Away We Go!

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Hey, remember when my sister sailed around the world for four months and promised to blog about all her stops and adventures and never did because she’s a senior in college (actually, graduated Friday!), had grad schools to get into (starts her master’s in accountancy at UT this fall), jobs to apply for (got offers at all of the Big Four accounting firms), and had the rest of her college existence to tie up and close in one neat little bundle? (Yeah, I hate her, too.)

Well, seeing as she’d never get around to it, I stepped up to the plate instead. You see…

I’M GOING ON SEMESTER AT SEA.

image courtesy of Semester at Sea

I know, I know; I was officially hired on April 18, and it’s still sinking in for me, too! I’m not going as a student, of course, but as an employee of the University of Virginia. Which is so much better because not only do I get to sail around the world—-literally, we start in North America, sail east and end in North America four months later—but I get paid to do so. That, my friends, is what I believe some may call a dream job.

But let me rewind.

When my mom and I went to see Kari in South Africa last year, we met her at the ship and took a tour. When I had heard about Semester at Sea during my own college years, I had always envisioned a rickety sail boat where students had to muck the decks and do other ship-like chores (maybe I was confusing Semester at Sea with Pirates of the Caribbean…seems that way, doesn’t it?). This is not that. The ship is massive and luxurious (there’s even a spa!) and has about everything one could need to live. It was at that point I was kicking myself for not looking into this when I was in undergrad. (Then again, I wouldn’t have traded my semester in Edinburgh for the world.)

After we left the ship, we ran into the current dean of the trip, Dr. Crabtree, who was on his eighth voyage with SAS and, coincidentally, was the chancellor at UT during my years there. As I was an editor of the daily paper, I interviewed him frequently and stopped to chat. (It’s not every day you see someone from your university life years before at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town.)

We caught up, I told him what I’d been up to these past six years, and he suggested I apply for a future voyage. Oh, I couldn’t do that…or could I? My job is flexible; SVV’s is, as well. We don’t have a mortgage or kids (other than an adorable fur baby) or anything else tying us down. Why not?

And so we both applied for positions this time last year (me for the PR & Communications Coordinator and Assistant Field Office Coordinator jobs; SVV for something techie) and heard nothing until December, when we got rejection letters from everything we applied for…or not. Then, just days before we left for Hawaii in April, I woke up to a voicemail from the ISE office at UVA saying I was a finalist for this fall. I couldn’t believe it. I also couldn’t believe the bad timing. SVV and I already had our August through December planned with some really big work changes; this threw a dent in my plan.

So I called my mom, who I talk to about 17 times a day, and she essentially said I’d be stupid not to accept. She was right. Only, I called UVA three times that week and never heard back again and thought I’d missed the boat (literally).

It turns out they moved offices and had no phone lines, so once that was all sorted out, I had two phone interviews (very early in the morning thanks to the six-hour time change from Hawaii to Virginia) with two very lovely ladies, both of whom will be my bosses and who I’ll be living on a boat with this fall, and two minutes into the second interview on April 18, I was hired on the spot.

I started crying. I kid you not. I was so shocked and overjoyed and just completely thrown off that this is my life for the next few months. Also, I had heard from fellow travel writers and editors who were SAS alums that they had applied for positions for years and never even gotten an interview, much less hired, so I honestly couldn’t believe with as competitive as SAS jobs are that they wanted me, and on the first round at that.

The job I did land is that of the assistant field office coordinator, meaning I’ll assist the coordinator, who is a full-time employee of UVA and ISE, with the planning and organizing of all the field trips for the students, staff and faculty. (Basically, a lot of spreadsheets and organization; basically, my favorite things ever.)

Even funnier is that the next day I got an email saying I was a finalist for the PR/Communications position for the spring 2012 voyage. (I’m not going. Two in a row is a bit much even for me. But maybe another year, as many staffers tend to sail multiple times over the course of their careers.)

SVV gets to go, of course; dependents sail for a nominal fee. (They pay for room and board, which is essentially a fourth of what he currently pays to live in San Francisco, so it’s not a bad deal at all.)

So where all are we going? Some pretty awesome places.

  • Embark: Montreal, Canada
  • Morocco
  • Ghana*
  • South Africa
  • Mauritius*
  • India*
  • Malaysia
  • Vietnam*
  • Hong Kong/China
  • Japan*
  • Hawaii
  • Costa Rica*
  • Panama Canal*
  • Cuba
  • Debark: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

(The starred places are the countries I’ve yet to visit.)

The only drawbacks to the gig are the obvious: Ella (insert huge ol’ frownie face here). Seeing as she gets carsick and vomits in my lap just driving from San Francisco to Berkeley, I can’t imagine taking her on a ship for four months. Not to mention the fact that it’s not allowed. Instead, she’ll go to live with my parents in Tennessee, where she’ll be spoiled rotten and have five other white, fluffy friends to play with all day, every day. The sad part is I doubt she’ll miss us one bit!

The second thing is the fact that I was signed up to run the Chicago Marathon in October and have already been doing training miles in the high teens. Another marathon attempt thwarted! Though I’d say it’s completely worth it. (If you missed the Chicago Marathon registration deadline and want to buy my bib, leave a comment or shoot me a message.)

And the third is Taylor Swift. Yeah, I said it. After getting up really early and sitting in front of the computer refreshing the screen for an hour on her Speak Now tour pre-sale, I snagged my mom, sis and me three good seats to her Nashville concert in September. Oh well, something tells me Ms. Swift will also be here when I get back. (For those who don’t know, it’s my life’s goal to figure out how to become her best friend. And I will, believe you me.)

This year is going to be absolutely nuts: first, the Great American Road Trip—we leave today! for just over six weeks!—then the cruise with my family and SVV’s parents, then we’re back in California for 17 days, then we drive across country to Tennessee over a 10-day period (taking it slow), then spend 10 days in Tennessee with my family and celebrate my granddad’s 90th birthday (I haven’t been back South since Christmas), then I fly to Boston (again) for staff training and then we set sail for 116 days.

The funny thing is that I haven’t used my passport since early October and I declared this the year I took it slow and kept international travel to a minimum. It’s funny how things never work out as planned. I’m still giddy even though I’ve had a full month to process what is going to be the next seven months of our lives.

Now to overcome my crippling seasickness. Yes, that’s a must-do in the coming months, I’d say.

COMMENTS
  • May 15, 2011
    Kathie

    Congratulations! Sounds like an amazing experience!

  • May 15, 2011
    Kathie

    Congratulations! What an awesome opportunity!

  • May 15, 2011

    Hoorah for new adventures!!! So excited for you.

  • May 15, 2011
    Bethany

    Congratulations, Kristin! This is so exciting!

  • May 15, 2011

    Oh. WOW. This is amazing!

  • May 15, 2011

    I’m excited for you! Except the not seeing you for four months. Boo. But still! You’ll have a blast!

  • May 15, 2011

    oh, wow! you have quite the whirlwind of a year coming up! can’t wait to read about it.

  • May 15, 2011
    k

    yay! this is super exciting! congrats!

  • May 15, 2011

    Wow, only you could change plans completely since the last time we talked about your life-changing plans 🙂 Love it. I think this means we won’t see each other when I’m stateside this summer, but that’s ok – I’ll definitely be following along! Congrats!

    • May 15, 2011
      Kristin

      Haha, you are SO right. The major thing I am missing from my life is, indeed, stability. Consistency, too =)

      Sad I’m going to miss you, but I guess that means I should come to Italy to make up for it, right??

  • May 15, 2011

    Congrats, Kristin! That sounds like it will be an amazing adventure.

  • May 15, 2011

    Grats lady!!!

  • May 15, 2011

    Semester at sea sounds amazing. I’d kill to go, in any capacity!

  • May 15, 2011

    Amazing!!! And I’m so, so excited to read all about it 🙂 Congrats!

    • May 15, 2011
      Kristin

      Thanks, Sues! This also means I get to visit your fair city twice in one month! Huzzah!

  • May 15, 2011

    How amazing! Congratsssss! I can’t wait to read about your new adventures! 🙂

  • May 15, 2011

    Oh, my gosh! That IS a dream job. Can’t wait to hear about all your upcoming adventures! (I just love when opportunities like these happen to such lovely people. Congrats!)

    • May 15, 2011
      Kristin

      You are so sweet! Thanks, Kerri! I feel the same about you and Jay and your sweet little girl. (You’re having a little girl! SO so so exciting. All that pink! And dresses! And bows!)

  • May 15, 2011

    OMG, awesome! Congratulations!

    Now we really DO need to make sure we all get together sometime this summer, or else LG will be teenager by the time you’re back! (Ok, or not, but I do want all my NorCal ladies to meet her!)

    Anyway, it’s not about me, it’s about you, so congratulations again! And! Have so much fun on your road trip!

    • May 15, 2011
      Kristin

      Haha, true story. Tell LG to keep a day in July open for me!

  • May 15, 2011

    Wow! Congrats! That’s so cool! I would have never known you could do SAS as an adult!

    And man, leaving the furbaby behind is going to break your heart! She’ll be fine, but will you?!

    • May 15, 2011
      Kristin

      You are so right! The thought of it is already breaking my heart a little more each day. I’ll have to teach my mom how to Skype so we can chat with Ella while we’re on the road (or rather, on the sea!) =)

  • May 15, 2011

    Holy crap! This is awesome! But I am going to miss you.

  • May 15, 2011

    Holy cow, lady! You have a pretty amazing year ahead! I always regretted not doing SAS in college, so I applied for a job there too, maybe two or three years ago. I was of course rejected and later found out how competitive it is. Though I also found out you can still go on it as an adult (though out of your own pocket), so who knows 🙂 I’m so excited for you guys–sounds like it will be great fun! My step-brother just went on it last year and had a blast.

  • May 15, 2011

    Wicked cool! Well deserved Kristin, I’m so happy for you. 🙂

    Hope you’re still coming to Montreal at some point soon. Congrats!!

    • May 15, 2011
      Kristin

      Yes indeed! Actually, now we’ll be there TWICE as our family cruise takes off from Montreal and so does the Semester at Sea voyage!

  • May 15, 2011

    Holy ass crackers! And I thought MY life was full of unexpected twists and turns! This is all so exciting! And congrats on being awesome!

    I’m also very glad to see that SVV gets to come. When I was interviewing for cruise ship gigs I made it very clear that I was not interested unless they could also offer Kyle a job on the same ship. Because what’s the point of having great adventures if you can’t share them with your co-pilot?

  • May 15, 2011
    Paula Levitt

    Hey Kristin!

    I just saw your bio on the SAS website. I’ll be the other Asst. Field office Coordinator for this Fall and I am super excited! Just wanted to say hello and that I am so happy you will be blogging about the upcoming adventure! Look forward to meeting you 🙂

    • May 15, 2011
      Kristin

      Ahhh how exciting! I’ve been wanting to e-meet my fellow shipmates before the trip. I might be emailing you soon to chat; I’m already having packing nightmares =)

      • May 15, 2011
        Paula

        haha Yes! Definitely- Would love to chat before!

  • May 15, 2011

    Congrats! Very exciting. I look forward to reading about your experience on the boat and visiting such interesting places.

  • May 15, 2011

    Kristin, this is so cool.

    I have mentioned SAS to my daughter, as she recently completed her freshman year at UC Berkeley. Gotta have our tuition dollars go to a good cause, right?

    • May 15, 2011
      Kristin

      Yes! Without a doubt! My sister went last year as a junior. If she’s serious about pursuing it, I can definitely put her in touch with Kari for a student’s perspective. (Or she can always email me after I’ve gone!)

  • May 15, 2011

    Wow, what a great opportunity for you to check off a few more countries, and get PAID for it! That’s awesome!

  • May 15, 2011
    Ellen

    WOW WOW WOW!!!! Kristin, Congratulations!!!! I am so happy for you – what an opportunity ! Say what you want, but this officially makes your job the best in the world!! I’m having a very hard time trying to hide my jealousy here. You are only going to my top top destinations:
    Cuba – My NUMBER ONE place to go, never been and dying to go!
    South Africa – never been, so want to see what its all about
    China – wonder if they’ll still try to stone me after all these years 😉
    Japan – never been but one of my top places to go
    Mauritius, one of my FAV places on earth
    Hawaii – take me with, I have to see that place
    Malaysia – so much more left to see there
    Vietnam – one of the places that made the biggest impression on me

    So much for calming down ha! Something tells me you are going full speed for the coming years, with a career like that its hard not to! I am so proud of you – only the best travel writer in the world! See you when you get retired!

  • May 15, 2011

    Long cruises are the best, even if you are working on the staff. You’re going to see many places that you wouldn’t see otherwise. Can’t wait to read your posts.

  • May 15, 2011

    Wow, that truly sounds like the opportunity of a lifetime. Can’t wait to follow along on your amazing adventures. Congratulations!!

  • May 15, 2011

    How awesome is this!!!!!!! So cool that you and Scott will get to work together too: ) What an amazing experience.

  • May 15, 2011

    Wow. Just wow. I am stunned. Yet not at all surprised. I am SOOO glad SVV gets to go with you. And you look adorable in a sailor hat! Congratulations!!!!

  • May 15, 2011

    AWESOME! You’re going to have so much fun! For your first few paragraphs I kept imagining Ella trotting around a ship deck, like you see in old movies. Re: seasickness… I’ve been on several cruises and all of the staff I’ve spoken to says it goes away after the first few days. Congratulations!

    • May 17, 2011
      Kristin

      I WISH we could bring her. Maybe while she’s staying with my parents in the South, she can take a weekend trip to visit Wicket =) I’d love a side-by-side photo of their matching smiling underbites!

  • May 15, 2011

    Oh my gosh this sounds AMAZING! I can’t wait to hear all about your adventures! As for the Chicago marathon, if you ran San Francisco this marathon would have been CAKE. It is so unbelievably flat here. You’ll have to add it to your to-do list for another year.

    • May 18, 2011
      Kristin

      Yeah, I had been planning to shave 30-40 minutes off my marathon time, which I think would have been totally doable and is precisely why I chose Chicago in the first place! I’ll run in next year…or the next…I’m not too worried =)

  • May 15, 2011

    Ahhhh so jealous! I am one of those that applied and got nowhere with it (I’m a librarian), but I’m certainly going to keep trying and wear them down with my charming persistence. Can’t wait to see your pictures and read all about it!

    • May 18, 2011
      Kristin

      Yes, I hear that is key! One of the employees who gave me some advice during the application process told me exactly that: “You may have to apply several times, but don’t give up because when you finally get hired, it will be totally worth it!” Plus, you can recycle the same cover letter and not have to put in too much extra effort =)

  • May 15, 2011
    Natalie T.

    WOW! I was ready to hear the original plan you had on the DL and I did not expect this. I think the sacrifices are worth it, and it’s going to be an incredible adventure. I’m so happy for you and I’m sure after your blogging, the competition will be even more competitive than it already it is. Congrats are certainly in order! I’m guessing you’re subletting your place then? Why do I have a feeling you’re subletting it to Spencer Spellman? LOL. (Or did I just give you a thought?) xoxoxo

    • May 17, 2011
      Kristin

      Ha, we tried that for our summer road trip, but the timing didn’t work out!

  • May 15, 2011

    Oh, wow. WOW!

    Excited for you guys!

  • May 15, 2011

    Congratulations! How exciting! I’m looking forward to hearing of your adventures!

    Good luck on your road trip too!

  • May 15, 2011
    Brandy

    Congratulations! That sounds like an awesome opportunity. And yeah, Semester At Sea is one of those things I wished I would’ve done as an undergrad.

    I can’t wait to hear all about this trip!

    • May 16, 2011
      Kristin

      The good news is that you can still do it even if you aren’t an undergrad! As staff, faculty or a lifelong learner (people of all ages who are out of college and just want to sail for fun) =)

  • May 15, 2011

    Awesome! Congrats!

  • May 15, 2011
    Amy

    What a great opportunity! I’m an undergrad at Pitt – I just started looking at study abroad opportunities for fall 2012 and I’ve been fawning over the SAS website all day and then just happened to come across your blog tonight! Life is fun like that. Have an amazing trip!

    • May 16, 2011
      Kristin

      You should do it! I can put you in touch with my sister if you want a student’s perspective, or I can chat with you after I’ve done it myself. I’ve met so many people who have done it as students and not a one had anything but glowing things to say about the experience!

  • May 16, 2011

    Wow, wow, wow! This is amazing! You are going to have such a fantastic time!
    And I can’t wait to read all about it.
    Also, if Ella gets bored staying home while her parents are off gallivanting, well she’s always welcome to come visit us here in Nice :0)

    • May 16, 2011
      Kristin

      I think Ella would fare well in Nice. She is a lady of leisure after all and likes basking in the sun! I’ll put her on the first France-bound plane in August!

      • May 17, 2011

        Oh she would fit in perfectly here, basking in the sun is pretty much obligatory and there would be tons of friends for her to hang out with too, at least 4 of my neighbours have Malteses for her to play with. Get her a puppy passport quick ;0)

  • May 16, 2011

    Congrats! When I was an undergrad, I had similar visions of the SAS being on decrepit boat or rusty, retired cruise liner from the 70’s. How exciting though that you’ll get to see so many new places!!! I have some serious travel envy.

  • May 16, 2011

    Sounds awesome, I get seasick too, so I’m fighting the nausea thinking about it, but what an opportunity! And I can’t wait to read all about it. I can’t believe you’re already doing double-digit runs for a marathon in October? How long is your training plan? I am doing the D.C. Marine Corp Marathon in October too, and my long run this past weekend was 8 miles…. Now, I’m feeling a bit nervous and unprepared…..

    • May 16, 2011
      Kristin

      Nah you’re right on track. I knew I wouldn’t have time to do a lot of long runs this summer while on our road trip, so I was trying to build up and get a lot of longer ones in before we go. (Now, it doesn’t really matter since I won’t be running.) Plus, I was running this one for time and, thus, doing a half marathon each month for training, so that was the main purpose for running longer in the beginning. You’ll be prepared! For my first marathon, I only started training about five months ahead of time and never did more than 13 until two months prior.

  • May 16, 2011

    Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!
    You will surely let me know when you port in Japan, right? Hopefully it is near where I am so I can meet the both of you. I just visited Osaka/Kyoto over the weekend and loved it, by the way! Check out the pics when you get a chance.

    As far as the sea sickness, you’ll definitely hit rough seas when you’re near Japan. Seasickness pills are great for keeping you from getting sick, although you’ll still feel lightheaded and have an upset stomach, and they make you sleepy. My advice is to drink Sprite or 7-up and eat saltine crackers. Also, look at the horizon to get a sense of your bearings.

    I would love to do this cruise one day. Looking forward to reading about your adventures.

    Have you heard of the Peace Boat from Japan?

    • May 16, 2011
      Kristin

      Hey! I’ve been wanting to email you for weeks and tell you we’re coming to Japan but I wanted to hold off until I made it public =)

      I will definitely let you know. My best friend from home is a diplomat in Tokyo, so work obligations permitting, we’re going to try to head straight there and stay with her for a few days. It will be in early November, but I will of course be in touch well before then. And no, I know nothing about the Peace Boat! What is it?

      Re: seasickness, I’m going to get the medicated patches from my doctor…I’ve taken Dramamine and Bonine and ginger pills and everything else, and nothing seems to help me one bit!

  • May 16, 2011
    Laurel

    I would love a second chance to do some of the things I missed while in college (like studying abroad–never did it b/c I thought I would miss my life on campus too much, probably true). So jealous!

    • May 16, 2011
      Kristin

      But you can! One day when you need a “career break,” you should totally apply for the PR position =)

  • May 16, 2011

    Congrats Kristin! That’s such an amazing opportunity, and I’m sure you’ll make the most of it! (and i’m sure those college students will LOVE to hear about your travels and career! 🙂

    • May 16, 2011
      Kristin

      Thanks, Julie! I think I’m most exciting about (hopefully) mentoring a bunch of college kids. I’ve always thought one day I might want to do some visiting professor stints in magazine journalism at some university.

  • May 16, 2011

    wahooo! Congrats! I love how free and exciting you guys are with your lives. It inspires me- knowing that even after I’m married and ‘settled’ I can still uproot and live the good life. I can’t wait to read about your adventures!

    • May 16, 2011
      Kristin

      That might be the nicest thing anyone has ever said about us! I think or unspoken motto is probably to keep having fun in everything we do. We can be grownups eventually if we ever tire of the inconsistency of our lives (though I don’t foresee that happening!).

  • May 16, 2011

    Gaah!!! How awesome is that?!? Oh my goodness, I’m so excited for you!!!

    xox

  • May 16, 2011

    OH.

    MAHGAHD.

    This sounds absolutely amazing. AMAZING! I’m so excited for you and totally jealous (in a good way!)! I hope that ship has an awesome interwebs connection because I predict more astounding tales will be in your near future….

    Congratulations!

    • May 16, 2011
      Kristin

      Haha you and me both! I’ll probably have to be prepared for once and have my posts and photos ready to go in bulk for when I do have internet time–that or have SVV post them for me as he will be living the life of leisure for four months!

  • May 16, 2011
    Sarah

    hey, congratulations. Sounds like an absolutely amazing gig, and I can’t wait to read all about it.

  • May 16, 2011

    Congratulations, that’s wonderful!!! It sounds like an amazing opportunity that you will really enjoy!

  • May 16, 2011

    Your life continues to dazzle me. So happy for you and this incredible opportunity (that’s obviously the result of a lot of hard work and a great reputation, so you completely deserve it). Enjoy every single moment.

    (And blog about it, too!)

  • May 16, 2011

    Congrats, this sounds amazing! I can’t wait to read about your adventures. I’m bummed you won’t be in Chicago though. I was hoping we might finally be able to meet up!

    • May 16, 2011
      Kristin

      I do really want to run Chicago (and come back there for a visit) so I’m hoping just to push it back for a year!

  • May 16, 2011

    THIS IS AMAZING! I am fiercely attempting to reign in my need to excessively exclaim right now because: !!!!!

    CONGRATULATIONS! babe.

    Yaaaaaaaaaay!

    • May 16, 2011
      Kristin

      Haaaa, thanks KA! You’re the cutest!

  • May 16, 2011

    I know I’ve already told you this, but congratulations!!!!! This sounds like such an awesome opportunity! (I’m actually trying to figure out in my head how I could possibly apply) I can’t wait to hear about the adventure when it gets here!

  • May 16, 2011
    Caitlin D

    Wow! What an honor and great opportunity! Major congrats. I’m a long time reader and had sent you some long emails trying to convince your sister to go on SAS back when she was still deciding! Stoked for you. -Caitlin SAS fall 2004 alum

  • May 16, 2011

    Wow, what an AWESOME opportunity. I’m so glad you went for it. The dog doesn’t REALLY need you, and the marathon can wait, and plans… well.. life will be there when you’re done with your adventure. How awesome is it that SVV gets to go with you? I can’t wait to read about it…

    • May 17, 2011
      Kristin

      Thanks, Kacie! I’m sure Ella will prefer living with her grandparents and her five fluffy parents and siblings, but that won’t make it any easier on Scott and me, ha =)

  • May 16, 2011

    What an awesome, awesome news. Congrats!!! What a great opportunity and can’t wait to hear the stories coming out of these!

  • May 16, 2011
    Briel K.

    Wow! Big plans ahead for you guys! The new job sounds awesome! I would miss being home with that much time away though. Looking forward to reading about your road trip and your 4 month trip!

    • May 17, 2011
      Kristin

      Yeah, it is a long stint away. In fact, aside from living abroad three times which doesn’t really count as I always had “a home” (or temporary apartment), this road trip we’re on now for two months is the longest period I’ve ever traveled at once! I guess it’s good practice for this fall =)

  • May 17, 2011

    Oh my gosh, what an amazing gig! That just sounds so very cool, and it’s perfect that you guys are able to take advantage of the opportunity…even if it does mean leaving Ella for so long. Can’t wait to hear about all your adventures.

  • May 17, 2011
    Irene

    I’m so jealous!!!!!! I applied and was accepted to SAS as an undergrad, but had to give it up because my family couldn’t afford it in the end. I’m STILL heartbroken about it, 4 years later. My biggest regret ever.

    Congratulations on the new job! It’s going to be amazing, I’m sure. What a dream!

    • May 17, 2011
      Kristin

      It is very pricey indeed. My sister grappled with that back and forth before deciding it was worth spending all of her savings (plus, we talked her into it as she had a free ride to college, monthly stipends, etc. so it was the only debt she would incur during undergrad). The good news is that you can go as an adult, whether applying for staff/faculty positions or enrolling as a lifelong learner (which my mom plans to do at some point!).

  • May 17, 2011

    Um…ARE YOU KIDDING? That’s amazing. You can run the marathon in circles around the upper deck.

    • May 17, 2011
      Kristin

      Haaaaa. I’ll be that crazy lady on board (don’t put it past me). They do have a gym on board, so I figure maybe this is the four months I put running on hold and tone up again instead!

  • May 17, 2011

    I know I’m late to the party, but I had to spend a few days recovering from my jealousy. (Just kidding.) (Kind of.)

    Ok, seriously, it’s inspiring to see you going after so many cool opportunities. Awesome! Congrats! Can’t wait to read all about it!

  • May 17, 2011

    You have seriously inspired me to apply to Semester at Sea now! Who knows if I’ll get a job with them, but oh my word it sounds like a blast. How cool that you get to do an amazing road trip (which you’re on right now! whoop!) and sail around the world IN THE SAME YEAR?? Lucky lady. 😉

    • May 17, 2011
      Kristin

      Um, you totally should! Why not? Can’t hurt anything! You could change your blog to “From RV to Ship” (or something more witty…it’s late, I’m tired).

      (P.S. Yes, road trip! I was just saying to Scott I wish I’d read your recap post BEFORE we’d left ha, so we know what mistakes not to make! Kidding kidding, what fun is a trip if you don’t screw up along the way, right?)

  • May 19, 2011

    Oh wow! Congratulations – this sounds like the opportunity of a lifetime. What a huge variety of countries you’ll be able to visit! I’m not a huge fan of boats (I will get miserably seasick on the calmest day) but I could totally get on board 😉 for something like this.

    • May 28, 2011
      Kristin

      Ditto to the seasickness. I’ve rarely been on a boat and NOT gotten sick. Let’s hope I get over that sooner rather than later!

  • May 19, 2011

    This is so incredible, I am terribly jealous – please find a way to take me with you!

  • May 19, 2011

    That. Is. Awesome. So excited. Have heard great things about Semester at Sea. Am I going to see you guys in San Francisco? I arrive June 6ish.

    • May 19, 2011

      Thanks Spence! We’ll be there most of July before the circumnavigation. Congratulations on choosing San Fran to land in by the way. I have a feeling you’ll like the Bay Area.

  • May 25, 2011

    I’m so glad SVV gets to go too!

  • May 26, 2011

    That’s such cool news! A bunch of my college friends did SAS and they all loved it. It sounds like such a great experience. Which port of call are you most excited about?

    • May 26, 2011
      Kristin

      Hmm, well I’ve been to the majority of them, but I think I’m most excited to see Ghana and Mauritius for the first time. And Japan, as my best friend from home is a diplomat there. Most excited to return to: Morocco, South Africa. Really there’s not a part of the trip I’m NOT stoked for!

  • May 26, 2011
    Katie

    I am SO GLAD I saw this. I am currently in a Master’s Program for Student Affairs in Higher Education, and would love to do something like this for a few years after I graduate. I am definitely saving it under the favorites tab for future reference. It’s worth a shot, even if the competition is stiff! 🙂

    • May 28, 2011
      Kristin

      The other girl who has my position–who coincidentally found me through this post–is doing a similar master’s, and the job is fulfilling her internship requirement for her degree. Maybe you could do something like that!

  • July 20, 2011

    OMG so cool and what an adventure it will be! I love the photo of you and SVV + the pup!! How adorable!

  • July 27, 2011
    Sameena Jaleel

    Hi,

    I am applying for the photographer position for Fall 2012 with Semester at Sea. I am a self taught photographer but the job requires a minimum of 5 years of experience. I don’t have that much experience should I still apply?

    Also, I am stuck at the past employment section. What did you put on your employment history for the past 5 years seeing as you didn’t really have a real job but were doing freelancing, right?

    Please get back to me as soon as you can, I would really appreciate it.

    Sameena

  • August 11, 2011
    Blank

    I’m a SAS alumni and can tell you (as I’m sure everyone else has) that SAS is hands-down, exponentially better than TSwift, marathons, and any furry dog combined. I support all three, which makes me a good source, right?

    • August 11, 2011
      Kristin

      Haha, I love that! We leave for staff training in nine days, and my sister (an SAS alum, as well) actually has been helping me pack all night long =)

      And yes, I think your credentials make you an excellent source!

  • July 31, 2013
    Jordan Neeley

    Hi Kristin,

    Thanks for sharing all the great info, I’m sure you had the time of your life! I am also interested in applying for a position on the ship and was wondering if you could give me some pointers on applying! I would really appreciate any extra info!
    Hope all is well,

    Jordan

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