Home. Where is it? ...and "What was your favorite country?"

Before I finished Semester at Sea, I was talking with a fellow SASer, and told them how my definition of home is so skewed at this point. I've called many places home. Home: Indio, CA. Home: Thousand Oaks, CA...and the big one...

Home: MV Explorer in:
- Canada
- Spain
- Morocco
- Ghana
- South Africa
- Mauritius
- India
- Vietnam
- Hong Kong
- Shanghai, China
- Japan
- Oahu, Hawaii
- Big Island, Hawaii

I realized prior to debarkation, that I have felt at home in a lot of places, and it amazes me. So how about my first home, I mean technically Indio, CA isn't even my first home, it's my second... so how does it feel to be home? How am I dealing with re-entry?

Well, to be quite honest, I can't say that I am. Every day it's the same old thing, waking up in the afternoon out of my coma from lack of sleep all semester. Sitting around working on pictures from the voyage, preparing a slideshow for my family, and being consumed in my life to come. It isn't until those pesky questions and phrases I long to hear come out..."How was it?" "What was your favorite country?" "I couldn't ever be on a ship that long" "Where all did you go?" "India...woah...how was it" that I realize I'm not just in another port anymore.

Night four of being home, I was curious as to what time on ship time was the following day, but there wasn't in fact the place I called home had left for someone else to call home for a few short days. Weird. It doesn't matter if I am not thinking about Semester at Sea, something still reminds me of it, and so many things have a new meaning, or just...are crazy to hear after seeing it or experiencing it. Some examples:

1) The following day after arriving in San Diego, I went to school where during the study break my friends played, "Jaiho" and "You're the One That I Want" - Grease. Jaiho to simply remind me of the night I showed it for Piano Bar Program Board and finally got to finish the movie. And India of course, and all that came with thinking of India. Then, the next song, how can anyone forget Sea Olympics and Don't forget the lyrics, aside from my terrible memory of lyrics of popular songs that we all knew, this one song was debated amongst all of us and little did we know we were all wrong. It's crazy how small these things are but how much they can remind you of.

2) I was at Best Buy with my friend, and we were walking around and all of a sudden I hear a familiar tune. Some girls were playing the demo rockband, which apparently now has a Beatles version. What song were they playing..."Yellow Submarine" except what did lyrics did I start singing..."We all live on a university, Semester at Sea, the best place to be"...my friend was so clueless.

3) Chinese food: how I miss you China for your wonderful food. I long for pan fried wantons, pot stickers, and pork puffballs...and I had them for dinner tonight. Not tasting nearly as good, the plum sauce wasn't black like in China, the puffball was half the size, and the potstickers were weird...but yet it felt so good to eat it and brought back lots of wonderful memories. Particularly almost missing my sleeper train with Randall, Gio, and Grace (miss you guys).

Now how about looking at a world map...weird. I signed so many of them before we left but never actually looked at it. Now off the ship looking at a map...and trying to realize that I went... *points* there, there, there, and there...oh and there. yea there too. it's so surreal. what evidence do I really have besides pictures and memories...pictures can be deleted and and memories fade. I realized something though...I will always have the passion for SAS. I realized that at my friend Austin's Christmas party. During reflection re-entry day on the ship we were told some people would really care about what we did and want to know everything and it was usually your family. Austin however was different, he wanted to know everything, and I was sort of summarizing and he said "Don't just like summarize it, I want to know EVERYTHING, every little detail!" It felt really good to hear that, and by the end of it he himself wanted to do the program, and that is exactly how I decided to do the program. When I heard someone as passionate as myself three years ago, at my university's admitted students day, talk about study abroad. They had done SAS, and by the end of that day, I didn't care where I went to school I just knew that I had to do Semester at Sea. It is because of Austin I realized, the ones that really want to know are going to be the greatest at helping in my re-entry. Even better, future voyagers, and those new to college are going to be the best listeners, and I can't wait to inspire others to do this program.

So am I dealing? Not really. I am pretending to deal or just shoving in the corner, we'll see what happens next semester but for now...I think I'll be okay. Thankfully I have Kiah to turn to at school whenever and her, me. Anyway! That's my Christmas Eve thought process ....not your typical one haha. :)

Thanks For Reading,
A-Ram