
First person to three points wins. 

Tug of War. The longest tug of war game at the Highland Games went on for 43 minutes!

This guy is really digging in during Tug of War!

¡Hola España!

After just two days at sea, I arrived in Bilbao, Spain, on Friday morning. I must admit – I’ve had reservations about visiting Spain as part of the summer voyage. I have been to southern Spain (specifically, Granada) once before and did not have an enjoyable experience. My long weekend in Granada consisted of being yelled at repeatedly for not being proficient in Spanish. Not a fun time and I was hesitant to return to the country after my initial not-so-friendly welcome. Secondly, I have been wondering “why are we going to Bilbao?” There are many nice port cities in Spain like Barcelona; why are we going to somewhere I’ve never heard of before?

Well, I must say my fears and hesitations of Spain were quickly dashed away upon arrival in Bilbao. We docked in a small city called Getxo (pronounced “get-cho”), which is located about 25 minutes from Bilbao. Around the turn of the 20th century, Getxo was a seaside getaway for Spain’s elite. Think Rockefeller-level, only the Spanish version. The small city is full of huge old mansions that have been kept up very well even though they were built 100 years ago.

Bilbao is a nice city that has been forever changed by the building of a Guggenheim modern art museum in 1997. The city was dirty and forgotten but the museum has revived Bilbao and it’s now a destination for foreign tourists and Spaniards alike. I spent my first day in port in the Guggenheim viewing exhibits by Georges Barque and Yoko Ono.

Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain.

My second day in Spain was spent on a SAS field program to San Sebastián and Hondarribia. Hondarribia is the first city in Spain when traveling south across the French/Spanish border and had a medieval feel. San Sebastián is a popular beach-town and most SAS students made their way here to catch some sun.

Sopelana was my destination on Sunday. Sopelana seemed like somewhat of a suburb of Bilbao and had a festival celebrating Saint Pedro that included a parade and traditional Basque dancing. Bilbao is located in the Basque region of Spain, the people are particularly proud of their Basque heritage and the Sopelana festival was an example of this.

Finally, I spent my last day in Spain horseback riding on the beach. The horses were a tad feisty for my taste but I managed thanks to all the horseback riding I had to do on vacations when I was younger (thanks, Cady). Plus, what beats riding a horse along the beach?! So pretty!

Spain was a success and I’m glad I gave this country another try. I very much enjoyed myself in Bilbao and the surrounding Basque region. Up next – Scotland!

Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain.

Front of the Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain.

Pintxos, like tapas, are small plates orders in Spain. Yum!

Me overlooking La Concha Beach in San Sebastian.

Festival in Sopelana. These 15 foot tall dolls were carried through the streets as part of a parade. I don't know the significance.

Traditional Basque dancing in the Sopelana town square during the festival.

Horseback riding along the beach on my final day in Spain.

Horseback riding along the beach in Spain.

Visiting a small town after horseback riding. We are very small in this picture!

First port-of-call = LISBON!

After just a few days at sea, plus nearly 2 IPAD days, we stepped off the ship at our first port-of-call – LISBON! I was very excited to visit Lisbon and the city did not disappoint. Here are a few of the sights that I visited and recommendations for future travelers:

--Mosteiro Dos Jerónimos or St. Jeronimos Monastery: My visit to the monastery could be considered two-part: first, I visited the cathedral which is Manueline in style, which to me looks like a Portuguese version of Gothic. Nice cathedral but the second part of the visit, the monastery cloisters, was ten times better and incredibly beautiful. The stone carving is so detailed and intricate; I can’t imagine how long it took to complete!

St. Jeronimos Monastery is located in Belém, an area of Lisbon that also features the Torre de Belém (Belém Tower) and the Padráo dos Descobrimentos, which is a monument to Portuguese discoverers like Vasco da Gama.

--Alfama: Alfama is a historic region of Lisbon featuring hilly, winding cobblestone roads lined with buildings covered in ornate tile. Very picturesque. In Alfama, I visited Castelo St. Jorge or St. George’s Castle. The castle itself isn’t much to write home about and was actually built in the 1960s as a replica of the castle which stood on the grounds centuries ago. However, the view is fantastic. St. George’s is located on top of a large hill and you can see all of Lisbon from the castle grounds.

--Sample the local cuisine: The Portuguese food was great and my favorite was the pastel de nata, a custard-y egg tart. I took a good sample of the pastel de nata and deemed them all good!

Pastel de nata - Yum!

My next adventure waits in Bilbao, Spain, our second port-of-call. More coming soon.

View of Alfama, in Lisbon. 

Cloisters in St. Jeronimos Monastery.

St. Jeronimos Monastery.

St. Jeronimos Monastery.

St. Jeronimos Monastery.

Monument to Portuguese explorers.

Tower of Belem.

Tile work around Lisbon.

View of Lisbon from St. George's Castle.

View of Lisbon from St. George's Castle.