10,642 steps today...

Ya think I was a little busy today? I started the day with 45 minutes on the bicycle and little known to me that I would be walking a marathon as well! CRAZY busy! Finally about 1600 I had to just escape...fortunately for me I have a beautiful suite to call home to escape to, whereas others have to find a space among 700 others to get away~so I just closed the door, open the deck doors and lied down on my big yummy bed...take a look...





and here is the office I work in right in the heart of the ship...already have it fully decorated with pictures of all of you, maps, etc...no other pics for today, as I did not leave either of these spaces all day except to get a little food now and then...in light of the crazy days so far, I have now made my first massage appointment for our journey to Japan-could not even get to the first port and already signing up...well a gals gotta keep it all in balance, right?
1 day to Hawaii...I am the duty dean, so will not be far from the ship, but will step foot onto Waikiki just so I can say I did...
until tomorrow...aloha...
ro

A1,B1~no more normal days!!!

Hi again~
It is B1 today...more later on that...
I have not been very worldly in my comments here, but really what I am doing these days is setting up systems, trying to get ahead of the game of organization and also have fun...today my Caroline Myss healing card said-choose to be empowered-choose happy and so I did~what a great day it was!

We also had the activities faire this evening and I not only signed up for the choir (ok some of you are laughing now-but, I love to sing!) and meditation and possibly a peace group...this is a picture of Judy Lunn, the adult passenger coordinator who brought a John Denver Peace quilt with her-you can kind of see it in the backgroud...

Captain meetings are becoming more fun and I am getting to know the crew more and more everyday-THEY ARE JUST THE GREATEST-they will do anything for you!

I also got to sell tickets for the alcohol evenings so the RD's could do their fair and it was fun to begin to get to know the students a bit more...although I must say that I think I have already met more students than I did as the DSLin Fall, 2000...go figure! And Dru, I finally met Cody Barr-what a great guy~I have been so busy, but he came around and found me-we are going to talk some more, especially around travel tips!

We have 18 students from UCSB that I will get together sometime soon, only beaten by Uof Colorado at 21, USD at 19 and UCSB a close third!!!

And....so....life is great on the seas-the weather has not really been that great, but that has been ok because I primarily am working during the day-have not seen the amazing sunrises/sunsets over the seas, but know many are coming our way...the weather gets nice and watch out!
Looking forward to seeing land in a couple of days in Hawaii and spending some time with my cousin Naila and her husband Steve...

stay tuned... ro

p.s. hey, don't forget to drop me a line on regular email at worldlyro42@hotmail.com- I answer those, too...thanks Dru and Margaret for dropping a line!

p.s.s. Days have now turned to A days and B days-no more Mondays and the 30th of August...this is because they need to have so many class days and with all of the travel in between, it is the easiest way of keeping track of days at sea...

p.s.s.s. The question of the day..."Can we drink the water on the ship?"

Ensenada Departure-ON-time at 1700 8-27-06

Hi again-

Ok, tonight it is only 9:16pm and I am locked in my office writing this having just ended my workday-PHEW again-new issues, new learnings, but again all amazing!!!

Here are some pics on the veranda with Shaun and Mel and then our depature from Ensenada...

I am also going to post the "Question of the day" here, as I cannot believe some of the things that get asked-although innocently, it makes for an interesting day!
So, today's question of the day is
" Do you provide wake-up service-I did not bring a clock"...
Yesterday's was "does it only take a 39 cent stamp to send postcards in other countries"...

new learnings today included utilizing my mediation skills with a professor, being talked into buying a beer for a student (which was fine as he was a great student) ...

and the best good laugh of the day was being named for my voice by an adult passenger...V.V. (voyage voice)...so we extended it to VV Vavoom! I think you had to be there!

For those that sailed with me in Fall 2000, we have 5 adult passengers on board from our voyage-it has been fun to run into them and get big hugs & kisses...

random thoughts & rambling...
until tomorrow...
ro

p.s one last picture of the Executive Dean and his wife Abby, who I am having a ball working with as we set sail!

I"M BACK and WE ARE OFF!!!

Hi everyone~

You thought I fell off the ship, huh? Well, no, it has just been a CRAZY 14 days since I last wrote..beginning with packing, last minute details, a trip to home to celebrate Sydney's 4th birthday, renting a car, loading ALL of my stuff and driving to San Diego, a week of day and night training with no email access and then sailing! PHEW!!! I am exhausted, but loving every minute of it so far! It was great to see the ISE staff again, especially a new one named Melissa Holland who was here for our send off-what a treat! And then to have Shaun Travers come help us out with the parent reception was an extra bonus! (both I sailed with in Fall 2000!)
We are on our second day of sailing and although my position is challenging and long hours so far, I can see that I am going to enjoy it alot!

I started my first Captain's meeting this morning, which was at 0830 with coffee and croissants! The day was again a set of meetings, the Dean's memo (a daily newsbrief of sorts that comes from our office), more meetings, meals thrown in there somewhere, starting with an early morning workout in the gym-YES, indeed, I have worked out ever since I got on the ship! Between walking and doing my aerobic workout, things should be looking mighty better after 100 days...Dru, I will have you know that I am averaging 8000 steps a day, without the pedometer always working!

Well, honestly, I just wanted to get a quick note out to let my friends know that I am alive and kicking it on the ship...I will put up pictures of us shoving off with the ISE staff waiving us farewell tomorrow morning as I forgot to bring my camera to the office tonight-plus 11pm and I am beat! Time to hit the pillow!

More tomorrow!
love, ro

THE COUNTDOWN...5 days and surely counting

I just got noticed that I received all of my trips-wahooo!!!! I will be going on CHE09 (under India), HCM 21 (vietnam) QIN05 (Quindao, China) and YAN10(Yangon, Miranmar)...check these trips out-FABULOUS!!!!!! This is the first half of the voyage-we make plans for the second half on the ship. I don't know how I am going to pay for them, but excited as heck...although I have been to almost all of the countries we are visiting, they are BIG countries and looking forward to exploring more!!!!
Here is the link to the descriptions of these trips... http://www.semesteratsea.com/voyages/fall2006/fa2006_fieldprograms.html

5 days and surely counting-anyone want to come over and help me take out 1/2 of what I have packed so far?!@(#&$

FINALLY GETTING EXCITED!!!

Now that I have put this blogspot out to you, I better start communicating to all of you out there that will follow me around the world~with 12 days left in Santa Barbara, I am clearly getting down to the wire of completing everything I need to here so I can be fully present and available for this 100 day adventure!
NOW I AM GETTING EXCITED~Margi asked me a week ago if I was excited and I just was not there yet. But, today I am! My to do list is down to one page, some of my packing has been started and down to only a few critical pieces to complete at work and I am onto my adventure!
This seems a bit strange and public in terms of writing all of my feelings and emotions in a public forum, but I also hope that we will also write each other at worldlyro42@hotmail.com, if you don't want our conversation to be so public.
I am fortunate to have an email account and computer with my position on board, so communication will be much easier this time around-if you remember email only became available on SAS recently! I have mixed feelings about this, but will make for a new part of the adventure!
Ok, I am off for now~I am new to this, so feel free to write back or comment!