TABLE
OF CONTENTS
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Shipboard Interview
Reasons
to See the
World
Jessica Von
Wendel
Sitting
out on the fifth deck talking with a new shipboard friend is "C."
Ironically, we were both born in California
and now reside in Washington State. When
I ask her about how she heard about the
Semester at Sea program she shyly rolls her eyes and says, “MTV’s Road
Rules.” This was six years ago, and she
has been
planning on participating ever since. Now
that she is here, I wanted to know what about the
Semester at Sea
experience correlated so well with her life that she spent six years
anticipating her voyage.
At
first she responds that it was an unexplainable urge to travel and see
new
things despite being a relatively nervous person. She
feels an urgency to travel now before
entering the workforce. "C"
is a 3D animation major and is excited to see places that have inspired
animators, such as the jungle atmosphere of Cambodia
that is reminiscent of
Disney’s “The Jungle Book.” After
further discussion, I learn about "C's"
mother who died when she was only six, but who had a lasting impact on "C's"
tastes. We laugh at how both our mom’s
shopped at
Pier 1 Imports and Cost Plus World Market. Her
mom had African masks on the walls and a very eclectic
taste. Growing up in this type of
environment
definitely had an impact on both of our curiosities about the world.
"C" is the
first in her family to
travel
abroad. Although she was raised by a
protective grandma, her grandma did instill a sense of independence in
her and
was excited about her plans to travel. By
fourth grade she was learning how to write checks.
She says, “I always think it is funny when
people don’t know how to pay their own bills.” "C"
is paying for the entire voyage
herself. Her
grandma recently past away and "C" has been
living on her own for the past few years despite being only 19
years
old. She has little family left, but she
is not alone. She lives with her
boyfriend of four years and states him as another reason for her coming
to
Semester at Sea. She says that when
you’ve been living with someone there comes a point when the little
things,
“like leaving change from your pockets in little piles all over the
apartment
that the cats like to knock around, creating as mess” that just start
to get to
you. You know these little things
shouldn’t bother you, but you just can’t help it!”
So this is just a way for her to revaluate
what is really important to her and put things into perspective. When we return to Florida, her boyfriend will be
waiting for
her to celebrate their anniversary, and she can’t wait.
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