Semester at Sea in GIFs

Finding the words to describe a four-month around-the-world-on-a-floating-university experience is often hard. And also, expressing things in GIFs is so much fun, so here you go.

How you feel when the ship sets sail for the very first time:

(You’re going to have that song stuck in your head all day. You’re welcome.)

When you’ve been at sea for seven days or more on end:

Between Hawai’i and Japan, India and Mauritius, South Africa and Ghana… Ship life is fantastic but sometimes you need some solid ground.

Solid ground after experiencing your first big storm:

Hint: The Pacific has storms in Winter.

Every time you have to get your passport/visas/yellow fever vaccination record checked by immigration officers:

“Oh hai, you look like a nice man. Please stamp my passport quickly so that the other 700 people on the ship can get through too.”

Vendors at the markets when they realise how bad you are at this bargaining thing:

Trying to explain to your parents (in an email!) why you need more cash:

“Mom, Dad… it turns out, I’m really bad at bargaining…”

Realising you’re pretty bad at handling chop sticks:

Just use your imagination, okay!

When you keep trying to stargaze but it’s a cloudy night AGAIN:

When your tour guide or tuk-tuk driver wants to take you somewhere… unscheduled:

This usually ends up costing you more money. But sometimes, it turns into a fantastic experience that tourists don’t often get. Nevertheless, be safe out there, kids.

After a long day of walking through the city… or hiking a mountain… or walking The Great Wall…

When the new inter-port students embark and everybody wants a chance to get a one-on-one:

(“So, I’m writing this paper about your country…” or, more realistically, “Where can we get cheap stuff?”)

Declaring that THIS is your favourite country, and you’re going to move there forever:

(Only after EVERY port…)

Getting your game on at the talent show:

The first time you get horribly lost in a new city:

“Guys, guys, I know EXACTLY where we are now!”

Your view of the world now:

Realising you have a terminal case of wanderlust and that you just want to go back…