First Day in SALVADOR, BRAZIL

Hello everyone. My apologizes for the slow update this week. It has been a long, busy week. Classes got into full swing and I'll tell you, being on a boat for a week strait in just bananas. I'm not sure where to begin. My learning is accelerated here on the boat. I have a lot of reading and not a lot of other students are taking 5 classes like me. I am taking African-American Lit, Poetry from Around the World, Theater: Memory and Vision (Script Writing), Global Studies and Masculinity and Femininity. I'm exhausted right now but I wanted to let everyone know everything is great. Life is beautiful on the boat. It's so great to be around people who desire to better themselves through education. People who are anxious to help others (my roommate brought an entire suitcase of toys for children), and people who are just interested in enjoying life altogether.

Salvador-Bahia is beautiful. Carnaval is in full swing. Today on the street was crazy and incredible. Theres no doubt I am where I am-- Brazil. The colors are wild here, bright oranges and green and blues. My senses are on overload. The streets are packed. Even the children are in costume during the day. It is certainly everything you'd imagine it to be, plus more for the fact that I am actually here. The Portuguese is actually not so hard to deal with because it is similar to Spanish. We didn't go out tonight, it is pretty dangerous (but, tomorrow, when we learn out way around a little more, get a little more energy, we definitely will). Rio is a plane ride away, many students are going there, is even worse. However, you just be smart make good decisions and you are alright, like anything right? No lie, standing right next to me is a girl in tears because she just got mugged. I am sure this isn't what you want to hear but it is what it is. Life is different in different places. They say travel makes a man wiser but it doesn't bring happiness. Though, shit, I'm pretty happy right now. Being a Woman here is also much different then in the United States. I definitely look forward to walking down the street alone again.

It feels like I have been gone a long time, though, hard to believe it has only been a week and half. The Ship had a little shin dig for Valentines Day which was fun. Everyone here on the boat is awesome. People are really cool and from all over the country. East coast people are the coolest though (haha). There is always much to do and plenty of conversations to be had. Time is of no essence on the ship. I am just going. Time is measured in space. Meaning, this much space till we go to Brazil, this much time till we leave. Wish I could keep in touch more, speak to you guys, but I'm far from being homesick. Far.

Eric, Brenna and I are reppin CHS, no lie. From CHS TO SAS, that's that Philly edu-ma-ca-tion taking us around the world. Public Education works.

Today I served as a student Ambassador for the Consular working in Salvador. It was no governor but she was nice, her name is Heather Marques. You can try to goggle her, but I found nothing. I got to sit next to Archbishop Tutu and the Dean introduced me in front of the entire "shipboard community" as an Ambassador this morning during the Diplomatic Briefing. It was a nice experience. I am trying to get involved as much as possible.

Ok well I am off to sleep. Good night amigos y amantes.