Don't Cry Because It's Over, Smile Because It Happend

Semester at Sea is not a reality but what happens on it is real.

One of the cool things about Semester at Sea is that instead of signing yearbooks at the end of a school year, you sign maps at the end of a voyage. I have been plotting our ship’s daily location on my world map since we left the port of Ensenada on January 17^th. It’s shocking to look at my map, which is now filled with signatures and memories, and realize what I actually did over the past three and a half months. I think my friend Stephan summed it up best when he wrote: “Alex, I would say ‘it’s been real’ but it’s really almost been totally unreal. So I guess I’ll say it’s been unreal.” That is exactly what this crazy, eye-opening, life-changing adventure has been- unreal.

Ten countries, fourteen ports, and twenty five cities later, I have officially been “there” and now I am coming “back again.” I have traveled in and out of different cultures, empires, continents, and spaces. I simultaneously relived history while seeing firsthand both the problems and wonders of the future. After really seeing the world and sometimes delving a little deeper than the surface of different cultures and places, two questions that keep reemerging as I seek closure are “what have I learned?” and “how have I changed?” It bothers me that I cannot automatically pinpoint those answers and be able to recall where, when, and what exactly changed me. For that matter I wonder, have I actually changed at all? Perhaps noticeable change will come at a later time or more specifically when I realize after five days of being at home that I will not re-board the MV Explorer and head off to a different port. For now I will leave that second question unanswered and can only hope that any noticeable self-changes will surface unexpectedly. Though I am unsure of how I have changed, I am confident in reporting what I have learned.

The people that I have met both in port and on the ship have been my most important teachers. From my orphan boy in China to our Ghanaian friend, Fred, to certain tuk tuk drivers in India, I have learned a lot about basic wants and needs. Many of my new friends lack access to clean water, are suffering from malnutrition, have no formal education, and lack a definite way to escape poverty. It surprised me that despite these noticeable hardships, the overwhelming majority of people I met were both happy and welcoming. Everyone wanted the opportunity to show us their home or introduce us to their families. They were proud of who they were and what they had and wanted to share that with all of us. I learned how important family is globally and how many things that I view as hardships, millions of people view as life. I have learned that despite enormous disparities, most people want to make the most out of the cards they were dealt. Most importantly, I learned that we (peoples from all over the world) are much more similar than we are different.

I attend the University of Michigan, an elite university and am in an environment that consists of the “leaders and best.” After Semester at Sea and meeting an assortment of friends and shipmates from across the country who attend a wide range of colleges, I now realize that the “leaders and best” are not necessarily the brightest or the ones who excelled in high school. Prior to this trip a part of me would prejudge people before really getting to know them. From this voyage I have learned that academics are far from being a relevant factor to evaluating an individual. I have learned from my shipboard community that everyone has something to contribute and that anyone can change the world. These kids, my friends and fellow students, have aided me in finding my connection in different ports and living this voyage. More importantly they taught me or rather showed me how much power a twenty one year old American student has. This trip has shown me that the real world is outside a classroom and that real world applications and experiences are more important than being taught about them. Don’t just read about life, go live it.

My connection with the world is a lot stronger (obviously) now than it was in January. When I see an article about Phnom Penh or the townships in South Africa, I am going to read them. If the news is showing footage about China’s role as a superpower or tension between Pakistan and India, I am going to watch it. It should not have taken a trip around the world to make me feel obliged to care or show interest about other countries. Regardless, this trip has opened my eyes and lighted that fire. We are all connected and our interests are one and the same.

It is one thing to know you are privileged and another to see how privileged you actually are in comparison to the rest of the world. I believe you cannot really gauge that level of privilege without viewing the other extreme- the very underprivileged. From primarily visiting developing countries and places where millions of people are suffering from extreme poverty, the differences between my upbringing, background, and level of education and many people’s lack of those opportunities were highlighted. It would be ignorant to waste time questioning why I was born an American in Beverly Hills and why a five year old child in India was born having to work fifteen hour days in a glass-blowing factory. It is not so much a matter of how the cards were dealt but rather how we are going to play our hand.

As our friend Spidey would say, “with great power, comes great responsibility.” Our privilege, my privilege, is a great power and I now understand the responsibility I have to all those who are less fortunate. My role as a global citizen has been strengthened because I have this power and more is, and rightly should be, expected of me. The new question is what can I do to own up to my newfound responsibilities? I believe it is impossible to go on this voyage and face such economic, educational, and health disparities across the globe, and not give back. Giving back does not have to be an all encompassing superman move to change the world in a single swoop. Instead I have learned that changing a single small thing, like cutting back on unnecessary water consumption, goes a lot further. As of now I am seriously looking into taking time off from directly heading into law school and giving back either by teaching those less fortunate or volunteering. It may not be a huge gesture or new idea, many have beaten down that path before, but it’s a start. The ball’s in my court and it’s my turn to make the next move.

The last overarching take home point from this entire voyage is our capacity to love. The faculty, staff, and more importantly students from this voyage have shown me what it means to travel with an open heart. I have learned to give every moment and every experience my all. If you put your entire heart and soul into something, you will get the most out of it. The amount of hugs and kisses and high fives that I received from children and adults around the world was phenomenal. The point being that the love was mutual and that people from all over the globe reciprocated if not generated that mutual feeling of human connectedness and love. The most amazing part is that verbal communication was not included in the majority of these interactions and that this love for people was shared on a deeper level. Open your heart and soul and see where your journey takes you.

Exactly one year ago on May 5, 2009, I was trying to memorize Robert Frost’s “Into My Own” while caravaning my way to NELP and the woods of Maine. Tomorrow on May 5, 2010 I will be reentering the United States for the first time in four months. It is difficult to imagine not only how fast the past year has gone by but how much happened, both expected and unexpected, over that time as well. For the first time in my life, I am unsure what my plans will be in one year. I will have graduated from Michigan but am unsure of the next part of my voyage. My uncertainty has stemmed from this Semester at Sea experience and I am grateful for that. I am not sure if I am giving my abroad experience justice or am able to articulate the stories and emotions I experienced. In fact I am almost certain that it is impossible to fully explain Semester at Sea to another person. But just know that the entire voyage really was unreal.