My semester as a student on Semester at Sea was not what I had originally expected. I was excited to meet outgoing people, travel places outside of my comfort zone, and have the opportunity to take courses taught by professors from around the globe. I am blessed to have been able to do these things while living and learning on a ship, and the impact was far greater than I could have speculated. 

In January, we were faced with our first reroute when the shipboard administration made the decision to divert from our port in China for safety concerns regarding the COVID-19 outbreak. This was the first of many reroutes to follow, and it soon became an environment of change and uncertainty as 600 college students, faculty, and staff traveled the globe while living on a ship during a global pandemic. Our route that was planned quickly did not hold validity in the state the world was currently in. Amidst all the chaos, we ended up spending time in countries that otherwise we would not have had the opportunity to. Prior to the experience, I was always a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. Although this scenario does not seem to be a positive one on the surface, I am confident that this phrase still holds true. For every heartbreak of a skipped port, there was a blessing in disguise around the corner. I spent these additional days in port with my classmates at the sugarcane museum in Mauritius, hiking to the temples on Marble Mountain in Vietnam, and getting to know business owners at the market in South Africa. Each were moments that I may have otherwise never of had the chance to experience on my own. The diversions created a bond with the people I was learning and exploring with. We learned that there are things out of our control, and it’s how you handle those changes that really matter. I learned to embrace each moment and appreciate the time I did have with these people. While in country, I gained a diverse perspective of people, languages, and overall culture of the ports we visited. 

The experience is unique for each student, although this voyage was different than the others that Semester at Sea has done. I learned how to take in information and develop my own narrative. As a group, we learned how to face adversity and foster a resilient attitude towards the unknown. While I was a guest in the countries we ported in, I gained immense respect for port agents, customs employees, health care workers, public transit employees, and so many citizens who served their organizations with pride regardless of the anticipation of the virus. I can easily say that this semester was not what I dreamed of and that although I do wish that our world never had to be in a position such as this, I am confident when I say that I am thankful that I took this opportunity abroad. I would not trade my experience for any other semester, program, or location. I constantly reminded myself that the whole world was experiencing this, and our administration was working tirelessly to keep us moving forward with our education. The people I met and the lessons I learned about cultures and about accepting change are lessons that I will value going forward in my personal, academic, and professional life. 

Name: Kaitlyn Kramer
Status: Junior
Major: Media and Information
Hometown: Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Program: Semester at Sea