28 knots

Summer Shoe Picks

Sat, 02 Jun 2012 00:18:09 -0400

Every woman loves shoes.

Is it because of their practical, everyday use? No. It’s because feet don’t have fat days, and the right pair of heels can turn average stems into those worthy of a Venus Razor commercial. Here are my summer favorites…

J.Crew Ballet Flats:

{I have no complaints about Italian leather}

J.Crew Seville Wedges:

{perfect for work, perfect for play}

Anthropologie Sanguine Slingbacks:

{sass included}

70’s Americana Tennis Shoes, Etsy.com:

{I’ve become really patriotic, and these are obnoxious but so fun}

Anthropologie Safa Sandals:

{crafted by Meher Kakalia, so cool}

"The one important thing thing I’ve learned over the years is the difference between taking..."

Thu, 31 May 2012 19:06:59 -0400

“The one important thing thing I’ve learned over the years is the difference between taking one’s work seriously and taking one’s self seriously. The first is imperative and the second is disastrous.”

- Margot Fonteyn (ballerina)

"Watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you, because the greatest secrets are always..."

Thu, 31 May 2012 19:05:11 -0400

“Watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you, because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places.”

- Roald Dahl

Depths of the Amazon...

Sun, 27 May 2012 01:03:54 -0400

When the MV Explorer first entered the Amazon River, I was amazed at the sheer size. We were unable to see land for an entire day aboard the ship. The only way we knew we were no longer on open ocean was the sand colored water and the intense Brazilian sun. The small riverboat that my group transferred to from our ship was no five star hotel. We were ready to rough it-5 hours into the middle of the Amazon! Piranha fishing, visiting a backwater village, a beach luau, and cayman hunting were some of the highlights of the trip.

{swimming with wild pink dolphins}

{where the Rio Negro meets the Amazon River is called the Meeting of the Waters. the two rivers don’t mix!}

{the Amazon at dusk is so beautiful}

{I felt like I was on an episode of Swamp People while Cayman hunting!}

Education in Progress… Ghana is a western African country...

Sun, 27 May 2012 00:40:46 -0400

Education in Progress…

Ghana is a western African country that I never thought I would be able to travel to. The best part about my time there was being able to visit a variety of schools. I was able to compare the Morning Star School, the best in the country, to a very unique school and orphanage called the City of Hope Refuge.

360*

Sat, 26 May 2012 23:41:00 -0400

It may seem as though I have dropped off the face of the earth. Well, actually, I have just been circumnavigating it. It took nearly 4 months and 25,000 nautical miles. Each day aboard the MV Explorer brought a new element of surprise, a new sunset, and often even a new time zone. I have been to Dominica, Brazil, Ghana, South Africa, Mauritius, India, Singapore, Vietnam, China, and Japan. My “campus” not only had a library and lecture hall but also a spa, gangway, and pool deck. Have you ever had classes cancelled for a synchronized swimming competition? What about to see the inside of the Taj Mahal or the un-restored section of the Great Wall? With my friends by my side I have experienced everything from the poisonous snakes of the Amazon, to the post Apartheid world of South Africa, to the nightlife of Tokyo. “Where I used to see shapes on a map I now see people; beggars, politicians, drug dealers, philanthropists, thieves, travelers, parents, children, and in many countries, angels. I have done more and seen more than most people will in their entire lives. This is how it feels to have a dream come true.”

I can’t wait to share what I have been up to for the past few months! Check back soon to see more pictures from my nautical life.

*Shout out to Bailey Gerber for making me cry in public with her blog post How This Feels

Mash Up

Sat, 26 May 2012 23:30:43 -0400

I obviously failed on keeping up with a travel blog while on Semester at Sea. Between next-to-nonexistent Internet and living out dreams, I simply never made time for blogging. I did however, keep a detailed journal and took a copious amount of pictures. Look for a mix of old posts from Pretty Little City, stories (and shopping tips) from around the world, as well as new posts. It’s a blog mix up mash up!

pretty little city: Curiouser and Curiouser..

Sat, 26 May 2012 22:55:44 -0400

pretty little city: Curiouser and Curiouser..:

prettylittlecity:

Alice’s Tea Cup is an Alice in Wonderland themed tea house. It is whimsical, magical, and overall delicious. Their teas are from all over the world! They also boast a health conscious menu. (The vegan artichoke soup was amazing.) I was told that they celebrate both birthdays and un-birthdays….

prettylittlecity: I have been going through CorePower Yoga...

Sat, 26 May 2012 22:53:17 -0400

prettylittlecity:

I have been going through CorePower Yoga withdrawals. There isn’t a studio in my home town so I have been reluctantly feeling the burn at the gym instead. It just isn’t the same.. My next post will feature the really cool eye shadow I just bought for my third eye. Namaste!

-Giana

(finally) On A Boat!

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:10:55 -0500

It was around 9:00pm on the night after the scheduled departure date. 10 of us were still not on the ship. The only difference now was that we were landing in the Bahamas and we knew we were on our way to the best semester of our lives! We arrived to the dock and went through security together, coming out on the other side to see our new home waiting for us. We walked, trying not to run, as a group to the door of the ship. The excitement and energy was indescribable; I felt like I was back at the State Dance Team tournament. All of the students on the ship were outside waving to us and cheering us on as we made our way to the MV Explorer. There was even a camera crew standing by to document the process.

{walking to the ship!}

The best part was the moment after we went through ship security when the captain opened the door for us to get onto the ship! All of our friends from our homeschools and our friends we had met while stuck in Fort Lauderdale were waiting there for us! I can’t even explain how happy I was to finally see the place that I had been dreaming about for the past year. To say the least, it was a rush.

{Bennett and I-right when they opened the doors}

At Last! I have been in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for 6 days....

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:29:32 -0500

At Last!

I have been in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for 6 days. While it is a lovely place, it is not the destination of choice. On Wednesday, I moved to the Holiday Inn to meet up with 26 other visa-less travelers. Every day Pinnicle promised us that Brazil would release all of our passports and we were all (except for Dennis!) left disappointed. Each day about three people would get the lucky news that they would make it onto the ship. This left 10 of us to still be stranded Thursday night-the day that the ship was scheduled to sail. Semester at Sea said that they would hold the ship in the Bahamas for one more day for us, costing about $25,000. They phoned us in so that we could listen to part of the opening ceremonies Honestly, it was a little heartbreaking hearing 700 students cheering without us. As a last resort, we decided to drive to Miami at 6 this morning for new passports. By some miracle, it actually worked!! The remaining 10 of our 26 are all sitting in the Fort Lauderdale airport waiting to board our 5:30pm flight to Nassau. None of us thought that we would be able to get on the ship in time and I can’t even explain how excited we are to join our new shipboard community. Bon Voyage at Last!

Beach Day with my mom in Fort Lauderdale. A Small Place by...

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:21:02 -0500

Beach Day with my mom in Fort Lauderdale. A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid is our common reading.

My big suitcase ended up weighing 66lbs. While struggling to get...

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 17:34:00 -0500

My big suitcase ended up weighing 66lbs. While struggling to get the thing onto the airport scale my mom said “What on earth did you bring?!” The answer to that question would be well, a lot. I’m a retail major. Thus, I obviously couldn’t stop at the bare necessities and a few old t-shirts. Some guilty extras include my gopheralls, an American flag, “On a Boat” tanks to give away, and lots of foodsies.

My Life in Suitcases: I’m heading to the airport today...

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 13:54:35 -0500

My Life in Suitcases:

I’m heading to the airport today after 48 hours of non stop SAS drama. There is a group of about 26 of us whose passports are being held hostage by Brazil. Although I was supposed to have my passport and visas back last week, I am still empty handed. The new plan is to fly to Fort Lauderdale, Florida (instead of Nassau) and wait with the others for out passports to (hopefully) come on Wednesday. As soon as that happens, we will be able to get on a flight and jump the boarder. It’s not ideal, but as long as I am able to board the ship in time it is fine with me. #bahamasbound!

this is happening in 1 month! basically, i still can’t...

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 21:55:09 -0500

this is happening in 1 month! basically, i still can’t believe that this is happening at all!

Upcoming Voyage: Spring 2012

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 20:03:00 -0500

I have been obsessively frequenting the Semester at Sea website for a year now. When I would click on “Upcoming Voyages”, Spring 2012 was nowhere near the top of the list. Now when I click on it, we are next in line! The excitement and pre-departure stress is definitely building; there is so much left to prepare! I created this blog in addition to Pretty Little City to share my experience abroad with everyone. The title is 28 knots because that is the maximum speed of my future home, the MV Explorer. Follow me as I figure out next semester and gain my sea legs. A whirlwind of adventure is in the works. :)