Nova Scotia (Ancestral Homeland)

Our hotel! 

The MV Explorer (as seen from our window)

Random picture #1

Random picture #2

Sadly, the Bluenose II is off in Montreal, and we couldn't find the Oxner Grocery. 

The Joys of Travel

Dear Delta, 

I hate you. 

Sincerely, 

Jennifer

Today:

1. Didn't sleep because I was packing.

2. Flight got cancelled because they spilled cleaning fluid on the plane. 

3. The re-route involved an extra airport and 3 more hours of traveling. 

4. Both my checked bags were overweight. 

5. On the flight to Atlanta, the only available seats were in the emergency row, so we were the only row without TVs to watch.

5. The flight to Toronto was tiny and cramped. 

6. In the Toronto airport, we discover that Delta forgot to give me part of my ticket, meaning that I couldn't check in for our next flight. 

7. We ride the train back and forth (and back and forth) between Delta and Air Canada terminals trying to get checked in, because obviously no one knows how to use a phone. 

8. Finally, a nice flight. Canada Air rocks. Nice seats, free meal, free personal movie (or TV or music). Well done. 

9. We arrive in Halifax! Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for my luggage. Although Delta assured us multiple times that we were only to check in and not pick up our checked baggage in Toronto, it is international flying protocol/law/whatever that you have to take all checked baggage through customs, regardless of connecting flights.

10. Halifax is pretty, the hotel is wonderful, and our window has a straight view of the ship. There are lots of semester at sea people wandering around, but I'm sitting in the hotel room because I only have grungy plane-dirty clothes and am very very tired. 

Whew.  

 

Itinerary

It's a reasonable assumption, right?

I just thought of something.... there shouldn't be many bugs on the ship, right? Or fewer, at least, given the limited period of entry.... Awesome.

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."

While I've made my share of Helen Keller jokes,* I have to say, this quote by her certainly rings true. I know a lot of people consider Semester at Sea a "life-changing" experience and the "trip of a lifetime" or something of the sort, but that idea seems limiting to me. I plan on having daring, life-changing type experiences until I'm senile. Even then, I'm sure given the opportunity I'd drag my decrepit self up the Andes just to see Machu Picchu. At the very least I'll convince my children (grandchildren?) to let me tag along on their adventures. That being said, I'm definitely extremely excited about meeting Canadians in Canada for the first time, getting horribly seasick for the first time, using my own credit card for the first time, wandering around Europe for the first time, and being snubbed for being an American for the first time! (Lots of firsts on this trip!)


Also: I just got a shiny new camera. Isn't it pretty?


8 days until Nova Scotia!
Jenn

*One of my favorites (and one of the least politically incorrect): "Why can't Helen Keller drive?" "Why?" "Because she's a woman!"