Contacting Me on the Ship

Hello my Vicarious Voyagers,

I have been very busy the past couple of days getting accustomed to my new surroundings and getting into the swing of things which is why I have not posted anything about our embarkation from Halifax.  We are currently in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean and on our way to Spain.  I will have a full update coming soon but first I just wanted to get my contact info out to all of you so you can email me with any questions you have about the ship or the voyage itself.

My email on the ship is lapolak@semesteratsea.net

Please feel free to email me about anything and check back for a full update coming soon.

Arrival in Halifax

Ahhh.... I have finally made it to Halifax to begin my journey. I got in at around 11:30 pm last night. It took approximately 24 hours, 3 planes, and a 8 hour layover to get here but I have made it. I am staying in a very nice boutique hotel called the Halliburton. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who might be coming to halifax. The hotel is carved out townhouses that date back to 1809 when they were owned by Sir Brenton Halliburton who served as the first Chief Justice of the Nova Scotia Supreme Court. The different houses are situated around a quaint courtyard and although the place may be old it has been renovated with every modern convenience. I was also happy to find out that breakfast was included even though I would have to get up before 10 am to eat it.
I did make it to breakfast and then I spent the rest of the morning walking around Halifax. First I walked along to the water to see where I will be boarding the ship tomorrow. As of now there is a giant Carnival cruise liner there but I assume it will be leaving tonight to make room for the MV Explorer. I also looked through the museum that is incorporated in the pier which depicts the stories of refugees that immigrated to Canada as a result of war in Europe. I believe this "Pier 21" to be something similar to Ellis Island in New York where immigrants would arrive to get into America. The museum was very nice but after a while I started to get hungry so I decided to walk further into downtown to grab a bite to eat. I found it interesting that everywhere I turned there was some form of construction going on. Two new buildings right along the shore and then plenty more in downtown. This is definitely a developing city centered around its port. I also noticed flying in as well as driving to my hotel that once you get out of the city it gets very rural very fast. Anyway enough babble about Halifax.
Walking around I found a small park across from a convention center with some musicians playing so I grabbed a burger from a food truck and sat down to eat. Then to my surprise I found out my friend Katie who is going on the voyage with me was on her way from the airport to Halifax. I quickly ate my burger and walked over to where she is staying then as I am about to text her she pops out of a taxi. Her mom and boyfriend Garrett also came along to send her off so after they get checked in we went to grab some lunch or second lunch in my case. The place we found was an interesting little tavern with kilt waring servers that according to Katie's mom did not know how to make a panini. We all gave her a hard time for sending it back but in her defense the bread was not grilled and it was more like a grilled sandwich in a loaf of bread which does not seem very panini like. I suppose everything is up for interpretation. Let me know what you think by commenting below. Dinner is still to come so who knows what culinary adventure awaits.
I am a little nervous but mostly excited about boarding the ship tomorrow. I have no idea what is going to happen which is exciting and scary at the same time. I guess the unknown is the best and the worst part of life.

The Beginning

It all started in middle school when I got the chance to live and learn on a ship called "The Rapture" for a week. That week was one of the best weeks of my life and I new I wanted to do something like it again. Little did I know 6 years later I would have that very opportunity but on a much bigger scale. As I entered college I knew I wanted to study abroad in some capacity. As it came time for me to actually choose where I wanted to go I seemed to be at a loss, but in the back of my mind I knew. I didn't just want to live in one place for a semester and take classes, I wanted to see the world. There was only one program that could offer this, and not only would I get to travel the world but I would get to do it on a ship. My dream was realized and I knew that I would do anything to be on that ship. Six months later my dreams are about to become a reality. On August 26th I will be boarding a ship called the MV Explorer and departing on what I can only call the adventure of a lifetime through a program called Semester at Sea. I hope you will join in this unforgettable experience with me as I go from Halifax Canada, around Africa, through Asia, on to Hawaii, and finish San Diego. It's going to be unpredictable, exciting, and certainly memorable.

In the picture are all the places I will be visiting on my amazing voyage



For more information about the program and to see detailed images of the ship go to www.semesteratsea.org