August 22nd, 2014– Four months from now, I will have become a woman who has lived her dream and traveled the world. Tomorrow I set foot on the MV Explorer, a ship that will hold over 650 students, faculty and staff and will act as a floating campus…With one exception-I will be traveling to 18 cities in 16 different countries: Russia, Poland, Germany, Belgium, France, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Senegal, Ghana, Brazil, Barbados and Cuba. Currently, I am in London because that’s where we are getting on the ship and will step foot in the U.S. back in Florida. I am extremely excited and so thankful for having the opportunity to do this.
September 3rd, 2014
Bad news…We won’t be going to Senegal and Ghana. Good news…We will be going to CIVITAVECCHIA, ITALY and BARCELONA, SPAIN! I had my heart set on helping children in the developing countries of Senegal and Ghana. I wanted to bring joy to their lives by not only playing futbol with them, but letting them keep a brand new one. I brought six deflated futbols to distribute two to Senegal, Ghana and Brasil, but it looks like I will be traveling to the favelas in Brasil and to help those kids out as well! This decision was made by SAS due to the first confirmed Ebola case in Senegal a few days ago. SAS wanted to be safe rather than sorry. Not only would we be risking getting the virus, but countries like Brasil and Barbados would not allow us to come to their countries if we had gone to that part of Africa. Rumors on the ship had also said that we would need to be quaratined on the ship for at least 3 weeks!
As much as I am disappointed, I am still very excited for Italy and Barcelona! And am thankful that we still get two addition ports! The downside: instead of the original planned 10-day trek across the Atlantic Ocean, it will now be 14 days…Which means 13 days of classes with one study day in between. AHHHH! But luckily once we get to Brasil, we have a whole week to explore! In Italy my friends and I are planning on going to Rome or maybe Florence. While I’m in Barcelona, I hope you all know what I’ll be doing! FC BARCELONA GAAAMEE!!!