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!

Semester at Sea – Round Two

Since I've been back in the States, I've been asked several times by friends and family members about my recent voyage around the world with Semester at Sea; this is perfectly fine and I am excited to share my stories! However, everyone seems to be curious about the same things because I get the same questions every time! So in case I haven’t gotten a chance to speak with you yet about my latest adventures, let me answer a few of your questions:

Q: When did you get back to the U.S.?
A: The spring voyage ended on May 2. I spent one week in London and one week in Ireland before returning home to Iowa. I then had to go back to Vermont, where my graduate school is located, to participate in capstone week and graduation. I've been back in Iowa again since June 1.

Q: So, what was your favorite country this spring?
A: It’s hard to pick just one because each country is so different and has something great to offer. I especially enjoyed Myanmar and South Africa. Myanmar has only been open to foreigners for a few years so it was an especially unique time to visit. I also felt the locals were very warm and friendly in Myanmar and were excited to share their country with tourists like me. I enjoyed South Africa because it is absolutely beautiful and Cape Town had so much to offer. I was in Cape Town for six days and could have stayed for another three weeks without getting bored.

Q: What are you going to do now?
A: I am excited to announce that my contract with Semester at Sea has been extended for another voyage! Therefore, I’ll be working in the same position on the summer voyage which sails around northern Europe to Russia. I am very excited about the opportunity to continue my work with Semester at Sea and the summer itinerary is going to be amazing! I will be visiting:

• Southampton, England 
• Lisbon, Portugal 
• Bilbao, Spain 
• Greenock (Glasgow), Scotland 
• Dublin, Ireland 
• Bergen and Oslo, Norway 
• St. Petersburg, Russia 
• Stockholm, Sweden 
• Helsinki, Finland 
• Gdansk, Poland 

Learn more about the summer voyage here.

Q: That’s wonderful. When do you leave?
A: TODAY! I fly out to London this afternoon and will make my way to Southampton, England, on Friday for faculty/staff orientation and to embark the ship. We set sail on June 16.

Q: So, how many countries will you have been to by the end of the summer voyage?
A: 32. I try to visit a country for every year that I've been alive. Having visited 32 by the end of the summer will stock me up for a while!

Q: What are you going to do after the summer voyage? Are you going to get a real job?
A: Fortunately since I've chosen to work in international education, working for Semester at Sea is a “real job.” It’s definitely not a vacation and I’m working my tail off on the ship getting real, hands-on experience! After the summer voyage I’ll return to Iowa and use this as my home-base for job searching. I've already started applying so if you see something related to international education, send it my way!

Route for the summer voyage!

Just call me a Master!

I am happy to announce that about a week ago, I received my Master of Arts degree in International Education from SIT Graduate Institute. The degree has been a long time coming and it feels great to finally have the degree under my belt.

Rachel and I before graduation.

Upon returning from my trip around Ireland, I was home for one week before heading off to Vermont, where SIT Graduate Institute is located, for capstone week and graduation. I spent the week at home unpacking, repacking, trying to get over my jet lag, and preparing for my capstone presentation. A capstone project is a graduation requirement of all SIT students so for my capstone, I created a week-long cultural exchange program that Mexican students to a small college in Iowa (you can read about my capstone here). In order to graduate, I had to give a 75-minute presentation explaining the cultural exchange program I created.

Being back on SIT’s campus was a-mazing. It was great to see friends and also make some new SIT connections. My capstone presentation went off without a hitch and I enjoyed seeing my friends’ presentations as well. At the end of the week, it was on to graduation where my friends and I were hooded and officially named Masters! Yeah for finally being done!

Allie, Ilse and Krysta before graduation. 

Some of my floormates. Go IC2!

My fellow Semester at Sea/SIT staff members.

Dean Daniel Yalowitz opening the graduation ceremony.

Student elected speaker Manato Kaisho.

Foundations Team WISSK: Me, Ilse, Steph, Sara and Krysta.

One of my most favorite views in the whole world.
This was the view from my dorm window when I lived on campus.

Catching up

It’s hard to believe it’s been over a month since I've written on this blog and it’s been a busy few weeks. Allow me to use this post, as well as the following few posts, to get caught up. Here’s what I've been up to since my last update in April:

Graduation!

On May 2, I disembarked the M.V. Explorer in Southampton, England, and ended the spring 2014 voyage. It’s hard to believe it’s been over a month already since the voyage ended.

Following disembarkation, I spent one week in London. I studied abroad in London in 2007 and since it had been 7 years since I’d been back to London, I spent the week going to all my favorite places including museums, parks, and shopping areas.

I then trained/ferried to Dublin to meet my sister and two friends for a week-long trip around Ireland. It was so nice to see some familiar faces after being in London for a week by myself. In addition, Ireland is beautiful and we had a great time exploring the countryside.

I came home from Ireland and went right into graduation-mode. I spent a few days preparing for my capstone presentation and also unpacking and repacking my suitcase. It was then off to Vermont for a week where I successfully presented my capstone and graduated this past weekend. Yeah for being done with my Master’s degree!

See what I mean about a crazy couple of weeks?! I've been busy!

Over the next few days, I will write more about my time in London and Ireland and may even include a post about graduation. Stay tuned for more information coming soon!

Why 27 before 27?

London, Spring 2007

I've gotten a few question regarding the title of this blog, "27 Before 27." The title of blog stems from my goal to visit 27 countries before my 27th birthday in July. Now, am I starting at 0 countries and plan to visit all 27 countries this spring while working with Semester at Sea? The answer is no. I am fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to study abroad twice during my time as an undergraduate at Central College. I spent one semester in London, England, and one semester in Hangzhou, China. In addition, I also completed a short-term study abroad program during my graduate studies at SIT.

Spending a whole academic year abroad in undergrad and traveling again during grad school has allowed me the opportunity to visit many places. So, wondering where I've been? Here's my list, in no particular order:

(1) Canada, (2) Mexico, (3) England, (4) Scotland, (5) Ireland, (6) France, (7) Spain, (8) Belgium, (9) the Netherlands, (10) Norway, (11) Italy, (12) Switzerland, (13) China, (14) New Zealand, (15) Australia, (16) Costa Rica, (17) Barbados, and last but not least (18) Trinidad and Tobago.

SIT Spring I Term in Barbados & Trinidad, Spring 2013

Here are the new countries I'll add by working for Semester at Sea this spring:

(19) Japan, (20) Vietnam, (21) Singapore, (22) Burma, (23) India, (24) Mauritius, (25) South Africa, (26) Ghana, and (27) Morocco.

China, Fall 2008

Now, I don't put these lists up to boast about my travel experiences. In fact, this might be the first time I've ever publicly stated how many countries I've visited in my short, nearly 27-year-lifetime. The reason I don't mention "my list" is because I've been told in the past that it makes me look like "a rich, white girl who traveled around Europe on Daddy's dollar." (This is an exact statement told to me by another international education professional and it has forever scarred me because it is far from the truth.)

The reason I put up this list is because travel is my passion. I caught the travel bug while studying abroad in London and never looked back. Some people ride motorcycles, some are foodies and others prefer the outdoors and hiking. I travel.

So if you enjoy traveling as much as I do, I hope "my list" motivates you. It only takes one small step and you're off on your next adventure. What's the next place on "your list" and when will you go?

Need some ideas? Check out travel lists like this one (I scored 32). What's your score?

One month to go!

One month from today, I will be embarking on an exciting adventure and it's been requested by many friends and family members that I keep a blog. So, welcome to my first personal blog post...ever! When telling others of my upcoming adventure, I've gotten many strange looks and confused questions. So, I thought I'd use this first blog post to clear a few things up. Here are a list of common questions I've received with my responses:

So Whitney, what are you doing with your life these days?
I am working at Semester at Sea as an Assistant Field Office Coordinator. Semester at Sea is affiliated with the University of Virginia and is located in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Wait, I thought you were in Vermont now?
After working at Central College Abroad for about 18 months, I decided it was time to go back to school. I am in the midst of a obtaining a Master's in International Education from SIT Graduate Institute. SIT is located in Brattleboro, Vermont.

SIT's program is a bit different than other two-year grad programs in that it's split into two parts: for the first year, I took classes on campus in Vermont. During the second year of the program, I have to complete a practicum which is like an internship. My practicum is with Semester at Sea in Charlottesville, VA. While I'm completing my practicum, I'm also enrolled in online classes and have to write my capstone paper which is sort of like a thesis. I plan to complete my capstone and graduate from SIT in May 2014.

So your big adventure is moving to Virginia?! I don't understand.
No, Virginia is not the big adventure! My practicum is split into two parts: this fall, for the first half of the practicum, I am working in the Semester at Sea Charlottesville office. This spring, during the second half of the practicum, I'll work on Semester at Sea's study abroad program which happens to take place on a ship.

A ship? So you mean this Semester at Sea thing is a cruise?
No. In fact, Semester at Sea folks get a little antsy if "Semester at Sea" and "cruise" are used in the same sentence! Semester at Sea is a comparative study abroad program (comparative in that the program travels to many countries in one semester rather than a traditional study abroad program which travels to just one). Students take classes on the ship while it travels around the world and visits 10-15 countries. The ship acts as a floating campus, with faculty, staff, students and crew living and learning together.

I'll be working on the ship as a staff member. My job is in the field office and I'll be coordinating field labs and field programs. Field labs are like field trips that students do in-port with their professors. Field programs are for-purchase programs that the shipboard community can participate in in-port.

Oh, ok. So where are you going?
This is where it gets exciting! Here's my route:

Spring 2014 Voyage - Kinda small, I know!

In 112 days, I'll visit 16 cities in 12 countries including:

1. Hilo, Hawaii
2. Yokohama, Japan
3. Kobe, Japan
4. Shanghai, China
5. Hong Kong, China
6. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
7. Singapore, Singapore
8. Rangoon, Burma
9. Cochin, India
10. Port Louis, Mauritius
11. Cape Town, South Africa
12. Tema (Accra), Ghana
13. Takoradi, Ghana
14. Casablanca, Morocco
15. Southampton (London), England

This sounds amazing! When do you leave?

I board the MV Explorer in San Diego on January 8! One month from today! I hope you enjoy following this blog as I post updates and pictures from around the world!