For some people their "daring adventure" is starting a new job, going back to school, moving to a new town, getting married, having a baby, etc. At the moment my "daring adventure" is taking me on a crazy turn in both my career and in my life. Some of you may even say that I have taken this quote too literally when you hear what I am up to next because my next adventure has a whole lotta daring and a huge serving of adventure.
At the end of the summer I am getting on ship in Greece and not coming home until the end of April – yes I’m going away for eight months and traveling around the world two more times! I will begin work for a new company called The Scholar Ship (http://www.thescholarship.com/). This organization is similar to Semester at Sea - a ship full of college students traveling around the world in one semester studying and learning together. Three big differences between TSS and SAS: SAS is probably 99% US students, faculty and staff while TSS is intentionally recruiting students, faculty and staff from all over the world (over 115 countries to date) so that the shipboard community will be as diverse as the itinerary of countries we visit. Secondly, TSS is focusing very heavily on having every experience students have in port (even independent travel) link back to their academics (hence my job during the spring semester - see below). Thirdly, TSS will have undergrad AND grad students studying and researching onboard (43% of the student body are grad students).
So what will I be doing? I will be taking on what I think will be the two hardest jobs of my life. During the Fall 2007 voyage I will be working as the Logistics Manager for Port Programs (for you SAS folks it’s similar to Field Office Coordinator) – managing the logistics, itineraries, and details for all of the Academic Field Programs in each port for 400+ students and staff. During the Spring 2008 voyage I will be working as the Experiential Education Specialist for Port Programs – working with faculty to create and promote reflection and debrief activities to help students link what they are experiencing in port to what they are learning in the classroom. The Experiential Ed position was the original one for which I applied (for the full 8 months – that is how their staff positions work) and it’s too long of a story to go into here to explain how it came to be the way it is but basically they wanted me for both voyages (but only the spring was open for Exp Ed) and we were able to work it out when the Logistics Manager position for the fall unexpectedly became available.
So that’s my news. Crazy, huh? Kind of scary and at times I become short of breath when I think about these things…
- I’m 32 and going to pack up my life again and store it all away
- I’m going on the INAUGURAL voyage of this new program (I did my homework on them but it’s still the first voyage EVER)
- I’m going to have create everything in both jobs basically from scratch
- I’m going to live in a tiny cabin for ¾ of a year
- I’m going to have to battle sea sickness and the general lethargy that goes along with living on a ship
- I’m going to go for 8 months with no weekends, down days or even much time to breathe
- I’m going to come back and have to do a job search while being unemployed (complicated by the fact I have no idea what I want to do next)
Every time these worries and fears cross my mind I just remember these other things that take my breath away… - I’m going to travel around the world 2 more times
- I’m going to visit 17 countries (only 3 are repeats for me!)
- I’m going to have the most spectacular view of the moon, stars and the ocean for 8 months
- I’m going to again be lulled to sleep at night by the rumble of the engines and the rocking of the waves (hopefully nothing like the Spring 05 voyage!)
- I’m going to meet, work with and learn from people from all over the world in beautiful places all over the world
- I’m going to work in an intense and energized environment focused on creating opportunities that challenge students’ comfort zones and worldviews.
- I’m going to work with a team of people all focused on and passionate about broadening students’ and their own world experiences, knowledge, and cultural understandings and competencies
Am I crazy? Maybe, but all I can tell you is that this feels right – this is what I’m meant to do next in my life. This blog will be devoted to chronicling this next great adventure. I invite you to laugh with me (or at me), search with me, struggle with me and learn with me throughout this journey. So come on along and join me for my next “daring adventure”!
