No Turning Back Now

Yesterday JoEllen and I booked our flights and hotel. We decided to actually fly out June 14th instead of the 15th. We will leave at 7:30pm on the 14th and be in London at 7:30am on the 15th. This way we will now have the whole day to spend in London (instead of arriving at night on the 15th just in time to sleep at a hotel). Instead of doing the real touristy sites we are going to ride the subway (is that what it's called in London, I can't remember) and check out some other sites. We have one night at a hotel in the Heathrow airport in London. The 16th we will wake up and get on a bus and be headed to Southampton where we will board the MV Explorer. 90 days until we leave for the airport!

Under 100 Days

There are 98 days left until I will be on the MV Explorer and leaving to travel Europe! It seems so far, but I have so much to do before it gets here and I know it is going to fly by. Tomorrow I have to work on getting my visa for Russia. 98 days is not a lot of time at all.

Here is the itinerary!

Arrive/On-Ship for DepartureDateTime Southampton (London), England Port of Southampton
Ocean Gate, Atlantic Way On-Ship for Departure June 16 14:00 Lisbon, Portugal Port of Lisbon
Rua General Gomes Araújo Arrive June 21 08:00 On-Ship for Departure June 24 18:00 Bilbao, Spain Port of Bilbao
Muelle Espigón E1 Arrive June 27 08:00 On-Ship for Departure June 30 18:00 Greenock (Glasgow), Scotland Greenock Ocean Terminal
Patrick Street Arrive July 5 08:00 On-Ship for Departure July 8 18:00 Dublin, Ireland Dublin Port
Alexandra Road Arrive July 10 08:00 On-Ship for Departure July 13 18:00 Bergen, Norway [*] Port of Bergen
Nøstegaten 30 Arrive July 17 08:00 On-Ship for Departure July 17 21:00 Oslo, Norway [*] Port of Oslo
Arrive July 19 08:00 On-Ship for Departure July 20 18:00 Saint Petersburg, Russia Port of St. Petersburg
Gapsalskaya Str. Arrive July 24 08:00 On-Ship for Departure July 28 18:00 Stockholm, Sweden Port of Stockholm
Karl Johans Torg Arrive July 31 08:00 On-Ship for Departure August 3 18:00 Helsinki, Finland Port of Helsinki
Olympiaranta 3 Arrive August 6 08:00 On-Ship for Departure August 9 21:00 Gdansk, Poland Port of Gdansk
Przemysłowa 1 Arrive August 12 08:00 On-Ship for Departure August 15 18:00 Southampton (London), England Port of Southampton
Ocean Gate, Atlantic Way Arrive August 21 08:00 - See more at: http://www.semesteratsea.org/voyages/summer-2014/calendar/#sthash.paHxcmFY.dpuf

Fly to London - June 14
Southampton (London), England - June 16 (Departure)
Lisbon, Portugal - June 21-24 
Bilbao, Spain - June 27-30 
Greenock (Glasgow), Scotland - July 5-8
Dublin, Ireland - July 10 - 13
Bergen, Norway - July 17 -17
Oslo, Norway - July 19 - 20
St. Petersburg, Russia - July 24 - 28
Stockholm, Sweden - July 31 - August 3
Helsinki, Finland - August 6 - 9
Gdansk, Poland - August 12 - 15
Southampton (London), England - August 21
Fly back home to Nj  

Southampton (London), England

Arrive/On-Ship for DepartureDateTime Southampton (London), England Port of Southampton
Ocean Gate, Atlantic Way On-Ship for Departure June 16 14:00 Lisbon, Portugal Port of Lisbon
Rua General Gomes Araújo Arrive June 21 08:00 On-Ship for Departure June 24 18:00 Bilbao, Spain Port of Bilbao
Muelle Espigón E1 Arrive June 27 08:00 On-Ship for Departure June 30 18:00 Greenock (Glasgow), Scotland Greenock Ocean Terminal
Patrick Street Arrive July 5 08:00 On-Ship for Departure July 8 18:00 Dublin, Ireland Dublin Port
Alexandra Road Arrive July 10 08:00 On-Ship for Departure July 13 18:00 Bergen, Norway [*] Port of Bergen
Nøstegaten 30 Arrive July 17 08:00 On-Ship for Departure July 17 21:00 Oslo, Norway [*] Port of Oslo
Arrive July 19 08:00 On-Ship for Departure July 20 18:00 Saint Petersburg, Russia Port of St. Petersburg
Gapsalskaya Str. Arrive July 24 08:00 On-Ship for Departure July 28 18:00 Stockholm, Sweden Port of Stockholm
Karl Johans Torg Arrive July 31 08:00 On-Ship for Departure August 3 18:00 Helsinki, Finland Port of Helsinki
Olympiaranta 3 Arrive August 6 08:00 On-Ship for Departure August 9 21:00 Gdansk, Poland Port of Gdansk
Przemysłowa 1 Arrive August 12 08:00 On-Ship for Departure August 15 18:00 Southampton (London), England Port of Southampton
Ocean Gate, Atlantic Way Arrive August 21 08:00 - See more at: http://www.semesteratsea.org/voyages/summer-2014/calendar/#sthash.paHxcmFY.dpuf

Accepted!

After applying and all of the annoying applications between my school and study abroad, I got my acceptance email! I couldn't focus or sit still for the rest of the night; I was so excited (I didn't feel the same way when we got the bill). The best part is I'll be on board and hopefully rooming with my long time friend from high school. JoEllen and I already wreaked havoc with our shenanigans on a cruise. I can't imagine what we can get our selves into this time. 

About Me

Hi! My name is Blaire and I am 21 years old and from Toms River, New Jersey. I love Nj and love living by the beach because it's relaxing and I'm a mermaid at heart. I am a junior at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey and I am studying health sciences. I want to go on to be a physical therapist. This summer I am embarking on a three month journey at sea to study abroad ... again because I am a mermaid. I am so excited to go and travel the world and document it here. I always wanted to study abroad and this is an amazing opportunity. Why choose a country to go to when you can live at sea and explore an entire continent!? I will be leaving from Southampton London on June 16th and it cannot come fast enough. Right now the count is at 102 days!